Common Pond Footpath to be Upgraded Soon

As part of its obligation to ensure that the historic Common Pond in Bellbanks Road is well maintained and accessible to the public, the Town Council has agreed to make improvements to the perimeter footpath at the site.

The works, which are scheduled to take place next year, will include the overlaying of parts of the perimeter footpath with tarmac, making it smoother and more accessible for disabled users.

“The Common Pond is our ‘jewel in the crown’ which is enjoyed by many residents, and we will continue to invest in the area so it remains a site our residents can be proud,” said Assets Management Committee Chair Cllr Mary Laxton,

“The agreed footpath improvements at the pond coincides with other similar upgrades to some Town Council-maintained sites, including recent improvements to pathways at children’s play area sites and the complete overlaying of footpaths at Hailsham Cemetery with tarmac, which is ongoing.”

“All footpath relaying projects add are part a wider strategy to commit to investing in our land and assets as best as we can.”

The forthcoming relaying of the footpath follows the Town Council’s efforts earlier this year to tackle flooding at the pond, work which involved the installation of a new overflow pipe and culvert to help prevent certain sections of the perimeter footpath from flooding during the winter months, which previously restricted access to some parts of the open space.

“Hailsham Town Council is responsible for a number of areas of public open space within the town,” said Town Clerk, John Harrison. “Most of these have designated footpaths to provide access to and around the area and a number of them, particularly at the Common Pond site, have experienced flooding over the past few winters.”

“As it appears that the increased amount of rainfall has become the norm for the local weather during the autumn and winter months, the Town Council took the necessary steps to ensure that future flooding of footpaths is prevented as much as possible.”

The Town Council’s plan to undertake these improvements to the Common Pond site are just part of the Council’s vision to enhance its open spaces over the course of the next few years.

With a good response from members of the public, the many improvements to Hailsham’s Common Pond over the two decades – including the installation of culvert fencing and the repair of some drain covers – have been successfully carried out, thanks to the regular maintenance and monitoring of the site by Town Council staff.

Other major improvements to the 1.86-acre site have included the removal of approximately 2,500 cubic metres of silt, the construction of a second island and sloping marginal wetland area and the installation of a hard surface path, benches and additional shrubs along the pond edge.

Since then, the Town Council has undertaken surveys of the site and, on the advice from the Environment Agency, additional work to improve and consolidate the island banks to prevent further erosion has been achieved by installing additional aquatic plants around the banks of the islands.

Mr Harrison added: “It’s always nice to receive positive feedback from people on the work undertaken by outdoor works staff at the Common Pond site and we look forward to the continuation of our work to maintain the area in the future to allow the pond life to flourish and make improvements so that residents and visitors can continue to enjoy this local beauty spot.”

The Town Council is always happy to receive any donations to maintain this beautiful location. Additional information about the Common Pond is available to the public via the Town Council Offices, Inglenook, Market Street.