Lyppard Pond in Warndon Villages 'abandoned to ruin'

Former Gogglebox star Seb James, campaigning to be a county councillor, complained that Lyppard Grange Pond near Ankerage Green in Warndon Villages in Worcester is now in a poor state.

However, Cllr Andrew Cross, a Green Party city councillor for Leopard Hill and county councillor for Warndon Parish, said a strategy was already being devised to address the issue and some of the problems at the pond were created by vandalism and antisocial behaviour.

WORK: Cllr Andrew Cross says some of the issues at Lyppard ponds arise from antisocial behaviour including littering and vandalism (Image: Submitted) We have previously reported how the pond, a wildlife haven for a rare colony of newts, is covered in 'green slime'. The water turned bright green because of invading plants, believed to be either duckweed or Azolla.

Mr James, seeking to become a Conservative county councillor for Warndon Parish, said: "The pond houses a rare colony of great crested newts and has been abandoned to ruin. I have tried to keep on top of litter dumped in the pond, but a permanent solution needs to be found to protect the ecological life.

CONCERN: Seb James, a Conservative county council candidate, has raised concerns about the condition of the Lyppard Pond (Image: Seb James) "I am more disappointed that city and county councillor Andrew Cross sits on the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Panel. I will be attending their next meeting (which is a week today) to challenge him on the disrepair and state of the pond.

"I am arranging for locals to help me maintain the Pond and protect the endangered newts."

Cllr Andrew Cross said Worcestershire County Council had the responsibility for the Local Nature Recovery Strategy, which maps out where particular types of habitat are wanted.

GREEN: The Lyppard Pond has a lurid green hue and has been the site of rubbish being dumped (Image: James Connell/Newsquest photos)

He added: "Management of Lyppard Ponds is undertaken by Worcester City Council. Worcester City Council have recently appointed a biodiversity officer who is working with our county council on the LNRS and also on the care of Lyppard Ponds, developing the local pond and culvert management strategies which I enquired about in our recent city council environment committee meeting.

"We are blessed with many willing local volunteers here in  Warndon Villages, but because Lyppard Ponds are a Special Area of Conservation, this limits what volunteers may do there.

"Many of the issues in our green spaces and ponds arise from antisocial behaviour such as littering and vandalism. City Councillor Katie Collier and I are always available for residents to raise issues and concerns, we hold regular weekly surgeries on Friday lunchtimes outside Tesco but can always be contacted via email katie.collier@worcester.gov.uk and andrew.cross@worcester.gov.uk."

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A spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats said: "The city council doesn’t have a dedicated budget for the upkeep and maintenance of green spaces, so it relies heavily on councillors to take an active role in addressing local issues. In their own ward, Sarah and John have worked tirelessly to secure improvements, with John also running a volunteer pond-tidying group in St Nicholas.

"They’ve also pushed hard for support from the council and the Worcester Environmental Group (WEG) to tidy up Offerton Lane Nature Reserve, and thanks to the hard work of WEG volunteers, residents are already noticing an improvement. This highlights what can be achieved with a proactive and committed approach—ensuring communities don’t face unnecessary delays or ongoing issues.

"Care needs to be taken when removing rubbish from ponds to avoid disturbing the habitats of protected species. It’s always best to seek expert advice before wading in to ensure the work is done safely and legally."