Parish Council offered a lake

Question

At a recent meeting with a business in the Parish to discuss a planning application they detailed that they would be willing to hand over a lake which was part of the site to the Parish Council.

Some councillors are automatically risk averse and stated that they didn't even want to consider this. However I think it is something that should be explored. It is potentially a valuable community asset and a boon for biodiversity etc.
Is there anywhere with a lake within their asset register? What steps do you take in its managmenet and administration? Is there any value in founding a charitable trust for the purposes of overseeing the lake and also being able to bid for funds to support its development?

Answer 1

I have ponds, but not a lake. The biggest challenge with ponds is keeping them in water during a drought, but hopefully that won't apply to a lake in the same way, although I'd advise you to check the depth and the recent water level history. Ponds and lakes need management, with regular and often costly maintenance tasks, such as weed clearance, dredging etc. It would be worth discussing this with your insurers to ascertain what conditions they would place on it and how it would impact upon your premiums. Handing it over to an external body would be a smart move.

Comments

I wonder why a developer would want to give you a lake?

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Totally not a bribe at all. They don't care whether you object or not. They just want you to have a lovely no strings attached lake and the timing is purely coincidental.