Lake reopens ... but will have to shut again for gate work
WESTON-SUPER-MARE’S Marine Lake has re-opened – without the work which prompted the closure being carried out.
North Somerset Council closed the seafront lake for the fourth time this year last Monday to allow further work on sluice gates to be carried out.
The work was planned for this month to take advantage of low tides, enabling the authority to drain the lake first. It reopened on Friday.
But the work to the sluice gates was not carried out – meaning another closure, the fifth this year, is imminent.
A North Somerset Council spokesman said: “The lake was temporarily closed on Monday (November 14) to enable further planned work to take place on the two new sluice gates.
“This work was planned to take advantage of a long period of low tides, which would provide maximum time for the tidal lake to be drained and for the work to be carried out. Unfortunately, due to logistical delays, the contractor was unable to visit to attend to the necessary remedial work on the two new sluice gates. We apologise for any inconvenience and will publish details of when the work is planned when available. We will of course have to wait for the next long period of low tides.”
The lake was drained in March to dredge 30,000 tonnes of silt and carry out repairs.
It re-opened in June but was closed again in September for new sluice gates to be installed. It reopened in October only to be closed again after water levels dropped. The lake was once again drained and the sluice gates inspected.
The ongoing work is part of North Somerset Council’s Great Lakes Project. More than £300,000 has been spent on the lake, which opened in the 1920s, to bring it back into use as an outdoor swimming and water sports destination.
❝ The contractor was unable to visit to attend to the necessary remedial work
North Somerset Council