Weston Marine Lake clean-up could create outdoor swimming 'hub'

The seafront lake in Weston-super-Mare is set to cleaned in a bid to attract 'serious swimmers and families alike', said the council

A lake affected by a build-up of mud and silt is set to undergo extensive cleaning and be relaunched as an outdoor swimming location.

Weston Marine Lake dates back to the 1920s but has been unsuitable for swimming in recent years due to muddy waters caused by broken sluice gates.

North Somerset Council plans to invest £300,000 to improve water quality.

Councillor Mike Solomon said the clean-up work would help create a "real hub" for outdoor swimming.

The council has applied to the government's Marine Management Organisation for a licence to remove the build-up of silt in the lake on Weston-super-Mare's seafront.

It plans to remove the broken sluice gates to "flush out" some of the estimated 35,000 tons of compacted silt naturally, before machinery is brought in to complete the job.

"Marine Lake was created in the 1920s to ensure that swimming was available throughout the day and not just when the tide is in," said Mr Solomon.

"Over the years the lake has become silted-up and is now almost impossible to swim in. We want to change that in the 2020s and give residents and visitors somewhere to swim outdoors."

The work will begin on 19 April and last for around eight weeks, with walkways around the lake remaining closed throughout that period.

It is part of North Somerset Council's £700,000 Great Lakes project, which also aims to revitalise Clevedon and Portishead's coastal lakes.