 | A plea has been made for a ditched funding bid to enhance a “neglected” pool in Halesowen’s historic Leasowes Park to be revived. Plans to reel in £39,000 from the Big Lottery’s Awards for All |
missed the deadline almost two years ago.
But keen angler Paul Thomas is calling for the bid to be signed off by the Friends of the Leasowes now and finally submitted.
He claimed Lady Pool has suffered from “horrendous neglect” in recent years and was in desperate need of restoration not just to improve angling but to boost the whole environment.
Mr Thomas, who has fished there for 40 years, said: “Overall, the pool surrounds continue to show evidence of gross neglect – unfettered growth of coarse vegetation, brambles, nettles, 6ft plus tree saplings etc and many rocks littering the shallow water edges.”
He added: “This is not in any way solely an angling issue, it’s for the whole ecology and visual benefit of the park and, therefore, is within the remit of the friends’ group to support.”
Dudley Council was not eligible to apply for the funding itself and Halesowen North councillor Hilary Bills, cabinet member for environmental services, said officers worked with the friends’ group and anglers to draft the funding bid.
She added: “Unfortunately, due to the serious illness of the chairman of the friends’ group, the proposal could not be progressed and the funding deadline was missed.”
He claimed Lady Pool has suffered from “horrendous neglect” in recent years and was in desperate need of restoration not just to improve angling but to boost the whole environment.
Mr Thomas, who has fished there for 40 years, said: “Overall, the pool surrounds continue to show evidence of gross neglect – unfettered growth of coarse vegetation, brambles, nettles, 6ft plus tree saplings etc and many rocks littering the shallow water edges.”
He added: “This is not in any way solely an angling issue, it’s for the whole ecology and visual benefit of the park and, therefore, is within the remit of the friends’ group to support.”
Dudley Council was not eligible to apply for the funding itself and Halesowen North councillor Hilary Bills, cabinet member for environmental services, said officers worked with the friends’ group and anglers to draft the funding bid.
She added: “Unfortunately, due to the serious illness of the chairman of the friends’ group, the proposal could not be progressed and the funding deadline was missed.”
But Mr Thomas said he did not understand why the vice chairman or another officer of the friends could not have stepped in at the time.
He added: “All the planning has been done, if the deadline was missed because of the illness of the chairman surely the application could easily be submitted now?”
Mr Thomas disputed a statement by Cllr Bills that “using its limited funds,” the council subsequently undertook an 18-month reed planting programme around the pool.
He claimed: “There is no evidence of planting in at least the last 18 months, probably even in the last two or three years.”
There are four fishing pegs at the pool, which are used by only the occasional angler, although Mr Thomas, from Oldbury, visits the pool fortnightly during the summer.
Cllr Bills added: “We would encourage the anglers and friends group to work together on another bid to build on the improvement work the council has already undertaken at Lady Pool.”
Nobody from the friends’ group was available for comment.
The Leasowes was designed by poet William Shenstone and is one of the most important and influential landscapes of the 18th century.
He added: “All the planning has been done, if the deadline was missed because of the illness of the chairman surely the application could easily be submitted now?”
Mr Thomas disputed a statement by Cllr Bills that “using its limited funds,” the council subsequently undertook an 18-month reed planting programme around the pool.
He claimed: “There is no evidence of planting in at least the last 18 months, probably even in the last two or three years.”
There are four fishing pegs at the pool, which are used by only the occasional angler, although Mr Thomas, from Oldbury, visits the pool fortnightly during the summer.
Cllr Bills added: “We would encourage the anglers and friends group to work together on another bid to build on the improvement work the council has already undertaken at Lady Pool.”
Nobody from the friends’ group was available for comment.
The Leasowes was designed by poet William Shenstone and is one of the most important and influential landscapes of the 18th century.
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