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Duck pond to be filled in

9:00pm Wednesday 22nd February 2012 in Somerset Photograph of the Author By Phil Hill

Duck pond to be filled in Duck pond to be filled in

A DUCK and fish pond popular with children has become the victim of council cuts.

People living near the feature in College Way, Taunton, were upset by Taunton Deane Council plans to fill it in and create a landscaped area.

David Redrup said: “Lots of children go there and love feeding the ducks.

“My grandchildren are upset. It’s a beautiful area.”

Paula Winter said: “I buy a loaf of bread every day for the ducks and there are always lots of children there.

“If they grass it over it will attract groups of kids at night.”

A Deane spokeswoman said the proposal followed a health and safety report showing the water was in a poor condition, the sides of the pond should be sloped and marker posts installed to warn drivers.

The cost of a pump to oxygenate the man-made pond, the other work and ongoing maintenance is considered prohibitive.

Comeytrowe Parish Council declined an offer to take on responsibility for the pond.

Cllr Catherine Herbert, the Deane’s sport, parks and leisure portfolio holder, said: “We’re facing an unprecedented squeeze on public finance and do have to make difficult decisions.

“We cannot afford to do all the things we’d like to.

“The cost of doing all the necessary work and future maintenance is unaffordable.

“However, we’re open to suggestions from the community and will discuss with residents our thinking before any final decision is made.”

Comments(13)

Steven96 says...
10:59pm Wed 22 Feb 12

What did the ducks do to them.I do not know how long the pond as been they but for the council to say they need to.do work to make to safe is just a crap to fill it in. The ducks will fight to the death.

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pingu72 says...
8:09am Thu 23 Feb 12

Health and safety police win again... What about a little common sense? Oh dear, what if someone drives into the pond? Well, they should have been paying attention and they certainly will not do it again.. I know, whilst we are about it, lets fill in the sea and other rivers, just in case someone drives into those.. I didn't think you needed to oxygenate ponds, I was advised this is a myth as most of the oxygen is absorbed from the surface area on top.

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mayn8599 says...
9:01pm Thu 23 Feb 12

Terrible decision by TDBC. I would suggest we ask them how this fits with their policy to conserve biodiversity (including restoration and enhancement of population or habitats), and whether this is a breach of the original planning permission and any environmental statement assumed about commitments when the ponds was originally built. Cost and H&S being used a feeble excuses again to avoid providing local amenities. Shame on the councillors for not sticking up for the community

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chinzi says...
10:16am Fri 24 Feb 12

Yet again, another natural piece of Mother Nature being destroyed by the Council. Im surprised they don't want to build flats on it...

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gormo8 says...
12:50pm Fri 24 Feb 12

It'd be interesting to know how much it's going to cost to fill it in.

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swjoduk says...
1:36pm Fri 24 Feb 12

chinzi wrote:
Yet again, another natural piece of Mother Nature being destroyed by the Council. Im surprised they don't want to build flats on it...
In fairness the pond is man made so not mother natures creation. Obviously the wildlife is, and will hopefully be relocated to Vivary Park or Sherford/Galmington Stream.

I remember when it was constructed in the 1980's. It used to be full of fish and we used to stop there to feed the ducks (and fish).

Maybe worth looking into whether it was designed to take surface water from the development. If it was then it should remain I would say.

Does anyone maintain the park with a hard court up the road or has that been left to ruin?

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Somerset_BTGOG says...
6:59pm Fri 24 Feb 12

They could fill it in and make another unofficial skate park just like Goodlands Gardens.

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IQ says...
10:39pm Sat 25 Feb 12

Don't fill it in you useless numpties. Just leave it.

Let the people who live nearby manage it. If it thrives all well and good. If it doesn't then it will fill itself in.

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ablue2012 says...
1:26am Sun 26 Feb 12

i like iqs idea. just let the council leave us and let everyone that lives near by run it. jesus iq are you hitler? good job this is to be filled in. complete waste of money council maintaining it. concrete it over nomore funding to keep it running, considering we have a real natural flowing river with more natural life flowing through it. but probs to far for you to walk to, to busy eating burger kings to walk there. fill it in less for us hard working tax payers to pay for end of story.

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ablue2012 says...
1:29am Sun 26 Feb 12

and whoever feeds ducks bread??? you do realise this kills them. its like feeding a human with about 2000 burgers a hour. so im glad its been filled in. less ducks you will kill. 1 loaf of bread will kill about 5 ducks a day. and they cant digest it, bloats their digestive system and they just sink and drown.

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souwesterly says...
8:49am Sun 26 Feb 12

Judging from the number of ducks on that pond at times, I'd say, ablue2012, that your hypothesis doesn't work. Does it work though on seagulls? Do they sink after eating bread? Overzealous bird protection philosophy, methinks. When times are hard (for birds and us), isn't some bread better than nothing?
Please, ablue2012, suggest a better food that we can provide that doesn't cost us anything (used bread is a waste material, after all)......'cos if you think I'll buy sacks of grain for them, you've got another think coming.....

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souwesterly says...
9:14am Sun 26 Feb 12

Quote....."health and safety report showing the water was in a poor condition, the sides of the pond should be sloped and marker posts installed to warn drivers."
Drivers or divers! LOL
The water was in poor condition - i.e, it's dirty and mucky and "unsafe" for humans to use. So what? It's not there for humans to drink or swim in.... And a fair amount of the muck is put in the pond by local yobs.
The sides should be sloped - why? In case some poor misbegotten child tries to catch a duck? Wouldn't it be cheaper and easier to build a 6' wall all round it? Doh! (Oh - forgot - the River Tone has steep banks too....reminder to H & S to get them all 'sloped'. If it costs too much you could always turn off the river, since you think you're in charge of everything)
Marker posts? I thought that drivers had brains, brakes and a steering wheel. How many cars have ended up in that pond so far?
Pathetic excuses from an authority who are allowing H & S rules to control us.
Hand it over to the parish council or to the residents as a 'community project'. Give them just half of what TDBC spends on it and they'll do wonders. What does an acountant know about wildlife management anyway?
Turn that area into a grassy patch and it'll soon become a car parking area or another fly tipping spot.
PS Before TDBC did their inspection, there used to be quite a number of large koi carp (or other large unidentifiable fish) in that pond. There's a wonderfully basic thrill (even for children!)to see a large mouth come up from the depth and engulf a large chunk of bread! Where are they now?
PPS If you feed bread to the fish, do they sink too?
PPPS What "natural" pond needs an aeration or oxygenating system? It's not a bl**dy aquarium.....
(May I suggest that the H & S Office remove the H & S and just supply the O....)

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creecher says...
11:36am Sun 26 Feb 12

Must agree with Dr Dave on another comments page that ablue2012 really does seem to have a wasp up his a**e.

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