Photo credit: Ginny Boxall

Statement from the core team of Alton and Villages Local Action for Nature, ACAN’s nature group

The AVLAN core team urges everyone to vote in the Parish Poll on King’s Pond.   The decision on the future of King’s Pond, for people and for wildlife, is a momentous one.  As taxpayers, we need to be as sure as we possibly can be that any further money spent on Kings Pond will be well invested. 

https://www.easthants.gov.uk/elections/parish-poll-alton-town-council  This link from East Hampshire District Council gives information on which polling station you should visit to vote.

The EHDC link also includes the 6 questions in the Poll.  Please answer all six.   We suggest the following answers to questions 4, 5 and 6.

4. “Do you want to remove Don Hammond from any further King’s Pond focus groups?”

SUGGESTED ANSWER : “NO”

The AVLAN core team considers that Cllr Hammond is fully committed to a fair and comprehensive process and should continue to be involved in the Town Council’s Task and Finish Group

5. “Do you want Alton Town Council to recommence Stage 1 so that the people can take an informed decision?”

SUGGESTED ANSWER: “YES”

The decision on the future of King’s Pond needs to be taken on the basis of the best possible depth and breadth of information – ecological, financial, technical, and design considerations – for both the feasible options (dredging the pond and making improvements; and dredging and retaining a smaller pond and river channel).  

6. “Should Alton Town Council stop investigating alternatives and instead proceed only with making plans and finding costs for the dredging of King’s Pond at its current size and adding improvements such as silt traps?”

SUGGESTED ANSWER: “NO”

See response to question 5. 

For further information on the planning process for the future of King’s Pond, go to https://www.alton.gov.uk/kings-pond-project/