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Swimmer safety fears over bid to dump soil in lake

Piers Meyler
Local Democracy Reporting Service
LDRS Martin Powers wearing a blue jacket with fluffy lining. He has stubble and is wearing glasses. He is standing in front of the large lake, which is lined with trees.LDRS
Martin Powers is one of many people who regularly swim in Luxborough Lake

Plans to dump huge amounts of soil into a popular lake have sparked outcry, with swimmers fearing it could pose a contamination risk.

Waste management company Hersus wanted to offload the dirt in Luxborough Lake in Chigwell, Essex.

The firm said changing the water depth from 35m (115ft) to 6m (20ft) would make the beauty spot more accessible.

Buckhurst Hill Parish Council objected to the application, stating there was "no credible evidence" of water sports benefitting from the lake's depth being reduced.

A total of 850,000 cubic metres of soil would be tipped into the 25-acre (10ha) lake, under plans submitted to Epping Forest District Council.

Concerns have been raised about where the dirt would come from and its impact on the ecosystem.

Swimmer Martin Powers said: "It's not just about our fears of losing our beautiful swimming place. What are they going to dump in here":[]}