Sutton Mill Dam Back in Great Shape
New sign at the Sutton Mill Dam entrance in Mill Lane (photographed 07/07/08)
If there's been one blot on Sutton's landscape in recent years, it has to be the Sutton Mill Dam. It was opened in 1987 as a wildlife park by Prince Charles after community pressure prevented it from being turned into a dumping ground for industrial waste. However, over the last few years it's been allowed to considerably deteriorate. All types of rubbish have been deposited in the Dam's waters & woodland and vandals have burnt some of the fishing 'pegs' and attacked the wildlife. Over the last three years since Sutton Beauty & Heritage has been photographing the dam, I've been inundated with locals complaining about its decline. One elderly gentleman told me: "Prince Charles wouldn't recognise it today if he returned".
I think in total there were four letters of complaint to the St.Helens Star during 2007. One said:
"I went for a walk around Mill Dam in Sutton the other day and I can honestly say I would rather have walked in a sewer. The place is a disgrace."
Another correspondent to the newspaper wrote:
"Over the last five years, Sutton Mill Dam has gone from a place to be proud of to a place that is anything but."
However, if you've visited the dam over the last few weeks you'll have noticed how much it's improved. A large-scale tree pruning exercise has taken place, the damaged fishing pegs have been repaired, footpaths have been resurfaced and the steps rebuilt. Plus a new sign has very recently been installed at the Mill Lane Fish Bar entrance replacing the vandalised one. Wildlife seems to be returning too. Standing on the west bridge a few days ago, I counted over fifty ducks, ducklings and moorhens.
A wide-scale tree pruning and removal programme took place earlier this year (pictured 22/02/08)
Sutton councillor Brian Spencer, whose also the Leader of St.Helens Council, has commented to me about the improvement work:
The latest work of pruning and making good the footpaths is partly funded by the Woodland Trust and a contribution from the ward committee Environmental Fund which I set up after I became Leader. Further pruning work is scheduled for the future and comments have been nothing but positive up to now. People feel safer and more sunlight can get into the area which helps to keep it dry and walkable. 
Rex watches the ducks in the lake before walking up
some of the new steps (photographed 18/05/08)
It's certainly much nicer at the Mill Dam now although it's a shame that the railings have not been replaced and that there's been rubbish dumped in the lake for some five months that's still waiting to be removed.
Congratulations to all concerned and hopefully St.Helens Council and its partners will be able to maintain and improve Sutton Mill Dam's present condition for the future benefit of all in our community. SRW
Click any image above for a new 2008 Photo-album (10 pictures)
