WHAT ARE THEY?

Two large open access freshwater ponds set in a wooded valley at the heart of the FOREST OF DEAN, in Gloucestershire, England. They are a key part of local culture and history, playing a role in the Industrial Revolution that shaped the modern world.   for their Wikipedia Page

Since 1866 they have been a haven for a huge diversity of wildlife and a popular location for visitors maintained in recent decades by the work of resident angling club so that the public can access almost every part of the site along paths and roadways

HOW ARE THEY THREATENED ?

In early 2023 Forestry England put in place a series of 'options' for the future of the two ponds and the surrounding streams and wetlands. These included the potential to REMOVE the ponds entirely and replace them with a series of streams and puddles. This, they claimed, would 'increase biodiversity' , which is hard to imagine as there are already more than 1200 recorded species within a 1000m radius and ANY work of this type will inevitably destroy existing habitats and threaten the wildlife.  How could they improve bio-diversity by first destroying what we already have?

The vast majority of residents in the FOREST OF DEAN bitterly oppose the removal of either pond and the damage this would cause to the site, the habitat, the heritage and the future enjoyment of a public asset.

WHY IS THIS THE CASE?

Forestry England are obliged to maintain the ponds by law under the 1975 RESERVOIR ACT. This requires work to be done now and in the future to maintain safety of the site and the villages and population located downstream in case of flood or failure. So FORESTRY ENGLAND have 'looked at options' for the future of the site.To see their highly unpopular mission statement THE NEXT CHAPTER 

We disputed the truth and validity of many claims contained in this document  to read a breakdown of exactly which and why.

WHAT HAS BEEN DONE TO SAVE THEM?

OUR ONLINE PETITION   to add your name to over 45,000 people who have signed to SAVE CANNOP PONDS since July 2022

OUR LOCAL MP . The current Transport Minister, Mark Harper MP, has been firmly on our side and , using 'Parliamentary Privilage', was able to talk directly to the relevant bodies and see censored documents on our behalf. Messages of support for the ponds are always a big help  to email him

CONTACTED FORESTRY ENGLAND.  Mike Seddon, the CEO, recieved official complaints about how the whole business has been handled. To let him know your views on the issue or register an official complaint   

#SAVECANNOPPONDS  hashtag used in replies and posts on social media relating to the ponds or FORESTRY ENGLAND has helped people find information on the issue and spreads the word

OUR MISSION STATEMENT  was handed to both the CEO and Chair of FORESTRY COMMISSION outlining the whole situation. To see this document CANNOP PONDS UNDER THREAT   

WHAT IS THE SITUATION NOW?

After 18 months of public pressure by the SAVE CANNOP PONDS TEAM and it's supporters, FORESTRY ENGLAND finally seems to have listened...at least partly!  

As of February 2023 they are now now planning to retain the lower pond and build a new spillway, but are intent on splitting the top pond 'sympathetically' into several smaller inter connected ones which will allow it to fall outside the strict requirements of the 1975 RESERVOIR ACT . This aspect of the plan is not popular at all. Local people want the top pond to remain as one single open area of water, teeming with birdlife. The plan to create reed beds to divide this up has been derided as a back-door method of slowly letting them take over and turn the area into an unappealing bog with no open water and limited opportunity for the redident birds to remain and thrive.

SAVE CANNOP PONDS TEAM are engaging with FORESTRY ENGLAND on a regular basis, which itself was unimaginable 12 months ago, and aiming to ensure what is done will be both safe and acceptable to local residents for whome this is FAR MORE than an issue of ponds. It's seem as  an assault on local history and culture by a commercial body with no emotional ties to the area.

A public consultation will, we are assured, follow before the final plans are put to the planning dept.  and any actual work is undertaken.

The Ponds appear to have been 'saved.' after a fashion... but not in a way that we can currently accept.

THE FIGHT GOES ON!

Check out the Forestry England

PLEASE CONTINUE TO WATCH THIS SPACE !

Meantime...

SAVE CANNOP PONDS HAS SUPPORT FROM

MARK HARPER MP

seen here meeting with the SAVE CANNOP PONDS TEAM members

Katherine, Mark, Shaun & Simon 

THE FOREST OF DEAN DISTRICT COUNCIL

Council chair Julia Gooch, Jamie Elsmore, deputy leader Paul Hiett & Council Leader Tim Gwilliam

with the SAVE CANNOP PONDS TEAM, Simon, Katherine, Mark and Shaun at the ponds in March 2023

THE FOREST OF DEAN VERDERERS

An ancient legislative body who have overseen the wellbeing of The Forest Of Dean continually

since they were founded by William the Conquorer. 

KEEP UP TO DATE

	to access the public Facebook group for the latest news, information & discussion.
	for the YOUTUBE page with historical & contemporary videos on the Ponds and the continuing battle to save them.

Contact the  SAVE CANNOP PONDS TEAM  

email us cannopponds@outlook.com

updated  25-2-24

e