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Original poster

Property with unwanted pond/lake

14 replies

Unsure00005 · 05/06/2023 10:56

We are looking to purchase a property which has a very large pond/lake (manmade by previous owner who gained planning permission to have it)
Our issue is, we really don't want the pond or lake or whatever it is classed as, due to small people and water crazy dogs
so my question is where do we find out if we need planning permission to remove it, I have checked the council site but cant seem to find what I am looking for, should I be looking for something specific, all I seem to find is stuff to do with diverting water
Any help greatly appreciated

OP posts:
C4tastrophe · 05/06/2023 11:03

Just fence it off and maintain it. It will be full of, and supporting, a vast amount of wildlife.

DataNotLore · 05/06/2023 11:04

Ring or email the council?

KirstenBlest · 05/06/2023 11:06

Fence it off, or depending on how large it is put a grid over it.

Original poster
Unsure00005 · 05/06/2023 11:10

Unfortunately its 8 foot deep about 1/4 of an acre and full of rubbish, you can see a shopping trolley so god knows what else is underneath, apparently it did have fish in but they all died
we wouldn't mind a smaller one and if we removed it it would be a wildlife part of garden
I have rang the planning department but I could only leave a message, I was just hoping someone had any ideas of what we would be looking at planning wise

OP posts:
TizerorFizz · 05/06/2023 11:36

@Unsure00005 Its a bit odd it needed pp. We have a swimming pool and that didn’t! We are AONB.

8ft deep is horrendous. I think initially you must fence it. I cannot see why you cannot get rid of it. Maybe create a bog area which supports wildlife? Can you ascertain why it needed pp? Are you a conservation area? Was it to be used commercially? I would look closely at the pp details and work out why pp was needed. Usually for pool structures, not the pool/pond itself . However I think you can get rid. A neighbour filled in their pool.

TizerorFizz · 05/06/2023 11:37

Was it a commercial pond/lake?

Original poster
Unsure00005 · 05/06/2023 11:40

It could have possibly been commercial, the gentleman that owned it has passed away and the whole place has been left to wreck and ruin, on the land there are a few buildings which are currently full of junk but may have been workshops
I will see if I can find the original planning permission

OP posts:
CC4712 · 05/06/2023 11:48

If its full of rubbish- could you ask it be a clause in the sale that its drained and cleared before you get the keys? Worth asking.

We bought a derelict property which was full of stuff in the house- right to the ceiling in some rooms, plus a garage and shed full. They had to clear it all before we got it. There was still a great deal left in the undergrowth, but tonnes had been removed.

bunnibee · 05/06/2023 12:24

It might be worth asking advice from the environment agency as well. We had to fill in a commercial lake, and they had to come and check for surviving fish and newts. Even though it may look a mess, there still might be wildlife in there.

We then had to have PP to bring in the earth moving lorries to fill it.

If you haven't bought it yet, then I would get the vendors to do this ground work first.

TizerorFizz · 06/06/2023 12:05

Why do you need pp for lorries? Everyone can get lorries to their house? Refuse collection every week.

@Unsure00005 Check what pp actually says. I really would want more details from the vendor too. You need to make sure you can afford the work and not get bogged down with the EA and other bureaucracy! It will be never ending.

bussteward · 06/06/2023 12:07

Get it cleared, put up a fence, and swim in it?

CasperGutman · 06/06/2023 14:53

bunnibee · 05/06/2023 12:24

It might be worth asking advice from the environment agency as well. We had to fill in a commercial lake, and they had to come and check for surviving fish and newts. Even though it may look a mess, there still might be wildlife in there.

We then had to have PP to bring in the earth moving lorries to fill it.

If you haven't bought it yet, then I would get the vendors to do this ground work first.

We had planning permission to build an extension, but we definitely didn't need PP to have lorries bring concrete, bricks, timber and other materials to the site! PP is also needed for change of use of the land, so if the land previously had a lake on it for commercial use and you wanted to change it to a domestic garden, that might be why PP was needed?

cocksstrideintheevening · 06/06/2023 15:12

You need to be careful about filling it because of newts. I don't know the detail but a branch of my company is always doing environmental surveys on situations like this. If there are great crested newts you won't be able to fill it in.

Seeline · 06/06/2023 17:08

Is the pond within the garden if the property or on an adjoining field or similar? If it's outside the boundary of the house it would need PP.
Although, if it's that big the Council may have considered the work to construct it as an engineering operation requiring PP regardless of location.
It could well require PP to fill it in.
If you are just draining it, I don't think PP would be necessary, but the only way to get a decision could be to ask the Council concerned.

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