Belmont reservoir to be drained over flooding fears (From Lancashire Telegraph)
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Belmont reservoir to be drained over flooding fears
11:35am Thursday 27th May 2010 in Darwen By Julian Thorpe
DRAINED: The scenic reservoir, in Belmont will disappear within two weeks because it is considered a flood risk
A SCENIC reservoir in Belmont is being drained as it does not meet government safety standards.
The 80ft deep Blue Lagoon will disappear within two weeks because the Environment Agency says it could be a flood risk.
Officially known as Ward’s Reservoir, the Blue Lagoon is owned by Belmont Holdings, which is based at the nearby bleach works.
Owner Julian Smith has decided to pull the plug as the reservoir needed £40,000 of improvement works to bring it up to the standard legally required by the agency.
He said: “I, personally, will be very upset to see it go but, at the end of the day, it comes down to financial considerations.
“It doesn’t make commercial sense to me to spend that sort of money on something that has no commercial value whatsoever.”
The Reservoir Act 1975, updated in 2010, specifies that reservoirs must be able to withstand huge one-in-a 1,000-year floods.
And an independent study has said it is not wide enough to cope with such a massive flood.
More than 100 residents met in St Peter’s Church on Monday night to discuss the future of the reservoir.
Coun Jean Rigby, who organised the meeting, said: “It’s been a beauty spot for as long as it’s been in existence.
"I’ve known it all my life, but if it’s drained it’ll just be a muddy hole.”
Comments(9)
pad4
says...
5:00pm Thu 27 May 10
Its not about what the land owner should or should not do, he has to make a decision based on a commercial value.
To be told to get it sorted out or face fines, maybe imprisonment has given him one choice, and that is to drain it untill a decision has been made what to do with it.
Personally Im disgusted with Blackburn council and the way they shun Belmont, seems easy enough to get the cash to improve where they all live and work.......
pad4
says...
5:04pm Thu 27 May 10
Its not about what the land owner should or should not do, he has to make a decision based on a commercial value.
To be told to get it sorted out or face fines, maybe imprisonment has given him one choice, and that is to drain it untill a decision has been made what to do with it.
Personally Im disgusted with Blackburn council and the way they shun Belmont, seems easy enough to get the cash to improve where they all live and work.......
Hellboy
says...
6:05pm Thu 27 May 10
Jimmy Paterson
says...
6:11pm Thu 27 May 10
Nostradamous
says...
8:23pm Thu 27 May 10
CapitaBackHander
says...
8:33pm Thu 27 May 10
Hellboy wrote:ah but we could have one of those 1 in 1000 year floods on the way......
Yep...Let's drain the place...in Summer...when it's hot and the water levels get at their lowest...Sherlock Holmes would be so envious...
johnsturgess
says...
12:47pm Fri 28 May 10
MIKEOXLONGER
says...
10:09pm Sat 29 May 10
These people need to get out more!
There was an England match on FF sake!!!!!!
CapitaBackHander says...
2:37pm Thu 27 May 10