A popular fishing site in the Park and Heeley area of Sheffield is to get a facelift thanks to joint work between the Environment Agency, Sheffield City Council, Sheffield Wildlife Trust and the local community, particularly the Friends of Arbourthorne Pond.
Arbourthorne Pond is an urban pond on Eastern Avenue in the city and is well used by members of the public of all ages for fishing and other recreational activities such as family fun and fishing days and pond dipping sessions by local school children. The pond is owned and managed by Sheffield City Council and is run as an open access fishing site; where anglers need a national rod licence but do not have to pay to fish the pond.
The Environment Agency is contributing £9,000 of the £13,000 needed to refurbish the pond and improvement work will be carried out to restore the reed bed in the pond and also build a new circular path around it. Sheffield Wildlife Trust and the Friends of Arbourthorne Pond also received funding from Viridor Landfill Tax towards the scheme.
Restoring the reed bed will improve the habitat for fish living in the pond and encourage the fish to breed. By improving conditions for fish, we will also provide better fishing opportunities for anglers.
Over time, fallen leaves and sediment become trapped in the reed beds. This raises the level of the bed and the reeds eventually dry out. When this happens, the reeds disappear and other types of plant grow instead. By restoring the reed bed, the biodiversity of the pond will be increased and the pond will be made more visually attractive.
Jerome Masters, Environment Agency fisheries officer said: "Arbourthorne Pond is a popular local amenity and is well used by people of all ages not only for fishing but also for community fun days, or somewhere to walk the dog. These works will improve the pond considerably, making a better habitat for the fish living in it. The new path will also make a walk around the pond that much easier. Once the work is complete, the reed bed will be maintained by rangers from Sheffield City Council. By cutting the reeds every few years they will make sure that the reed bed does not become dried out."
