Following recent investigations and repair works at St Annes Boating Lake, the Council is providing an update on the current position and next steps.
Earlier this month, the boating lake was drained which allowed it to be de-silted and enabled an investigation to determine the ongoing water loss issues. The works included inspection of more than a mile of joints within the concrete base and targeted repairs to those joints using methods similar to previous maintenance undertaken in earlier years. Approximately half a tonne of bitumen was used to strengthen and replenish deteriorated joints before the lake was refilled using seawater pumped from the beach.
While the repair works were completed successfully, the subsequent refill operation demonstrated that the underlying issue is more significant than originally anticipated. Despite being refilled, water levels reduced rapidly over the following week, indicating that water is not simply escaping through isolated joints but is likely seeping through wider areas of the ageing concrete structure itself. Engineering observations suggest that the lake’s nearly 100-year-old concrete base has become increasingly porous in places, allowing significant water loss.
This means that further short-term patch repairs are unlikely to resolve the problem. Repeating the recent refill exercise at the next available high tide window in August would therefore carry a significant cost and operational commitment, with little prospect of achieving a different outcome. For that reason, the Council has decided not to undertake another refill attempt at this stage.
To permanently address the issue would require a much more reliable and resilient engineering intervention, which would come at a substantial cost. Initial assessments indicate that options could include installation of a specialist liner system, sprayed waterproof membranes, comprehensive joint renewal, or other construction techniques designed to create a new watertight structure within the existing lake. Any long-term solution would also need to consider the provision of storage and maintenance facilities should boating activities be reintroduced in the future, alongside improvements to the lake’s water supply arrangements.
The original infrastructure used to top up the lake has become increasingly ineffective due to changes in beach levels over many decades. As part of any future scheme, the Council will therefore need to assess alternative methods of maintaining water levels and investigate whether additional measures, including overtopping or water management facilities, may be required.
The Council will now prepare a detailed options appraisal to establish the most appropriate long-term future for the site. This work will examine both the feasibility and cost of the water retention lining options for the boating lake, alongside alternative uses that could attract external investment and complement wider regeneration ambitions for St Annes seafront.
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