Damning Report on Cannop Ponds

CONCLUSION
It is accepted that Lower Cannop Pond’s dam has a history of repair work to address visual damage
which has appeared occasionally and the dam was constructed without a watertight core within the
dam embankment. However, it appears that work has not been undertaken to address the
fundamental cause(s) of the visual damage.
Upper Cannop Pond’s Dam has numerous matters to be addressed to satisfy recommended
Measures in the Interests of Safety (MIoS) under Section 10 or the Reservoirs Act.
Management of the national asset of the Forest of Dean is the responsibility of Forestry England.
They seem pre-occupied with an ambition to remove both dams and “re-wild” the reservoir areas.
There is huge public protest against such a move, to such an extent that it is incomprehensible that
Forestry England is still pursuing this aim.
Dams and reservoirs in Great Britain have an excellent safety track record since the initial enactment
of legislation in 1930 to govern reservoir safety. Effective long term repair work and compliance
with reservoir legislation should ensure that these 200 year old structures remain fit for purpose for
many years into the future.
It is suggested that Forestry England should instruct their engineering advisers to pursue dam repair
options including a range of modern “tried and tested” techniques. Proprietary construction
techniques should be considered, which can be constructed at a lesser cost than ‘re-wilding” with
the “Win Win” benefit of reducing the flooding risk downstream during storm events, which is
currently causing concern.