£400,000 salmon scheme would remove Bradley Manor weir on River Lemon in Newton Abbot

£400,000 salmon scheme would remove Bradley Manor weir on River Lemon in Newton Abbot.

 A £400,000 scheme to remove the crumbling Bradley Manor weir on the River Lemon in Newton Abbot will help endangered salmon, the Town Council has been told.

Scrapping the structure, thought to be up to a century old, would, experts have claimed, provide the migrating fish with access to almost 50 miles of additional spawning grounds.

The move would bolster further upstream efforts that have already taken place including improvements to the Holbeam Dam and removal of defunct weirs at Orchard Meadow and Chipley Mill.

Downstream, boulders have been placed in the river to disrupt flow and provide fish with shelters.

Representatives from the Environment Agency, The Westcountry Rivers Trust, Fishtek Consulting and National Trust laid out their case before a meeting of the authority’s Community Engagement Group at Newton’s Place on July 8.

Members heard that salmon, recently downgraded from ‘Red List’ to ‘Endangered’, have not been able to spawn above Bradley Manor for decades.

Olivia Cresswell, Head of Fisheries at the Westcountry Rivers Trust, described the fish’s status as ‘poor’ and that the Bradley Manor weir was ‘completely stopping salmon migration’.

She acknowledged that the weir and riverside walk were ‘a well-known and much-loved site’ but ruled out construction of an additional fish ladder, saying only a complete rebuild would be sufficient.

She and colleagues had planned a stone-lined bank to allow ‘full channel renaturalisation’ with the scheme currently going through the planning application process with Teignbridge District Council.

The six claimed benefits include improved ecological connectivity, salmon recovery, natural sediment dynamics, reduced flood risk, improved water quality and the controlled removal of the weir already at risk of total collapse.

The historic sluice gate that serves Bradley Leat would be retained as a feature although less water was likely to flow into the channel.

Ms Cresswell said existing communities of eels would adapt to the change and that no great crested newts had been found there.

Works can only take place during summer months but could be completed before the autumn of 2027 with funds coming from the wider Holbeam Dam upgrade allocation.

Members generally welcomed the scheme, with Chair Cllr Richard Buscombe saying: ‘It’s been fascinating to hear what you have to say and we look forward to considering the detailed planning application when it comes before us later this year.’