Subscribe to trusted local news
If you are accessing this story via Facebook but you are a subscriber then you will be unable to access the story. Facebook wants you to stay and read in the app and your login details are not shared with Facebook. If you experience problems with accessing the news but have subscribed, please contact subscriptions@thestrayferret.co.uk. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.
- Subscription costs less than £1 a week with an annual plan.
Already a subscriber? Log in here.
12
Aug
‘Clear direction’ to finally fix Pannal duck pond
A duck pond in Pannal is in a dire condition, with little progress on cleaning it up being made since 2022 due to confusion over its ownership and who has responsibility for its upkeep.
The pond now has no water, needs dredging and the wildlife that used to live in and round the area have gone.
However, Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council said that the history of the pond’s ownership has been confirmed, legal advice taken and there is now a “clear direction to take things forward”.
The parish council posted an update on August 6 after a local resident asked on Facebook if anyone knew what was going on with the Mill Pond.
The council said neither it nor “any other clearly identified organisation” owned the pond.
It stated that the properties neighbouring the pond are seeking legal advice and working with the parish council to re-establish ownership and responsibility for the site.
This was the same situation that was shared when we last reported on the pond in November 2022, after anonymous, accusatory letters were put through the doors of neighbouring households.
However, on August 8 the parish council told the Stray Ferret:
Having found paperwork dating back to the 70s and working with local residents, we have been able to confirm the history, take legal advice and we now believe we have a clear direction to take things forward.
Once the legal position has been confirmed, we will explore all options for funding the work needed and the practical issues of access and where to put the tonnes of earth/ silt that will need to be removed. We then hope and intend to support a full conservation programme to make the Mill Pond area one that everyone can enjoy.
Mill Pond was sold by the Bentley family to the Mill Damn Association in 1970, but the association lapsed over the years as members moved away or died.
More details about the plan for restoring the pond will be shared at the next parish council meeting in September, once the full legal advice has been received.
Locals are encouraged to attend the meeting to hear more and ask questions, and updates will be shared in the minutes and parish newsletter afterwards.
Christina Driver, Pannal resident and campaign manager for Preserve Crimple Valley, highlighted the importance of action being taken now, and of the community working together to fix the pond.
She said:
The ducks and moorhends who used to have a nest in the middle of the pond have gone. All the fish have gone. The whole ecosystem has changed. We understand there are ongoing issues surrounding ownership and that the parishioner who believes he is the chair of the Pannal Mill Dam Association (MDA), together with his neighbour, who is not an MDA member, was due to meet with legal representatives following the parish council meeting on 9th July. We are ready to support these parishioners once we understand the outcome.
However, it is disappointing that it has taken the parish council so long to become involved. In its August 2022 Newsletter (Edition 59), the council stated: "Complaints have been received regarding the foul smell emanating from the pond during this prolonged hot dry spell. Once again, we remind residents that the pond and its maintenance is the sole responsibility of its co-owners – those whose properties adjoin the pond." That was four years ago. Let's hope it doesn't take another four years to find a solution and secure the future of this important community asset.
0