Water features in Moss Bank Park are being cleaned up

Dredging work has been taking place over the past few days, more recently in Moss Bank Park, where a large yellow digger was heaving bucketfuls of silt out of the pond and onto the nearby field.

Previous dredging work took place last year at the Queens Park pond, which had also been filling with silt.

Moss Bank Park dredging (Image: Henry Lisowski)

A Bolton Council spokesperson said: “The council is cleaning the pond to improve its overall condition and to enhance habitat quality and biodiversity.

“We have already removed a significant amount of silt and general waste from the area.

“Similar improvements were made to the pond in Queen’s Park last year.”

After being removed from the pond, the silt was poured into a mobile skip and taken away to be dumped into a section of Moss Bank Park.

The dredging work took place in an effort to remove silt from the pond, not due to the presence of foreign objects such as shopping trolleys or bikes.

Moss Bank Park dredging (Image: Henry Lisowski)

The dredging was required as the pond had almost been filled almost to the waterline with silt.

However, some residents on Facebook were concerned over the possible impact the dredging may have on Bolton’s wildlife.

Fears have been raised that dredging is taking place during frogspawn season, which usually occurs between January and March, according to the Woodland Trust.

By March, frogspawn is usually visible in ponds.

Moss Bank Park dredging (Image: Henry Lisowski)

One person posted: “Right in frog spawn season – beggars belief what I’m seeing here.

“Should have waited till later – it’s hard enough for nature and we just make it impossible by destroying the habitat.”