Controversial Belmont lagoon plans back on table

A controversial proposal to partially fill in a moorland beauty spot for a fishing lake put on hold in October 2023 is back on the agenda.

A planning application submitted to Blackburn with Darwen Council for the redevelopment of Wards Reservoir in Belmont, popularly known as ‘The Blue Lagoon’, was withdrawn after concerns about its impact on the local environment.

It had generated a string of objections including from North Turton Parish Council, the Environment Agency, West Pennine councillor Jean Rigby, the RSPB, The Wildlife Trust, and the borough’s highways department.

A meeting of Belmont Village Residents’ Association also expressed concern.

As a result, council planning officers ruled a special Environmental Impact Assessment must be undertaken before any planning application can be considered as the proposal would have ‘significant effects on the environment’.

West Pennine ward Conservative Cllr Neil Slater has called for full consultation on any new proposals now that the applicant Bromsgrove-based Blue Lagoon Heritage Ltd has indicated that another application – its third -is being prepared.

A scoping report has been submitted to Blackburn with Darwen Council on the firm’s behalf by MWP Planning.

It says: “This report is written in support of a hybrid planning application to be submitted for engineering works to partially infill and restore the redundant Wards Reservoir and change of use to fishing lake including means of access, and outline planning application for site manager’s accommodation, fishing centre, a fenced yard, parking and storage barn with all matters reserved except for access, layout and scale at Rivington Road, Belmont.

“Following the council’s advice that the application meets the threshold for Environmental Impact Assessment, a formal assessment will be submitted with the application.

“Full planning permission will be sought for proposed engineering works to restore and stabilise a redundant reservoir that is unsafe for the public and downstream residents, change of use of land to recreational fishing lake, proposed access to facilitate the reclamation works and to serve the new use.

“Outline permission will be sought for the erection of buildings including site manager’s living accommodation, fishing centre building and storage barn to provide a means of maintaining the site and for 24/7 security.”

Cllr Slater said: “What concerns me about all of this is the lack of consultation with the residents.

“West Pennine ward residents do not want the rural area where they live spoiled.

“If this application proceeds I want the applicant and the council to fully consult the residents of Belmont.

“It sometimes seems to me that to the council Belmont does not exist but it still collects the council tax from the village’s residents.”