Please find below Bullet Points from our last Committee meeting (14th May 2026). Simply click on the image below if you would like a PDF to download and read offline.

Wild Life – Pond Area by the Main Gate

As many will be aware, the pond by the main gate has now become an ecosystem for tadpoles and water beetles; while birds use it for bathing and bees use it as a source of drinking water.

Due to the fact that a liner was never installed during the original works, the water drains away quite quickly once the winter rains have finished. As a result, the pond has had to be topped up regularly (approximately every 24 hours) to support the survival of this wildlife ecosystem.

I know that the use of water for this purpose has caused some concern among plot holders whose plots are adjacent to the pond. However, as a Committee, we are committed to encouraging as much wildlife as possible across the allotment. This commitment is reflected in the announcement contained within the attached Committee Meeting Bullet Points regarding the appointment of our first Wildlife Warden, Craig Parker. We hope to create more wildlife ponds and other wildlife habitats around the site in the near future, along with bird boxes, hedgehog homes etc.

With regard to the wildlife ecosystem in the pond by the main gate, future watering arrangements (until the tadpoles have left the area) will continue to take into account the needs of adjacent plot holders. We will ensure that no plot holder is left short of water during the current dry spell—which may be coming to an end soon, or during any future periods of dry weather. We will also vary the timings of pond top-ups where possible.

Once the tadpoles have left the pond, the bottom 50–60 cm of the pond will be lined, while the upper section will remain unlined. This will allow the pond to continue functioning as a catchment area during periods of heavy rainfall. When the excess water has drained away, the lined section will retain water and can continue to serve as a wildlife habitat without draining as rapidly as it does at present. As a result, only minimal topping up to compensate for normal evaporation should be required.

We may, at some point, review the current size of the main gate pond, but that is a matter for the future, as the Committee already has a number of other projects underway.

I hope this explains the background to, and the Committee’s approach towards the pond at the main gate.

Many thanks &
Kind regards

Mike McNamara
Chair – WATA Committee

If you have any questions/comments, then please let us know by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post – ‘Leave a Reply‘- or by emailing readingroadplots@woodley-allotments.org.uk and we will get back to you with a response.

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