Councillors apologise after pond project delays

Councillors have apologised for major delays to a project to tackle flooding in Plymouth's Central Park

Councillors have apologised for a lack of communication, after a project to tackle flooding in Plymouth's Central Park suffered major delays.

More than 3,000 residents signed an online petition calling for the city council to take action and tackle the flooding.

The work to create two new ponds and a drainage system started at the end of 2022, but later stalled because of bad weather and contractor issues, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said.

Plymouth City Council's Housing and Communities Scrutiny Panel was told residents and park users felt "fobbed off and ignored" when information boards were not updated and there was little response to concerns raised.

'Residents shout loudly'

Fix Our Park petition organiser Amanda Pannell said the petition was "the only way of bringing this to the attention of the council to make our voices heard".

"Work started again in August, I like to think it was the petition that helped that and we had meetings on site. However it stalled again until we had a second meeting.

"It very much feels like nothing happens unless the residents shout loudly and, quite frankly, it is exhausting," she said.

The council's cabinet member for the Environment and Climate Change Tom Briars-Delve apologised for the delays and said he fully accepted that at the time of the petition this July and August, the project was "not in a good state".

'Will learn lessons'

Panel chairman Lee Finn said: "We hold our hands up and apologise as a council to all stakeholders for a lack of communication.

"We will learn lessons from this."

The panel agreed to develop a comprehensive communications plan, regular updates, clear signage and outline of the project plan.

The Barn Park area of Central Park has been prone to flooding following heavy rain for decades.

The pond project is expected to finish in summer 2025.