There is growing anger about rubbish around Savernake Pond
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‘Let’s make waves over pond litter’
By Mike PyleAugust 27, 2010
A dog walker is demanding action to clean up a popular beauty spot and wildlife haven which has been plagued with litter.
Jackie Ramsay is also considering starting a petition to try to force action, but she has already been dealt a blow before her campaign gets off the ground.
Thames Water this week said the parts of the pond it looks after will not be cleared up until the autumn.
Savernake Pond in Forest Park is covered in rubbish, including plastic chairs, beer cans and fishing line which has killed geese according to Jackie who lives nearby.
“It’s been totally neglected,” she said.
“There’s a goose there at the moment with fishing line in its beak.
“I know what will happen to it because I saw the same thing happen to a goose on the lake last year – it died.
“I’ve lived here four years and there have been some chairs floating in there for the whole time, there’s even a microwave in the hedge.
“It’s such a shame.
“I’m not the only one who feels strongly about this, I know what everyone’s opinion is round here.
“I could start a petition if that’s what it takes.”
The pond is in land owned by Bracknell Forest Council but it is a balancing pond so the inlet and outlet – where the litter is worst – are looked after by Thames Water.
A spokesman for Thames Water said: “Our responsibility is to keep the inlet and outlet clear, not the general maintenance, which would include removal of rubbish.
“We have met with the council to update them on our plans to clear the inlet later in the autumn.”
A spokesman for Bracknell Forest Council added: “The council is aware of litter in the balancing pond at Savernake Park and is working with Thames Water to address the issue.”
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Most recent user comments 5 of 5
07/11/2010 at 22:28 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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WORK HAS BEGUN!!!
The contractors arrived on site yesterday, the culvert has been temporarily blocked and the water being pumped around the filter beds straight into the lake to let the diggers get into the filter beds.
So far around 20 tipper loads of silt have been removed and much of it is being carefully used to fill in ditches around the site - obviously they are being very careful of any wildlife! The great news is that water quality is amazing - despite all the silt, we saw fish in the filter beds. The silt will add a lot of nutrients back into the soil.
Thames Water have closed off a couple of footpaths to allow them to operate safely, and they'll be erecting some temporary safety netting as well.
Come down and take a look - the work will take 2-3 weeks to complete. Watch this space for more information or follow me on twitter @MbrunelWalker for more regular updates
We would like to thank all of our residents for being patient whilst we have worked closely with Thames Water to get the work agreed. We know it will be worth the wait!
Cllr Marc Brunel-Walker, Cllr Colin Dudley, Cllr Bob Osborne Councillors for Crown Wood and Forest Park
27/10/2010 at 19:18 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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01/09/2010 at 19:19 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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I am Councillor Marc Brunel-Walker, of the 3 Councillors for the Ward
We have been working closely with Thames Water over the past few months to agree a plan of action to improve the area and tidy up the mess. Discussions have focused on the large filter beds at the Savernake Way end that are designed to trap rubbish and mess and prevent it entering the main pond. Over the past year we have actually seen an increase in the quality of the water.
Last year a large amount of work was undertaken to clear out the culvert that feeds the lake - especially the area near to Forest Park Shops. All the banks got a good cleaning - trees and shrubs cut back, rubbish removed, and the silt and other rubbish cleared out. The Result? MUCH better flow of water and the area looked a lot tidier.
Jackie Ramsay is correct - the work to tidy up the area which will cost £30-50,000 will begin in the late autumn after the trees have finished shedding leaves. If the work is done sooner, it will soon look messy again.
Additionally, your Councillors have invested some of our Ward Funding into further improvement works in Savernake that involve improving lighting and cutting back overhanging tree's this work will form part of the Winter Maintenance Program.
We are very excited that after months of hard work - the area is going to get the attention from Thames Water that it badly needs! We will be creating a Facebook site so that you can see the work that is going on with lots of "before and after pictures" - we also plan a couple of litter picks in the area, so if any residents would like to help - please do get in touch!
Many thanks! Cllr Marc Brunel-Walker
27/08/2010 at 15:30 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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27/08/2010 at 13:14 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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