Concerns raised as pond water level falls

DWINDLING water levels at the pond in the heart of Uppermill

A COMMUNITY champion has asked council officials to investigate a village's dwindling assets.

In recent months, water levels at a picturesque pond in the heart of Uppermill have started to fall.

Anxious locals and residents living in Willow Bank, a block of luxury apartments in the former woollen mill, raised concerns over the welfare of wildlife on the pond.

The apartments overlook the ancient pond which is a favourite tourist spot for artists and photographers.

One worried resident said: "The levels in the pond have dropped and we thought there may be a leak.

"Ducks and geese who inhabit the pond seemed to be in distress.

"Some were killed by drivers as they tried cross from the pond to dry land on the village green.

"It's been very upsetting but nobody seems to know why the pond levels have dropped."

Now Councillor Adrian Alexander, chair of the Saddleworth and Lees Partnership, has promised experts will investigate.

"There were issues surrounding wildlife leaving the pond being harmed by traffic but I've instigated a further inquiry to see what the water problem seems to be."

One theory is culverts carrying streams to the pond could be blocked.

But a spokesman for Willow Bank said: "The recent spell of very hot dry weather could be part of the problem.

"When it rained water did start to fill the pond again. But perhaps there is a blockage or a culvert leaking above the pond itself."

A spokesperson for United Utilities said: "The pond is fed by a culvert, which is not linked to any of our UU drains.

"The Environment Agency did relay a section of this at the back of Wellmeadow Lane. This involved relocating it from the rear of peoples' gardens into the alley."