Please find below an update on the proposed pond work and the trials which took place on Monday 10th August, along with answers to some of the FAQ to the Parish Council:
Why hasn’t the Parish Council dredged the pond already?
After the pond dried in 2025, the Parish Council looked into costs for dredging and silt removal off site. Due to Government legislation this would have been prohibitively expensive. Dredging spoil is classed as waste; transport and disposal of this wet spoil is extremely costly. The Government have exemptions which allow dredging spoil to be spread on agricultural land, but only if this land is adjacent to the pond site. Boughton Parish Council tried to apply for an exemption to spread the spoil on nearby land and this was denied.
What is the legislation the Parish Council are referring to?
See the following Government documents for more information:
D1: depositing waste from dredging inland waters – GOV.UK
U10: spreading waste to benefit agricultural land – GOV.UK
What is the alternative to large scale dredging and disposal?
It is possible to dredge a pond and spread the silt on-site; however there is limited space on Boughton Green for this. Another option is to dredge some areas of the pond and use the sediment within the pond area to create gently sloping margins, planted with vegetation which is more resilient to the changing climate. This would create some deeper refuges which could hold water during periods of drought. It could be combined with other measures to improve the biodiversity of the area.
What is being done now?
A trial was carried out on 10th August which tested the feasibility of moving some sediment to create a new, shallower marginal area – utilising some of the existing vegetation to hold the sediment in place. The trial was successful and the Parish Council are proposing to continue this work over a larger area of the pond. It is hoped this work can be carried out while the pond is dry, making it easier and less costly. An Extra Ordinary Parish Council meeting will be held on 14th August to consider this.
Please see agenda here: Agenda
Members of the public are welcome to attend to hear further details of the proposal.
What will happen next?
Following any initial works, a public meeting will be held in early September and a local ecologist will give a presentation on the pond and the maintenance options available to the Parish Council. The Parish Council will then propose a long term maintenance plan.
Other questions
If you have any questions, please contact the clerk at clerk@boughton-pc.gov.uk