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Press Release

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12 March 2025

‘Holly Hill Rediscovered’ gains support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for plans to restore pond and lake system

Fareham Borough Council has received initial support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for the Holly Hill Rediscovered project, it was announced today. Made possible thanks to National Lottery players, the project aims to improve the functionality, sustainability and aesthetic appearance of the lakes and ponds within Holly Hill Woodland Park.

Development funding of £111,000 has been awarded by the Heritage Fund to help the Council progress their 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.

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.”

Holly Hill Woodland Park is owned, managed and maintained by Fareham Borough Council. It is a local nature reserve that 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.

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

About The National Lottery Heritage Fund

*Grant applications over £250,000 are assessed in two rounds. ‘Holly Hill Rediscovered’ has initially been granted round one development funding of £111,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, allowing it to progress with its plans. Detailed proposals are then considered by the Heritage Fund at second round, where a final decision is made on the full funding award.

Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. That’s why as the largest funder for the UK’s heritage we are dedicated to supporting projects that connect people and communities to heritage, as set out in our strategic plan, Heritage 2033. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.

Over the next 10 years, we aim to invest £3.6billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to make a decisive difference for people, places and communities.

heritagefund.org.uk

Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter/X, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLottery #HeritageFund

Delivering these improvements is a key project in Fareham Borough Council’s Corporate Strategy: Leisure opportunities for wellbeing and fun.