By Katherine Turner
Work is due to start this week on much-needed improvements at Farnley Fish Pond.
The area is opposite Farnley Hall Park on Hall Lane and has been neglected for many years.
Residents recently joined a public consultation at Farnley Hall, where representatives from the Parks Department and the company completing the work, Ebsford, explained how the area would benefit from the work.
During the meeting they explained that the pond is the smallest nature reserve in Leeds and that residents should be proud of this area of beauty.
The main issues that are a lack of water depth due to a build up of sedimentation, trees have grown out of control which has made the area less desirable and is now subject to fly-tipping, littering and antisocial behaviour.
Plans to bring this area back to its former glory include cutting back the vegetation and trees, changing the usage of vegetation by creating wildflower pockets and restoring pathways.
Fencing will be constructed and 3,500 tonnes of sediment will be removed and used to restore the pond banks which have eroded over time.
A total of 5,500 new plants will be introduced. Surplus material will also be used to create flower beds, which will take a while to embed so it may look worse before it looks better!
Locals have come together over the past few years with community litter picks and magnet-fishers spending time removing litter and debris from the pond.
Farnley resident Nicola Massey told WLD: “The fish pond will always hold special memories for me and even helped me recuperate after an illness a couple of years ago. Walking around and taking in nature and trees helped me greatly.
“The decline in the environment surrounding the fish pond has, over the years gotten much worse, there is regular fly tipping, huge amounts of litter and the debris in the water is having a major effect on the wildlife.
“The invasive fish that have been put into the pond are affecting the ducklings and smaller water birds are quickly disappearing, there are rats and anti-social behaviour which all stops people from visiting what should be an asset to the community but currently is a huge problem.”
Nicola and the community welcome the investment but also have some concerns. “The restoration work will hopefully regenerate the area and turn the fishpond into a community asset that can be used by the local schools and visitors to the area.
“The benefits of having a well maintained nature reserve in our community will provide a well needed place to relax and take in the nature we have on our doorstep.
“My concerns are that natural habitats may be destroyed for the current birds and wildlife that nest there, the anti-social behaviour may destroy work carried out and that after the works are finished that the pond may be left to decline again.”
Ebsford will maintain the area for the next 12 months and work – which is funded by the council – is expected to be completed by the end of October.
Councillor Adrian McCluskey (Lab, Farnley & Wortley) said: “On coming across the pond I had mixed emotions. It was a place of natural beauty and at the same time so neglected and left to ruin. We were all delighted to hear that money has been identified to make it a wonderful place for our community.”
It is hoped that the community will form a Friends of Farnley Fish Pond group which can help to improve the fish pond
For more information, e-mail Thuja.Phillips@leeds.gov.uk.
Very good initiative. Well done.
I hope they aren’t going to cut down the beautiful big trees that make the place so special and atmospheric. I saw this done at a similar place in Garforth – and it was treeless afterwards and unrecognisable.
Work sounds to have already started. I walked past the Fish Pond yesterday to the sound of saws.