PROTEST 22 MAY: LOCAL VILLAGE PEOPLE TO CALL ON YMCA TO LEAVE BALDERTON LAKE ALONE

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Residents of Balderton are inviting journalists to attend their family-friendly peaceful protest outside of Newark and Sherwood’s YMCA Activity Village on Sunday 22 May, 1-2 pm, calling on the YMCA to keep watersports off the lake. 

Participants of all ages are being encouraged to join the protest by wearing green to represent the loss of green space already caused by the new YMCA Activity Village. The protest also aims to raise awareness of the significant amount of wild and green space both Balderton and Newark have lost to development over the last decade. A locally-edited version of the Village People’s YMCA will also be revealed. 

Due to health and safety concerns and the impact on wildlife (including protected species), residents have been campaigning for the YMCA and Balderton Parish Council to keep boats banned on Balderton Lake since the beginning of 2022. Banning even model boats on the lake has been part of the council’s bylaw for years. 

Despite a petition reaching 3,000 signatures, alongside community wildlife artwork being presented to the YMCA and Balderton Parish Council, agreements are still underway to allow a launch dock, cafe, boat house and toilets to be built and managed by the YMCA. 

With minimal public consultation and a lack of response from both the YMCA and Balderton Parish Council, residents are rallying together to show opposition against the YMCA’s plans for watersports of up to 16 boats (plus staff), spending up to 4 hours a day on the lake most days. 

“Hundreds of voices, signatures, emails and concerns are all being ignored - both by Balderton Parish Council and the YMCA. Residents are feeling extremely frustrated,” said Conservation Biologist, Emma Oldham, who has been asked to help run the protest. 

 “As more information comes to fruition from FOI requests and historic parish council minutes, the more neglectful, unethical and suspicious the relationship between the YMCA and Balderton Parish Council becomes. The local community is being left out of the decision making. They’ve had enough of it and are peacefully coming together to be listened to.” 

“We’re all in shock with Balderton Parish Council’s lack of attention and due diligence with these proposals,” said Sam Farrell, a local campaigner and mother, who set up the Balderton Lake Upkeep Conservation Page with her partner seven years ago.

“Balderton Parish Council has agreed on a licence for YMCA’s watersports, without even having a copy of the 2017 Safety Report on file. Furthermore, YMCA’s ecology report was done by a very small division of an urban planning company which is a total conflict of interest. The council has also neglected to commission their own ecology report, despite a wealth of knowledge and evidence collated by locals on the diversity of wildlife using the lake.” 

For further details, please contact Emma Oldham (07939180489) or Sam Farrell (07568176292)