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A major project to improve the water quality of the River Leam will see a large section of Leamington’s Pump Room Gardens dug up so that a giant storage tank can be buried in the ground.

Work is set to start in October and will continue for nearly a year with replanting and restoration set to take place the following autumn.

Dogfest - the festival for dog lovers - is returning to south Warwickshire this ...

A works compound will be set up from September and this will cover a large area in the centre of the park which has been chosen to ensure there will be no impact on trees or the most significant heritage assets such as the bandstand.

A major project to improve the water quality of the River Leam will see a large section of Leamington’s Pump Room Gardens dug up so that a giant storage tank can be buried in the ground.

At the cabinet meeting of Warwick District Council on February 9, it was explained that the work, with other schemes around Leamington, will form part of a multi million pound project being carried out by Severn Trent Water.

A report explained the Leam was classed as being in ‘poor’ ecological status in the section between the rivers Itchen and Avon and the company was looking to ensure that storm overflows and sewage treatment works did not make matters worse.

The report added: “Specifically, the Leam scheme seeks to target water quality impacts which result from storm/rainfall overflows. These storm/overflow events may become more common as climate change impacts.

"The proposals will therefore help our local environment to adapt to changing weather patterns and particularly the prediction of more frequent and more severe storm events.

“Storm/rainfall overflows can result in a range of unwanted pollutants making their way into the water course, particularly where surface water and sewage is dealt with through the same system. This in turn can affect people’s enjoyment of rivers and can harm biodiversity.”

Improvements will be carried out at several locations in addition to the Pump House Gardens where the 20-metre diameter tank will be buried.

These include another storage tank being sunk in the Station Approach car park and removing surface water from Cubbington Road, Campion Road, Binswood Avenue, Kenilworth Road and Lillington Avenue.

Work on the Station Approach car park is expected to start in November and 50 spaces will be lost over the following nine months.

The Pump House Gardens scheme has been timed to allow EcoFest and Food Festival to take place and there will be alternative venues for 2024.

Major project to improve River Leam water quality will see large part of Pump Room Gardens dug up