Work has begun to desilt and improve the condition of Doctors Pond on Star Lane, Great Dunmow.

For a number of years Great Dunmow Town Council has followed the advice of the Environment Agency to eradicate blue-green algae to make the pond healthier.

An aerator was introduced in 2022 - on the Environment Agency's advice - which improved but did not eradicate the issue.

The Doctors Pond Working Group was reformed in February this year, and was tasked with focusing on desilting the pond as a primary objective.

That same month, 2,000 mainly non-native fish were professionally rehomed. A high percentage of these were goldfish that had been abandoned by members of the public and had subsequently bred.

In May this year, again on the advice of the Environment Agency, an application of Siltex - a highly porous form of calcium carbonate which reduces silt in ponds - was added to the pond to break down the blue-green algae.

Surveys were also undertaken to identify contaminates within the silt in the pond, which helped the town council to make decisions to manage the desilting.

As part of the resulting schedule, around 4,000 fish have been professionally rehomed over the past week to a nearby virgin quarry, including carp, eels, pike, roach and a significant number of goldfish.

This week the pond will be emptied and the contractors will commence the desilting. They anticipate that 1,600 cubic metres of silt will be removed and transported off site to drastically reduce the oxygen levels within the pond.

A spokesperson for Great Dunmow Town Council said: "We want to thank local residents for their tolerance during these significant but essential works.

"Great Dunmow Town Council is committed to improving the condition of our Doctors Pond.

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"It is an integral part of Great Dunmow`s identity and is something to nurture and be proud of."

Following the conclusion of the desilting works, the council is advised to pause for six months before starting to restock the pond.

According to Atlas Obscura, Doctors Pond is named due to the widespread belief that it was once a breeding ground for medicinal leeches.