Campaigners say it would be ‘total vandalism’ to get rid of the Forest of Dean dams
Watch Ken Goodwin's report here
Campaigners are fighting proposals to remove the dams in the Forest of Dean.
Forestry England says structural issues with the dams at Cannop Ponds in Gloucestershire pose a flood risk to nearby properties.
As a result they’re considering replacing the dams that feed the ponds, or draining them to alleviate flood risks at times of extreme rainfall - creating streams instead.
Machines are currently drilling boreholes to see what the ground is like under the lakes and see what the condition of the 200-year-old dams is like.
Josh Howe, Director of Engineering for the Forestry England, said: “This will allow us to look at the stability of the structures and also some of the potential vulnerabilities.
Verderers are part of an ancient office and since 1218 their role has been to protect the habitat of the forest.
Verderer Ian Standing said: “I think that these ponds, and the valley setting that they’re in, are integral parts of the forest. I think to remove them would be an act of total vandalism in landscape terms.”
Rich Daniels, also a venderer, said: “I think they’ve very much underestimated the value of this to the people of the Forest of Dean who live here, work here, any play here.”
Mr Howe said: “I completely understand the strong views and the important role the ponds play for the local landscape but we also need to look at the options that might be better suited for the future of the forest.”
Campaigners are fighting the proposal. More than 45,000 people have signed an online petition to save the ponds. Katherine Williams, said: “This isn’t going away, they need to do the right thing. The money they’ve wasted so far on this could have repaired both dams easily.”
Forestry England says once these tests are complete they’ll know more about the state of the dams and decide what to do next.