Calls are being made by three Plaid Cymru ward councillors for volunteers to clean up a popular lake on the Castle View housing estate in Caerphilly.
St Martin’s ward councillor James Fussell said: “The Cwrt Rawlin lake is an important amenity locally and is used by anglers, young and old, dog walkers, duck feeders and even canoeists.
“However, there are a number of issues, including the growth of Canadian pond weed, which is strangling the lake and blue green algae at times of the year.”
Fellow ward councillor Colin Elsbury said they were looking for volunteers to help with clearance of pond weed and other work.
He said: “There are tasks like clearing rubbish, creating a habitat for ducks on the island and also finding out from local people about what they think would improve the lake area such as benches, covered areas for shade.”
He added: “The ownership of the lake is unclear after the previous developers went into administration a few years ago and both Welsh Water and Caerphilly Council do not accept responsibility.”
Cllr Steve Kent added that Welsh Water had surveyed the lake and found that silt levels were not an issue while the council was proposing some work during the year including thinning of vegetation on the lake’s island and removing pond weed.
Would-be volunteers can email FUSSEJE@caerphilly.gov.uk
Perhaps the suspended Caerphilly Council Officers, O`Sullivan and Burnett, and Dan Perkins, the council`s senior legal officer, could lend a hand, they are doing nothing else at the moment and getting paid by us for the privilege.
What exactly are we paying council tax for? This should be done by CCBC.
me and a friend have been clearing this pondweed alone for a while when we have spare time how can you let it get that bad where fish ducks and so on use.it to live I don't use it much but I know many who do go there to learn how to fish
Myself and a freind used to take his boys up there teaching them how to fish, great fishing up there untill it became overgrown with weeds/reeds, has been gradually getting worse, we were going to clear a few areas but sure it will only cause another problem having the banks full of dried out weeds/reeds,lovely little lake for a walk around/dog walk etc. Shame its been left to grow over so much
Get prisoners to do it or people that have been on benefits for a while