Town Council Partners with Local Angling Club to Manage Country Park Lake

Town councillors have agreed to lease Hempstead Pond and the fishing lake at Hailsham Country Park to the Southdown & Hydneye Community Angling Club (SHCAC).

SHCAC, an established community angling club with various waters in Eastbourne and the surrounding area, will now be responsible for the day-to-day upkeep of the lake and pond. The Club will also manage all angling activities on site, including how people fish and any charges to anglers. Duties include the daytime and nighttime patrolling of fishing areas by waterkeepers, tidying of fishing areas and minimising illegal fishing at night.

As it currently leases from farmers, landowners and Eastbourne Borough Council, the SHCAC is keen to maintain a strong working relationship with Hailsham Town Council. The country park lake and Hempstead Pond are not being sold and will remain under the ownership of the Town Council with a formal lease agreement to be put in place.

Currently, fishing is permitted during the season on the east bank of the Hailsham Country Park lake (Gleneagles Drive) and at Hempstead Pond (adjacent to Tilehurst Wood). Both fishing areas are well-stocked with fish including carp, bream, roach, rudd, tench, perch and pike.

“Residents and visitors to the town can enjoy the best coarse fishing by casting a line on the Town Council’s waterways during the fishing season,” said Operations & Facilities Manager, Tony Lee. “Besides enjoying the beauty of the surrounding area, there’s an abundance of fish to catch at the country park lake, as well as the nearby Hempstead Pond which provides anglers with a variety of species to target too.”

“The leasing of fishing waters has been adopted by more and more town and parish councils across the country in recent years. By doing the same, the Town Council will save taxpayers’ money in the long term and, by way of regular patrols and enforcement of the lake and pond, help to significantly reduce antisocial behaviour on site and illegal fishing activities.”

“Such day-to-day management will not only protect the quality of our fish stocks and the beauty of the country park, but also the enjoyment of fellow anglers and residents of the nearby Gleneagles estate.”