Council Meeting Sees Heated Debate on Lammas Park Ponds

Opponents of drainage scheme present petition to council

Disagreements continue about the level of contaminants in the water

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April 11, 2025

There were fractious exchanges between councillors and local campaigners over the issue of the new ponds at Lammas Park this week.

Residents opposed to the sustainable drainage system (SuDS) were there this Tuesday (8 April) to present another petition against the scheme for debate.

Brought forward by Zoe Dobson and with 477 signatures at the time of submissions it said, “Over a year ago, the council's decision to landscape it resulted in our park being turned into a potential hazard zone. Two dangerously deep ponds were dug in the heart of the park – a space that was once
filled with the laughter of children playing, families picnicking, and dogs running free. Improving the park's drainage system was a commendable objective, but the council's solution is excessively intrusive and does not align with the park’s original character as a safe, family-friendly public space. “

It goes onto call for a ‘safer, less intrusive method’ to be found for anti-flooding measures and the landscape of the park to be returned to its original state.

During the debate Cllr Paul O'Driscoll acknowledged that there had been a number of problems with the site and it ‘could have been done better’. He said that Thames Water had dealt with an issue with contaminants in the water although this is disputed by residents who say their measurements show pollution of the water in the ponds remains high.

Thames Water has traced the source of the sewage and high contamination reading in the ponds to a house whose drains were not connected properly to the main sewer. Thames Water and Ealing Council have contacted the property owner to address the issue immediately, with repairs planned this month. In the meantime, the council has temporarily blocked the flow of surface water into the SuDS to prevent further contamination. It says additional water quality testing will be conducted once the repairs are completed, and a long-term water quality monitoring plan has been established.

Cllr O'Driscoll said that the scheme is required to prevent flooding in the area, but campaigners responded that they believed that detailed evidence for that claim had not been provided.

His replies met with a negative response from some in the chamber who had come to support the petition.

The council strongly disputes the claim made by opponents of the scheme that no evidence has been presented to justify the need for the project. It says that the area has been identified as a high flood risk area by modelling carried out by the council. It is estimated that up to 2,700 properties in the Critical Drainage Area are vulnerable to flooding.

Additionally, the Design and Access Statement within the planning application provides a summary of the flood risk assessment. Surface water flood maps confirm the area’s high risk of flooding, and the SuDS project, which is supported by both the Environment Agency and Thames Water, has been designed specifically to mitigate these risks.

A report by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RSPoA), commissioned by the council after the excavation of the ponds and published last month, ranked the designs as ‘Medium Risk’ which it described as “unusually high for newly cut basins”. The report makes a series of recommendations to reduce risk at the site for when the park reopens.

The ponds which are understood to be up to 3 metres deep at certain points, will have a 1 in 3 slope leading into the water close to the children’s playground. The RSPoA recommends that water features including SuDS schemes should be at least 30 metres away from children’s play area. Consequently, the RSPoA is recommending some landscaping changes to screen the ponds with vegetation as well as the removal of the gate in the play area close to the basins. As this vegetation would take time to establish, a smaller fence would initially be required around the southern basin. In addition, it is recommended that Public Rescue Equipment (PRE) be made available and a programme of water safety education be undertaken at local schools. The campaigners are seeking confirmation that a plan is in place to carry out these recommendations.

The council says it is committed to promoting water safety through on-site information boards and developing a comprehensive educational plan and adds that it is engaging with key organisations, including local schools, to support this effort.

The proximity of the ponds to the playground and the steep slope into them are causing concern

Campaigners point to official figures which show there were 254 accidental drownings in the UK in 2020 with children particularly at risk. Nearly twice as many deaths happened whilst people were out walking, running or cycling compared to those who had left home with the intention of entering the water.

The council says that it takes safety seriously and is committed to implementing the recommendations from RoSPA's report to ensure the site meets the highest safety standards. Temporary safety barriers are currently in place to protect the public, and additional permanent safety features are proposed, pending planning approval. It contends that the project complies fully with current best practice guidance for SuDS and that the pond banks are designed to minimise the risk of accidental slipping, following the example of a similar pond at Walpole Park. Furthermore, a natural planting buffer is proposed around the edges of the ponds to discourage close access and to enhance safety for visitors.

The council needs retrospective planning permission for some of the excavation work but remains determined that the project proceeds.

An Ealing Council spokesperson said, “Lammas Park falls within a critical drainage area identified with a high risk of flooding. The Lammas Park SuDS project is designed to provide significant flood prevention benefits to the critical drainage area, protecting vulnerable properties from flooding while enhancing public spaces and biodiversity. The project will comply to safety guidelines, and we are committed to working with local organisations to promote water safety and raise awareness of the benefits of SuDS in responding to the climate crisis. Ealing Council remains dedicated to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the public.”