Dear editor,
Like many people who live in Bedford, I enjoy walking, sometimes running, around the embankment. I often meet friends there, grabbing a coffee at Longholme cafe.
I was so excited when the otters appeared in the Lake and look out for them yearly. I was consequently dismayed when thick green algae covered Longholme lake.
I have since found out maintenance of the lake has been placed squarely at the feet of the owners of Longholme cafe with only a small amount of help from the council.
The pandemic, and the additional pressures this has placed on business, has meant they can no longer continue to do so.
Without a proper maintenance plan for the lake, local ecologists have confirmed the thick green sludge will continue to appear and the otters will not return.
The dragon boats can also not be used with the Lake in its current state.
Having personally written to councillors regarding this matter I continue to receive the same rhetoric that austerity and cuts have led to this.
Whilst there is truth in this, it is a political choice what the council decides to spend its money on, the council have decided to prop up Fusion lifestyle throughout the pandemic and have found money to do so.
Read: Council continues to defend Fusion contract despite ongoing calls for change
The council declared a climate emergency – surely supporting local wildlife and caring for their habitats is part of this? Now is the time to properly invest in the lake, working with a local business, to ensure its longevity.
Read: Bedford Borough Council declares ‘climate emergency’
Yours,
Name and address withheld
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