Fears pond may not recover without council help

Residents of a Surrey village concerned about a dried-up historical pond are calling for better maintenance by the council.

Chain Pond on Earlswood Common dried up in July after exceptionally hot weather, with residents leaving paddling pools filled with water for wildlife, including a male moorhen named Kevin and his offspring.

Locals are urging Reigate and Banstead Borough Council to better maintain the pond, including desilting it and unblocking a water inlet, after the authority asked for tap water not to be left near the pond over concerns about harmful chemicals.

The council said it had worked to manage Chain Pond "in a way that supports natural resilience".

Linda Cork, who has been leading the calls through her Wild Surrey social media page, said: "The water we left is better than no water at all."

She added: "I cried when I saw that moorhen standing there with no water.

"This has upset an awful lot of people. If we continue to have hot summers like this, the pond may never recover."

Located on the corner of Somerset Road and Pendleton Road, Chain Pond was originally built in 1874, according to the council.

The council said that the pond was seasonal and that water levels routinely rose and fell due to the weather and seasons.

But campaigners have said that the pond should be served by an inlet, which would help to maintain water levels in the hotter months.

Cork added that about three years ago, she noticed that water flow to the pond was dropping.

She said that while the pond had partially dried up in previous years, this summer's heatwaves had meant that it had happened much earlier in the year and was the first time the pond had dried completely.

A petition, set up by Cork, has been signed by nearly 1,700 people, with calls on the council to better maintain the pond, including desilting it and checking for cracks in its clay lining, which Cork fears has been damaged.

Councillor Nadean Moses, executive member for the environment, said: "There are other Surrey ponds that have dried up this summer and we understand that this can be alarming, but ephemeral ponds are important habitats, providing safe breeding grounds for native amphibians.

"We work with the Earlswood and Redhill Commons steering group and an active volunteer group to manage Chain Pond in a way that supports natural resilience, is sustainable, and protects the wider natural ecosystem."

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