Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Protest plan to save Forest beauty spot
There are also family members whose ashes have been scattered there and this would be heartbreaking if it was just to become another car park SHAUN BICK
OUTRAGED Foresters fighting to save Cannop Ponds are planning to protest this weekend against plans that could lead to the Forest of Dean’s most famous lakes disappearing forever.
Forestry England has caused uproar by suggesting they may have to drain the near 200-year-old reservoirs to prevent flooding downstream.
Nearly 5,000 people have signed a petition calling on the authorities to repair rather than remove the dams originally created in 1825 and 1829 to supply a waterwheel at Parkend Ironworks. Without them the ponds on the Cannop Brook would probably revert to a natural state.
Now those who want to keep the ponds, which are a well-known and popular tourist attraction in the Forest, are planning a peaceful protest this weekend. They have called on supporters to gather at the ponds today to send a message to the authorities that Foresters want the dams repaired whatever the cost.
Shaun Bick, who arranged the online petition, said the number of people putting their name to it shows people feel very strongly about keeping the popular beauty spot as it is. He believes climate change is just as likely to dry out the ponds and transform the area into bogland as cause the severe flooding cited by the authorities.
“The lakes have been around for nearly 200 years. They are regularly enjoyed by anglers, walkers, photographers, bird watchers as well as tourists who enjoy the tranquillity that these beautiful lakes offer,” he said.
“There are also family members whose ashes have been scattered there and this would be heart-breaking if it was just to become another car park.
“Under these plans Cannop would become another Wenchford picnic site where birdlife is nearly non-existent and we would lose the majority of the wildlife that inhabit the lakes.
“The people of the Forest of Dean want the dams repaired and not a redevelopment of the site. We are asking those who oppose Forestry England’s idea to attend a peaceful protest this coming Saturday at Cannop Stoneworks at 6pm. Bring your banners and your signs and help #savecannopponds.”
Members of Yorkley and District Angling Club, which has leased the water for coarse fishing since 1958, are furious about the plans because volunteers have carried out many thousands of hours unpaid work on the ponds which contain fresh water fish such as roach, brown trout and eels.
The club says if the “harebrained scheme” to drain the dams went ahead only the Cannop Brook ecosystem would survive and various species of fish, waterbirds, amphibians and invertebrates at the pond would need to be relocated.
“It appears to the club that rather than face the financial burden of the repairs required to the ponds Forestry England has decided to try and avoid its obligation to repair by removing the ponds completely, thus ending its current and all future liabilities,” said the statement.
“The club strongly condemns Forestry England’s proposals and ask them to quickly reconsider and take the responsible course of action which is to repair.”
But some people in favour of rewilding the Forest support the idea of allowing the man-made lakes to revert to their natural state. Others point out that several years ago emergency services carried out a major disaster exercise amid fears that freak weather conditions could send water gushing down the valley to the Severn and turn Lydney into another Boscastle.
Forestry England says doing nothing is not an option because if the dams failed during a time of rising water levels it would cause disastrous flooding downstream in Parkend, Whitecroft and Lydney.
The document says temporary repairs have been carried out but bringing them up to modern-day standards on a permanent basis may not be cost effective. It concluded: “The age of the dams means they do not meet modern engineering standards and recent inspections have identified significant engineering issues”.
A spokesperson for Forestry England said: “There are some very significant structural issues impacting Cannop Ponds, and we have sought to inform the community about the scale and realities of the situation. Doing nothing is not an option, as at some point in the future the dams will fail, but we are listening to what people are saying and will continue to do so as we consider the future of the reservoirs. We have tried to answer some of the emerging questions and concerns from the public here.”
The spokesperson said both Forest of Dean District Council and Gloucestershire County Council are technical stakeholders and are being consulted as the options for Cannop Ponds are tested and examined.
They added: “That technical consultation, which we launched on July 6, needs to progress before the range of feasible options are determined. Whichever option is taken forward will need to match or improve the storm water attenuation currently provided by the two reservoirs.”
The protest is planned for 6pm today.