I wish to add my voice to those calling for Aldenham Reservoir to be purchased by Hertsmere Borough Council.

Could Liberty Lake Leisure ever be the right custodian for a site that has considerable public amenity value, both for those who used the water and those who walked round the lake?

Things don’t look good at all for this precious site. Indeed, the full repair of the reservoir’s dam appears to be too onerous a task for a private company, something which might have been foreseen when Liberty purchased it in 2016. Would it not be better if the site were not returned to those who owned it before the sell-off, that is, the people of Hertsmere and future generations?

I suggest that this place should be one that everyone can use and enjoy in the years to come.

Elstree and Borehamwood Town Council has recently deemed the reservoir and its environs to be a site of “community value”. Who could disagree? Even so, its new status is no guarantee of it being protected. Rather, this status confers a six-month period during which a community bid would be considered over those of private buyers.

Our part of Hertfordshire sometimes feels like it is under siege from housing developers and sites as important as Aldenham Reservoir must be given better protection.

Clive Jones

Sheraton Mews, Watford