Council challenged over water safety measures at Scunthorpe nature reserve

North Lincolnshire council say they’re not taking any further action to have a permanent warden at a Scunthorpe nature reserve after a death took place there.

14 year old Kai Gardner-Pugh, tragically drowned at Ashby Ville last year and in August this year - a man had to be rescued from the water and was airlifted to hospital in “a serious condition”.

Cllr Davison asked how many Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) have been issued at Ashby Ville and elsewhere. She had put forward a motion at an extraordinary council meeting held on Friday, August 11, calling for a permanent warden at the nature reserve to deter would-be swimmers.

The motion was rejected and instead, the Conservative-controlled council passed an amendment removing all reference to a warden.

They passed a more holistic approach, including raising awareness of the risks of swimming in open water to schoolchildren and to create a new model to enforce PSPOs on swimming in open water and other offences across the local authority.

A debate struck at a recent council meeting.

Cllr Rob Waltham, leader of North Lincolnshire Council said:

“The PSPO is under review to even strengthen the power of enforcement,” shortly before a dissatisfied Cllr Davison shouted across the chamber: “We’re talking about children, Rob.”

PSPOs were introduced in 2014 and are intended to deal with nuisance or problems in an area that cause harm to the quality of life of the community. Cllr Davison was promised through Mayor Cllr John Briggs that officers would get in touch after the meeting with the PSPO figures.