Today, Fareham Borough Council is announcing a £1,088,866 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for the Holly Hill Rediscovered project, to improve the functionality, sustainability and aesthetic appearance of the lakes and ponds within Holly Hill Woodland Park.
Owned, managed and maintained by the council, Holly Hill Woodland Park is a local nature reserve that sits within a shallow valley leading down to the River Hamble. Comprising Victorian landscaped garden and parkland, the 35-hectare site is set around a series of interconnecting ponds, lakes and water features made of Pulhamite stone, which are in need of repair.
The funding for the project will enable the council to:
- Appoint a part-time Engagement and Education Officer and a part-time Project Officer to deliver the project.
- Undertake work to restore the designed landscape, including restoration of the Pulhamite features, soft landscaping to reinforce the lake edges and restoration of the Sunken Garden, including creation of a new pergola.
- Create a hub area by replacing the existing small platform at the main bridge crossing with a new, enlarged lakeside platform that is easier to access and can accommodate visitors with limited mobility.
- Share the site’s historic and ecological importance through a mix of on-site, digital and live formats, including interpretation panels, downloadable guides, trails and guided walks.
- Undertake work to footpaths and entrances to address current issues of fragmented circulation, difficult gradients and poor drainage, making the principal route to the lakes accessible to wheelchair and pram users.
- De-silt lakes and create a new silt deposition lagoon to act as a silt trap.
- Undertake ecological interventions to retain and strengthen the existing mosaic of habitats, including native bankside planting to provide shelter opportunities and habitat connectivity, creation of deadwood, log piles and hibernacula and creation of artificial refuges.
- Deliver a two-year activity programme to share the site’s nature and history importance.
A planning application for the silt removal has been submitted, and the council is currently awaiting the decision.
Executive Member for Streetscene, Councillor Ian Bastable, said: “We are thrilled to have received this support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we can now implement our plans to restore this much loved woodland park and create events and activities for everyone to enjoy.”
Delivering these improvements is a key project in Fareham Borough Council’s Corporate Strategy: Leisure opportunities for wellbeing and fun.
