The future of Kings Pond in Alton will be debated by Alton Town Council on January 8.

There are two options on the table - to retain the pond in its present form, and dredge it for the first time since the 1990s, or separate the pond from the River Wey.

Although the pond is man-made, it has been part of the Alton landscape for more than 200 years.

Those in favour of separating the river from the pond say it will improve the water quality of the River Wey, which is a rare chalk stream.

Those against the idea fear the pond, a stopping-off point for visiting birds and a popular leisure destination for people, will dry up without a constant source of water flowing through it.

On December 16 the council’s approved contractor Ecology Partnerships began a preliminary ecological appraisal and a wintering birds survey at the pond.

Council officers have made five recommendations to councillors:

1) To determine to conduct a technical and financial assessment of the pond and river option in parallel with the technical and financial assessment of the dredging option.

2) To form a task and finish group to take the project forward and adopt the draft terms of reference as tabled.

3) To receive nominations and seconders, and appoint town councillors to the task and finish group.

4) To reaffirm that the outcome of the technical and financial assessments of the dredging, and pond and river, options will go to public consultation before any decision is taken to proceed further.

5) To commit to having a full, engaged and transparent process involving the people of Alton and to maintain regular progress reports and information on the Alton Town Council website.

The council estimates that technical and financial assessments of both options will cost a total of more than £50,000.

The task and finish group would be known as the Kings Pond Stage 1 Steering Group, and individual residents or representatives of local organisations would be given the opportunity to apply to be on the steering group.

All applicants would be considered on the basis of their being able to make a useful contribution to the group.

Writing to the council regarding the forthcoming pond debate, Jenny Griffiths - on behalf of Alton and Villages Local Action for Nature and the Alton Climate Action Network - said: “Alton Town Council is clear that it is already committed to conducting the technical and financial assessment of the dredging option.

“AVLAN would strongly support a decision by the town council to conduct, at the same time, the technical and financial assessment of the alternative pond and river option. We note that much of the work to be done is common to both options and they would be worked on in parallel.

“AVLAN considers it important to maintain a respectful conversation about the future of a much cherished amenity that is vital for people and nature in the town, a conversation which needs good-quality information to support it.

“As AVLAN said in its statement published in November 2022, the condition of Kings Pond and the condition of the River Wey, a precious chalk stream, are intimately linked.

“We want local people and visitors to enjoy Kings Pond as a lovely amenity for people of all ages and abilities to enjoy, a healthy habitat for thriving and diverse wildlife, and a space that isn't going to cost a fortune to maintain.

“Undertaking technical and financial assessments of both the dredging option and the pond and river option is the obvious next step towards ensuring that a decision on the best outcome, for people and nature, is based on the best possible information.”

Also writing to the council about the pond were Linda and Michael Smith, who said: “We were here when Kings Pond became a public amenity and we even remember when it was fenced off as private land.

“In that time, like many Altonians, we have come to love the space and its wildlife. We strongly oppose any further council resources being wasted on the pond and river plan.

“It was rejected in 2017, again in 2022-23 by townsfolk - why must you keep rehashing plans we don't want when there is so much more you could be doing?

“We ask that the council commits to retaining Kings Pond as it is, with silt removal works conducted as they have been before. We ask that this is responded to at the meeting with a clear rejection of alternative plans.

“On a separate note, we contacted our ward councillors earlier this year requesting that Anthony Furnival be formally recognised and receive a mayoral award for his efforts in clearing blanket weed during the summer.

“The gentleman spent hours at the pond pulling out absolute mountains of it and enabled water levels to go from flooding the path to normal. Day in and day out he was there, for hours on end.

“Why, when a resident gives up their time, is it acceptable not to formally acknowledge these efforts? Is it the case that the council won't recognise a person who does not align to the ideology to remove the pond from the river?

“We therefore ask again that these efforts are acknowledged and that he receives a mayoral award for these efforts. Will the mayor publicly acknowledge the efforts and confirm that some kind of award will be forthcoming?”

The full council meeting will be held in the Alton Assembly Rooms and will start at 7pm.