THE company working to restore the lakes at Cannon Hall has given an assurance that it will be using environmentally friendly materials after concern was raised about the amount of bright blue plastic twine being used on the job.
Large bundles of branches and twigs are being gathered and tied together and will be used to help reconstruct the banks of the lake.
But Gerard Nowak complained to the Barnsley Council and to Ebsford Environmental, the company carrying out the work, because he witnessed large volumes of bright blue plastic twine being used to tie the branches together and was concerned these will end up n the ground for centuries, or, worse still, in the water.
“I walk around Cannon Hall a lot and I’ve been keeping an eye on what they’ve been doing,” said Gerard, 60, of Hannas Royd, Dodworth.
“There’s been so much in the news about the amount of plastic we use and the problems it causes.
“They’re using metres and metres of this stuff to tie the branches together, and they’re going to sink them into the ground, and back fill it with silt to rebuild the banking.
“My concern is that plastic’s going to be there in 100 years’ time.
“I just couldn’t believe that in the 21st century an environmental company sanctioned by Barnsley Council would still be using plastic twine as thick as your finger like that.”
But the firm has given an assurance that the twine will be removed and replaced with a more environmentally friendly alternative before the job is complete.
Nick Hartley, managing director of Ebsford Environmental, said: “Ebsford were contacted by Mr Nowak about this issue and explained to him that the blue rope being used for the initial forming of the brushwood faggots would be temporary and that the particular colour used was done to assist in the identification of this to ensure effective removal.
“In order to meet ambitious training and social targets, this element of the work has been completed by volunteers working with local job centres. The use of this type of material makes the initial installation in this method much easier for these unskilled volunteers.
“It is our intention that the material will be replaced with a natural material prior to the physical installation, this will be completed by internal staff rather than volunteers.
“As an environmental company we are committed to using sustainable solutions for all our projects. This particular project is seeing extensive re-use of materials for bio-diversity, the diversion from landfill of over 20,000 tonnes of material, the creation of 15,000sq m of new habitat and over 500 hours of volunteering and community interaction. We are incredibly proud of what we are aiming to deliver.”
Coun Roy Miller said: “Work on Cannon Hall’s £3m transformation of the outside space began earlier this year. The contractor, Ebsford Environmental, was chosen as they have a strong focus on involving volunteers and reducing environmental impact.
“The company is now carefully desilting the historical Georgian lakes to improve water quality and local biodiversity. Blue nylon rope is being used by volunteers to tie together bundles of sticks which will help reconstruct the banks of the lake.
“The rope is temporary and will be replaced with harder to use natural material, by specialist staff, before the bundles are fully sunk. Ebsford Environmental will then reuse the blue rope for similar future jobs.
“Barnsley Council is committed to ensuring the Heritage Lottery Funding is spent wisely and is working closely with Ebsford Environmental to achieve long-term sustainability of the park for future generations.
“It is an exciting time for Cannon Hall, and visitors will be able to see work happening in the grounds throughout the project. Questions are welcomed about the work, volunteer opportunities and events. The team can often found in the park or emailed at cannonhallparkandgardens@barnsley.gov.uk”
