Over the years many letters and articles have been written about our beloved boating lakes. When I supported the Great Aycliffe Neighbourhood Plan to protect our green areas I had no idea that included the Duckweed and Algae found floating on the boating lakes every summer.
A couple of years ago a group called Friends Of West Park was formed in an attempt to clean up the park, assist the town council by litter picking and planting bulbs.
Enthusiastically members of the group, residents of all ages and both genders began to slowly clean debris and vegetation from the lakes which cleaned up the water on the top lake. People felt as though they had in some small way made a difference in their community and were prepared to give up their free time to help.
The Labour controlled council issued a cease and desist order on the cleaning work claiming damage to the eco system of the lakes despite the same wildlife being found in other locations including the lower lake and the burn itself. This brought a halt to the volunteer cleaning work.
The council under pressure from Independent and some Labour members brought about a change of use for the lakes from environmental to recreational.
I have requested the Newton News to reprint an article written by the then Labour Chairman of the Environment Committee Bill Blenkinsopp from 1997 (above) to demonstrate how long this has been an issue.
With the announcement by Labour Leader Bob Fleming that he will not allow the cleaning of the lakes for fear of complaints about the smell I leave it to residents of Newton Aycliffe to draw your own conclusions. My opinion personally and as Chairman of Friends of West Park is that the longer we leave it before the lakes are cleaned and maintained the worse the problem will be.
I would like to express my disdain and disgust that the Leader of the Labour Group Bob Fleming seemingly has the power enabling him to announce out of the blue and without consultation that our lakes will not be cleaned out. This statement seems to fly in the face of public opinion and treats with contempt the efforts made by those volunteers who have previously given their time and effort in an attempt to clean out the lakes.
Cllr Ken Robson
Chair Friends Of West Park
