Fixing park pond would 'impact other services'

Restoring a pond covered in green algae would impact other services if government funding was to be used to fix it, an environment boss has said.

Islanders were warned in 2022 not to let pets jump in or drink from the pond at Saumarez Park due to the high levels of green algae.

Pond maintenance expert Daniel Lloyd said the situation had worsened, stressing the States "needs to think hard about what they need to do" and "act quickly".

In response, Natural Environment director Jim Robinson said recent rain would "help alleviate the immediate problem" but an entire restoration would cost over £100,000 - and "would impact on the other services which we deliver".

He said: "Simply refilling the pond, encouraging volunteers to help or asking people not to feed the ducks wouldn't be sufficient to significantly improve the current issues with the pond following the long dry period we experienced."

The environment director noted that "ongoing pressure on States' budgets" have sparked real term cuts to the budgets for Saumarez Park in recent years, including a "significant reduction" in 2026.

He added: "A local firm has indicated that the restoration of the pond would cost over £100,000, which would include dredging a large amount of silt, improving the surrounding drainage and installing devices to improve aeration, but instigating this would impact on the other services which we deliver."

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