SAFETY works are set to take place at a reservoir to make sure it reaches current regulations.
Buckshole Reservoir in Alexandra Park, Hastings, is to get a new outlet pipe which will let it be drained quickly if there was ever a problem with the dam.
The reservoir will also have a new spillway channel to replace the original and aged structure, which has now deteriorated beyond repair.
The new channel will be larger than the original to ensure it can cope with and protect the dam from large floods.
Proposals to improve the safety of Buckshole Reservoir have been given the green light by the council's planning committee.
Preliminary started earlier this year, with the bulk of construction to take place in the coming months.
The works should be complete by early 2022.
An ecology assessment has been undertaken to ensure negative impacts are avoided, and discussions are taking place with Historic England regarding the heritage interest of the park.
During construction, planned for late 2021, it will be necessary to temporarily shut access to the area around the western side of the dam so that the work can be carried out safely.
A spokesman for Hastings Borough Council said: "We continue to maintain our reservoirs to the highest safety standards in line with current regulations. A detailed inspection of the reservoirs in 2016 identified the need for improvement works at Shornden and Buckshole Reservoirs.
"The works at Shornden Reservoir were completed in 2018. For Buckshole Reservoir, further investigations and studies have been needed to determine the scope of work required to help ensure the integrity of this important part of the park for the future.
"The safety standards required for large bodies of impounded water have been raised over the years. The recommendations for improvement work from the 2016 inspection have been made with reference to current standards."
During the work, there will be disruptions to some of the footpaths in the area. Parking along the Alexandra Park side of the road will also be suspended for 100m above and below the site entrance.
The lower footpath between the Alexandra Park public toilets and the reservoir will be closed for the duration of the works for safety reasons.
The three reservoirs within Alexandra Park were built in Victorian times to supply water to Hastings.
Buckshole Reservoir, the largest of the three and the last to be built, is now more than 150 years old.
The reservoirs no longer supply drinking water, but they are still an asset to the town, providing a focus for fishing, recreation and wildlife.
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