South Gloucestershire Council has announced that its £250,000 project to desilt the lake at Three Brooks Local Nature Reserve in Bradley Stoke has been delayed until November 2021.
The work was supposed to take place this winter, but has now been rescheduled for 2021/22 due to delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
A council spokesperson said:
“We have appointed a contractor to carry out the project and over the winter [of 2020/21] we will proceed with the minor works needed to prepare the site.”
“The desilting activity has to take place during the winter months to minimise the impact on protected species.”
“We have completed a successful tendering process and have appointed an experienced contractor to carry out the work.”
A briefing note issued last December explains that site visits with the Environment Agency were delayed from March until September because of the pandemic. This left insufficient time for the agency to complete its full assessment of the scheme.
The briefing note concluded:
“It is disappointing that the project cannot be completed this year. However, given the environmentally sensitive nature of the works involved, it is essential to meet the required environmental standards set by the Environment Agency and ensure the project is completed safely and effectively.”
This article originally appeared in the March/April 2021 issue of the Bradley Stoke Journal magazine (on page 18). The magazine is delivered FREE, nine times a year, to ALL 8,700 homes in Bradley Stoke. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.
