New pond dipping platforms will be installed at a pond in St Nicholas Park as part of a major renovation project.

The Junior Angling Committee (JAC) has announced that work at Kingfisher Pools in the town centre park will soon take place.

The work will involve removing silt from King Henry Pools, re-installing dipping platforms and undertaking bank erosion work on the main pool.

Kingfisher Pool complex, incorporating Britain's only purpose-built junior angling pool, was created in 1997, when it no longer became possible to teach junior angling from riverbanks, due to the withdrawal of insurance.

The pools were developed by JAC on land in St Nicholas Park, leased from Warwick District Council after significant fundraising.

JAC now regularly hold free coaching sessions where children and disabled persons of all ages can learn to fish, having now over 200 members.

The area is also designated as a local nature reserve and incorporates three distinct areas and is all looked after by the committee, with support from the council.

• Kingfisher Pool – the largest pool, designed in a horseshoe shape with 37 fishing platforms, each having room for two persons is a unique facility specially designed for use by the disabled, children and OAPs.
• King Henry Pool – a wildlife pool, designed for pond dipping and nature.
• Natural Pool – designed to be a fully wild area for park wildlife and managed fully by WDC.

Following the Covid-19 pandemic, when maintenance on the pools was not possible, the pools have become overgrown and the old pond-dipping platforms have now been fully removed, having fallen into disrepair over the last few years.

The committee has been working hard to find a way to begin the renovations needed and has now secured the funding to start the works during February or early March.

The ponds have become overgrown and need a lot of work to bring them back into use (image supplied)

"The Kingfisher pools complex is an important part of St Nicholas Park both as a natural habitat and as a leisure facility. We are pleased to be managing the renovation project, in conjunction with the Junior Angling Committee, to enable the local community to fully benefit from all this area has to offer," said Cllr Andrew Day, leader of Warwick District Council.

The renovation project has been fully approved by an Ecologist and will involve:

• Phase 1: Preparation work - unwanted vegetation & self-set trees around the edges of the pool and brambles on the banks have already been removed to give access to the site and also create an area on which to temporarily deposit silt, once removed from the pool.
• Phase 2: Removal of Silt & Weed – Aquatic Solutions, a specialist company, will use a thruxor machine and clam shell dredger to remove silt and weeds from King Henry Pool. They will also remove aquatic plants from the margins of Kingfisher pool, to then allow the JAC to undertake bank erosion work, kindly funded by Warwick Town Council. This will not harm any fish.
• Phase 3: Pond-dipping Platforms - Two new pond-dipping platforms will be installed in King Henry Pools to allow local youngsters to enjoy this wildlife pond once again. Surrounding areas will be re-seeded with wetland grasses and flowers.

"We are delighted to support the renovation of King Henry Pool, having provided some of the original funding when it was first created in 1997 and we look forward to local children being able to benefit from pond-dipping sessions there again very soon," added Ian Furlong, grants committee chair, King Henry VIII Endowed Trust.

JAC secured significant funding from King Henry VIII Endowed Trust and WDC but also had great success in securing additional funding from other local trusts and organisations, including Warwick Natural History Society, Warwick Rotary Club, St Mary's Hall Trust, Austin Edwards Charitable Trust, St Mary's Hall Trust and Warwick Relief in Need), to allow them to complete the whole project this year.

"We have been working so hard to try and find a way to renovate Kingfisher Pools and I would like to thank Warwick District Council and King Henry VIII Endowed Trust for their support in helping make this happen," said Sue Griffin, Junior Angling Committee secretary.

"We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of all the other organisations who have also donated towards this project. Thank you so much to all our funders.

"This renovation project will make a massive difference to all users of the park for many years to come. We are looking for more volunteers to help, so do get in touch if you'd like to get more involved with helping maintain the site or coaching fishing in the future."