Weymouth councillor leads campaign to dredge flooded lake

Councillor Matt Bell says an urgent solution is needed for flooding at Radipole Lake

A councillor has started a petition to dredge an overflowing lake at a nature reserve which has flooded a park.

Weymouth town councillor Matt Bell says Radipole Lake needs urgent maintenance work to alleviate "persistent flooding" of Radipole Park and a nearby car park.

He said there was a "lack of clarity" over who was responsible for the upkeep of drainage at the reserve.

Dorset Council said a survey would be needed to assess the bed levels but this was not done routinely.

Mr Bell said he started the campaign, previously reported in the Dorset Echo, after speaking to the council, the Environment Agency, Natural England and the RSPB - all stakeholders in the Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

He said: "There is seemingly little or no record of who has been, or should have been, removing silt from the drainage outlets from beneath Radipole Park."

'Repeatedly pressed'

Natural England and the Environment Agency said site owner Dorset Council had "overall responsibility for any maintenance activities".

The council said the lake was subject to a Water Level Management Plan (WLMP) which determined how water levels in SSSIs should be managed.

A spokesperson said: "The WLMP does not allow for dredging, only desilting specific areas where surveys show bed levels are too high.

"We would need to undertake a new survey to fully understand whether any bed levels are too high, but this isn't something we do as a matter of course."

Mr Bell said the WLMP meant any dredging would need to be agreed by all four stakeholders and called on them to take urgent action.

The RSPB, which is a tenant at the site, said the SSSI was now in an "unfavourable condition" as a result of the silt.

RSPB Dorset senior site manager Peter Robertson added: "We believe Radipole Lake needs to be dredged as it is being filled up with silt washed down from the catchment and carrying with it nutrients.

"We have repeatedly pressed the Environment Agency, Dorset Council, and Natural England to work together to better understand and take action... and would welcome a renewed focus on this issue."

Mr Bell's petition has so far gained more than 300 signatures. If it reaches 5,000 the issue will be discussed at full council.

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