Essential improvement works to Horsham Park Pond area have now been fully completed and the area has been reopened for park users.
Horsham District Council’s Parks and Countryside team have been working through a programme of improvements to Horsham Park’s much loved pond area since Summer 2021.
The final improvements include extensive relandscaping to the pond edge, introducing a gently sloping path onto a flat area to view the pond, along with a new interpretation board and refurbished and relocated seating.
The area now benefits from new gates and fencing including ‘hedgehog highways’.
Grasses and wildflowers will be introduced into the beds either side of the path in the autumn months to further improve the habitat around the pond.
Essential work has been undertaken to de-silt the pond, which is a regular requirement to maintain capacity. This work also serves to improve the health of the pond and the quality of the water. In addition, necessary repairs to the sluice have been completed.
Horsham Park Pond is an attenuation pond. This means it gathers excess surface water, alleviating pressure and capturing pollutants that may otherwise enter the River Arun.
During the works the Council was mindful to create minimal disturbance to habitats for birds and wildlife, and specialist aquatic consultant advice was sought to manage fish, balancing stocks by re-homing healthy native varieties to benefit water quality and biodiversity.
Horsham District Council Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture and Green Spaces Cllr Jon Olson commented:
"It's wonderful to see Horsham Park Pond fully open again and made much more accessible for everyone to enjoy. I'd like to thank our residents for their patience throughout the works.
"The pond area is key to the biodiversity of our award-winning park and helps foster a love for nature and green spaces, especially for our youngest visitors."
This project was partly funded through S106 contributions from local developments.
