Balderton Parish Council have revoked plans by YMCA Newark and to carry out water sports on Balderton Lake

The plug has been pulled on plans for water sports to take place on Balderton Lake following several years of planning.

Balderton Parish Council met on Wednesday evening (July 26) to revisit the decision made by the previous council in 2022 to allow the Newark and Sherwood YMCA, based on Lord Hawke Way, to undertake supervised water sports such as kayaking and canoeing on Balderton Lake.

The original decision by the council — which owns the lake — was met with widespread outrage at the time from wildlife campaigners and residents who said the lake was an inappropriate location for the activities, with nearly 3,800 people signing a petition asking the authority to keep the lake boat-free.

Many of the current councillors were elected for the first time to replace those behind the decision in the recent round of local elections in May, including several members of the environmental group SWAN (Save Wildlife and Nature Group).

In a motion presented by Mandie Elson, it was proposed that the council give 12 months notice as per clause 5.1c in writing to the YMCA to terminate the license dated January 14, 2022.

The proposal was agreed by the council with one refusal and one abstention.

Speaking with the Advertiser after the meeting, Mandie Elson said: “We’ve been working very hard [as residents] over the last couple of years to get this stopped and after looking at certain things within the council I decided that this was the easiest way to stop it.

“We needed the proposal, it’s been going on long enough, there are a lot of people in the community that don’t want it and we are representing them.

“This was one of the reasons for joining the council. To get people in that do not want that to happen.

“There’s a bigger picture, it’s not just about stopping the YMCA.

“It’s about keeping the lake for what it is for the community. It is a place for them to go, walk, jog, look at wildlife.

“When people go to sit quietly, the last thing they’re going to want is splashing and lots of noise. They want peace and tranquility.

“It’s also not that big, so how quickly are the kids going to get bored of it?

“But most important is the wildlife. We have reports of an otter, we have king fishers, we have grebes, ducks, bats at night.

“Our next step is to send the termination letter and then it’s just a case of how the YMCA will respond.”

In response to the council’s decision, Todd Cauthorn, executive director of YMCA Newark and Sherwood, said: “We are disappointed that all plans for the Balderton Lake project have now been revoked, despite our rigorous efforts in conducting surveys and consultations with experts.

“Our commitment to the community was to provide young people with opportunities to experience the natural beauty of the lake, whilst getting active and building skills through activities such as kayaking.

“As a result, we will no longer be able to proceed with this vision.

“Significant time and resources were invested to ensure the highest standards of conservation, wildlife protection, and safety were in place for this project.

“We respect the decision of Balderton Parish Council, however it is disheartening that these plans will not come to fruition, depriving young people of these wonderful experiences.”