Huge step forward in £2million project to restore Holly Hill ponds and lake system

Fareham Borough Council has received initial support of £111,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for the Holly Hill Rediscovered project to help the council progress its plans to apply for a further National Lottery grant towards the full project costs.

The council is also contributing £60,000 in match funding for this stage of the project, having last year set aside a contribution of £1.056 million to support the full £2.046 million restoration project to improve the functionality, sustainability and aesthetic appearance of the lakes and ponds within the popular parkland area.

Fareham Borough Council’s executive member for streetscene, Councillor Ian Bastable, said: “We are thrilled to have received this initial support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players we can now develop our plans to restore, repair and manage Holly Hill Woodland Park, and create future activities and events for all the community to enjoy.”

The nature reserve is owned, managed and maintained by Fareham Borough Council which sits within a shallow valley leading down to the River Hamble. The 35-hectare site is made up of Victorian landscaped garden and parkland, set around a series of interconnecting ponds, lakes and water features made of Pulhamite stone, which are in need of repair.

The project will enable the following:

• Restoration of the lakes system with desilting, future silt management and creation of settlement ponds, and reinstatement of the Sunken Garden
• Repair of lakes edges and the Pulhamite structures
• Repair and upgrading of the paths network in the designed landscape
• Woodland Managements plans
• Development of plans for biodiversity monitoring, and enhancement of the site's ecology, habitat variety and resilience, in partnership with Hampshire ecology and other local partners
• Development of an activity plan that considers the full heritage of the Parkland, and looks holistically at well-being, learning, volunteering and apprenticeships opportunities.
• Development of inclusive visitor offer, which considers access for disabled people, and the needs of new Fareham communities
• Development of interpretation appropriate for a range of audiences and exploring the full heritage of the Parkland.

A tender process is now underway to appoint the landscape architect and project consultancy team. Public consultation will be undertaken as the project develops.