Weedon Parish Council
Weedon, Aylesbury, Bucks
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Parish Council Projects
December 2011 Work to the Pond
Isn’t it lovely when the pond looks as it does in this picture, which was used on the front cover of the Parish Plan? It certainly doesn’t at the moment!
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So we have taken expert advice from an Ecological Consultant who has examined over 1,000 ponds in the region, and recently oversaw the works to Walton Pond in Aylesbury. He has reviewed our current issues, and, following his suggestions, the Parish Council is taking action on:
The build-up of silt (duck manure!) on the pond base
While the water is so low, we are going to dig out the silt and a local farmer (Bond Bros) will spread it on his land as fertiliser. A local contractor, George Cheshire, will be on site for 2 days, and will endeavour to cause minimum inconvenience to residents from his plant and machinery.
Timescale: COMPLETE
The relatively small number and variety of pond plants
Keeping ducks (which most villagers like!) means that many types of pond plant get eaten and trampled. However, we are going to try planting more “duck-proof“ margin plants like the irises (as recommended by the ecologist) around the edges of the pond alongside the side/back wall and fence.
Timescale: DECEMBER/JANUARY
The low water level
There is nothing we can realistically do about this. It’s too big a pond to fill artificially, and mains water is not ecologically “clean” for wildlife. There have been 3 very dry years and most ponds in the region are suffering. When we get good rainfall, the pond will fill up from the direct rain and the re-emergence of the spring and stream which feed it.
Timescale: THIS WINTER AND SPRING, WE HOPE!
See pictures of how the pond looks immediately after the silt clearance.