Plans have been revealed to improve a Workington allotment site which has become a "blight". 

Allerdale council owns Northside allotments and wants to change its layout, as well as enhance the variety of habitat at the nearby Siddick Ponds, a Site of Special Scientific Interest and nature reserve.

Julian Smith, parks and open spaces officer, said: "The Northside allotment site has become a blight on the local environment, both visually and as a source of diffuse pollution entering the pond, adversely affecting water quality. 

"Our aim is to achieve a new and improved layout for the allotment site that complements rather than detracts from the nature reserve, creating a green and pleasant environment both for allotment holders and visitors to the reserve."

Mr Smith said that a survey of the water quality of the brackish pond revealed high levels of phosphates and nitrates, which affects biodiversity and encourages algal growth to the detriment of other aquatic vegetation. 

This could be due to pollution entering the water from nearby agricultural land or organic waste such as livestock dung.

He added: "This in turn impacts on the populations of birds and other wildlife.

"The current situation has developed over time rather than being due to any particular incident. We are looking at a range of possible measures to address this problem.

"The allotment improvement project is part of the solution."

Chris Bagshaw, clerk of Workington Town Council, which manages the allotments, said: "We have around 17 tenants on Northside, currently but the revamped site will have space for at least 19 tenants.

"For many years, the council has received complaints about the state of the allotments at Northside.

"The area has not been cared for and shows evidence of neglect. It attracts anti-social behaviour and fly-tipping and looks unsightly.

"The answer is to redesign and refocus the allotment area, whilst putting in other work on the nature reserve.

"In 2014, the town council resolved to remove dogs by the end of 2016, to free up space for gardening."

The plans also involve improvements of Siddick Ponds.

Mr Smith said: "In parallel with the allotment improvements we are also developing some exciting ideas to enhance the quality and variety of habitat at Siddick Pond, as well as improving public access by way of new footpaths, entrances and signage.

"We are particularly looking at ways by which we can improve the smaller of the two ponds and land around it. This pond, which occupies the land between the allotments and the cyclepath has greater salinity than freshwater but not as much as saltwater. At Siddick this is due to the tidal influence when at high tide, saltwater flows into the pond via Ling Beck."

Allerdale council is working on the project with the town council, who manage the allotment site, and charity Groundwork who is running a consultation on the project.

A spokeswoman for the charity said that plans include improving parking facilities, increasing the site’s biodiversity and providing information boards for visitors.

Plans and information about the project are available to view at Northside Community Centre, along with a survey to enable people to give feedback on the proposals. 

Copies of the consultation can also be requested by contacting stella.kent@groundwork.org.uk or calling 01900 602743.

The consultation closes on Friday, January 29.