Workers wade into lagoon to clear algae

Algae is being removed from a lagoon after a large bloom developed during the recent prolonged spell of hot weather.

Teams from Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council began clearing the algae from Poole Park on Wednesday following testing work last week.

Workers in protective clothing have been collecting algae by hand and using a mini excavator to remove larger amounts out of the lake.

Portfolio holder for the environment Andy Hadley said: "We know how much residents and visitors value Poole Park and understand concerns about the build-up of algae in the lagoon."

Safety fencing was put up around the work site, where algae that has been collected is left to drain before removal.

Hadley said "targeted work to remove excess algae where practical" was being carried out "to keep the park attractive and enjoyable for people to use".

He said further sessions had been planned over the coming weeks, as they continued to monitor its effectiveness.

There is also excessive algal growth in other shallow areas of the harbour, which they will review and take appropriate action where needed, he said.

Bournemouth town councillor Ben O'Keeffe told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "I'm delighted to see action is finally being taken to address the algae bloom in Poole Park Lake, but this should be accompanied by work to address what caused it in the first place."

He said it was "unacceptable" for the lagoon in Poole Park to be "the destination for all of the surface runoff from more than a square mile of Lower Parkstone".

"Poole Park and its lake need to be afforded more protections in BCP Council's developing Heritage Strategy and Wessex Water need to either create a sustainable urban drainage system within Poole Park, as they did previously in the Bourne Valley Park in Alderney in the past, or re-route the drainage around the park entirely," he added.

Wessex Water has been approached for comment.