Council update on Wallbank Lodge reservoir

Thank you to everyone who has got in touch with us regarding the joint action by the Council and the Environment Agency being taken at Wallbank Lodge reservoir.

We understand the public interest in this and know it’s an emotional issue.

However, we have no choice but to do this because the species of fish are not suitable for the type of water at Wallbank/Hall Fold Lodge. Some are also known to be non-native species as well which are not permitted to be there.

The long-term implications if they are not removed is that the fish could die. Too many fish can upset the ecosystem of the lodge and, indeed, they have caused algae problems especially in the summer months when the Environment Agency carried out tests.

We believe that the fish may have been illegally stocked and we are advised that they could potentially introduce disease.

Once we have safely rescued the fish, we will be putting them into a more suitable environment.

The black swans are not involved in today’s activities, so they will be staying at the lodge for now.