Boating to return to Walsall Arboretum after almost 20 years
Boating is to return to the historic Walsall Arboretum lake this month after an absence of almost two decades.
Family boat rides will be introduced from next weekend.
Sutton Coldfield company Dunton Stables will be running the boats at the town's premier park on weekends.
Boating was scrapped after the death of a teenager in the mid 1990s.
It comes after the boathouse has been restored as part of a £7.9m revamp at Walsall Arboretum.
Swan-shaped pedaloes are taking to the water at Hatherton Lake on March 28.
Old illuminations scaffolding has been removed from around the edges of the water a pontoon has been installed in front of the boathouse.
The operator will cordon off part of the lake to prevent the vessels causing any disturbance to nesting birds.
This will also create an undisturbed area for wildfowl.
Boating and fishing in the summer and ice skating in the winter first took place at the lake around 1835.
But boating stopped after the 1996 death of 15-year-old Surinder Singh Somal, from Birmingham, who suffered heart failure after falling into the icy water when the boat he was in flipped over.
It comes as work is coming to and end on the multi-million pound revamp of the arboretum which has included a new lido and bandstand.
Keith Stone, Walsall Council assistant director for neighbourhood services, said this was an exciting year for the much-loved arboretum.
"There's such a buzz around our premier park as it nears the completion of its multi-million pound restoration," he said.
"Not only are we looking forward to the new visitors' centre being up and running but we've secured family boat rides for the lake.
"While we've had many requests to reinstate boating we have only done so after being satisfied that we can protect local wildlife.
"A limited number of boats will only be operating at weekends and during school summer holidays from Easter to the beginning of September.
"Visitors are going to be thrilled with these new additions and we look forward to welcoming them to the arboretum this spring and summer to make the most of this beautiful borough asset."
The arboretum restoration programme has been mostly funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund with match funding from Walsall Council and other external sources.
