Councillor wins two-year crusade to have '˜dangerous' pond made safe

For the last two years Coun Jeff Milburn has been complaining about the deteriorating condition of Cleadon Village’s pond.

In recent times, his main concern has been the wooden safety barriers surrounding the water which had crumbled away.

The Cleadon and East Boldon Conservative was worried that people may end up falling in the water - especially in the dark.

Workers from South Tyneside Council have now been out to fix the fencing, even though the pond, which is on land owned by the Church Commissioners, is due to be transformed through the Cleadon In Bloom group in the near future.

Coun Milburn said: “It’s a case of perseverance paying off.

“I’ve been saying for years that this pond was a mess and becoming dangerous.

“Now, at last, things are starting to progress.

“The council has been out and replaced the missing bits of fencing to make the pond safe again. It just needs a lick of paint now and it will be brilliant.

“We can’t just leave things to go to wreck and ruin. We have to take care of them and keep them nice.

“We have been waiting and waiting for this funding and the fencing especially, needed to be fixed. It was unsafe”

The Cleadon In Bloom group has applied for funding and will hopefully be transforming the rest of the area.

A spokesman for the council said: “The council has fixed the fence on a temporary basis but the Cleadon in Bloom group is applying for funding to enhance the whole area and replace the fencing.”

Coun Milburn is now urging residents to get in touch if they have any other problems.

He said: “We need to keep on top of things. I want people to let me know if there’s areas full of weeds or pot holes that need fixing.”

To contact Coun Milburn email [email protected] or call 536 4949.