Pre-Project Preparations August 2005 - September 2006

• The initial concept for this project came about in 2003 following approaches by local residents and Councillors.  It then developed through a period of discussions with Borough of Poole engineers and Wessex Water.

• Summer 2005: Sarah, the Project Officer, started an initial phase of public consultation timed to get the views of young people using the Rec. during the school holidays.  She and Kate Mitchell (Poole's Bourne Valley Ranger) spent three hot sunny mid-August days talking to users (picture, locals boys discussing their ideas with Kate).

• August 2005: a ground levels survey was completed; it covers the entire recreation ground and gives us important data for the future stream gradient among other things.

• September 2005: an ecological survey of the freshwaters was carried out by Robert Aquilina, an Environmental Quality Consultant from Bournemouth.  (A follow-up survey was carried out in 2008, both reports can be downloaded from links at the top of this page)

• A 3-day public consultation was held at Rossmore Library & Learning Centre (12th-14th September).  Kate & Sarah met with more than 45 local residents; others phoned or emailed for further information.  In total 57 residents returned questionnaires [the results].

• December 2005: a Project Working Group was formed comprising 14 local residents and nine others drawn from Youth, Community & Health Services, Rossmore Community College and the Dorset Police. The group worked together to inform and support project aims and progress, and ensure it continued to meet local needs and expectations.

• January 2006: a funding application for Phase II (£45,000) was made to Biffaward through the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme (LTCS), backed by letters of support from the Project Working Group (see above.  It was awarded 'in principle' in July 2006 and finally confirmed in April 2007.  A previous application for LTCS funding in 2004 had been rejected.

• In February 2006 we installed two semi-permanent boreholes in the area we intended to create the fishing lake; they informed us about ground conditions and groundwater levels and quality.

• 5th April 2006 - the first Alderney Rec Fun Day was organised by Borough of Poole and the Bourne Stream Partnership.  The sun shone, everything went smoothly and it proved to be a great success.  It has certainly made local people far more aware of the space; several we spoke to hadn't realised it was there!

• On the day of the first Alderney Rec Fun Day the Environment Agency confirmed a contribution to the fishing lake project of £12,000 from Fishing Rod Licence Income funding for Angling Participation Projects.

• A Business Plan was then prepared which describes the project in more detail, with information on costs, funding, risks and future management and is available here (PDF 250kb).

• During the May half-term period a great deal of damage was done to the Pavilion building at the Rec (photo right, 6th June) and the building was demolished on the morning of 20th June for health & safety reasons.  Discussions are still underway re best use of the area of hard standing that has been left by the demolition.

• The Contract for Phase One was awarded to Poole-based company Jenkins Marine who arrived on site 4th September 2006.

• Progress can be followed in the project diaries

• Finally, in September 2008 a follow-up ecological survey of the freshwaters was carried out to see what improvements had been achieved in terms of wildlife and conservation interest.  The results were published in November.