ALTON Town Council is holding a public consultation to seek the views of residents and visitors who visit King’s Pond and Flood Meadows, on the proposed future management of the sites.

It will start this Saturday (July 29) with a public drop-in session from 10am to 4pm at Alton Assembly Rooms.

Owned and managed by Alton Town Council, the sites are seen as “important public green spaces which provide vital places for both wildlife and people” and are described as “a piece of the countryside in the town”.

A background paper has been produced by consultants Footprint Ecology for Flood Meadows and King’s Pond which outlines a vision, management objectives and actions.

While letters have been sent to local householders, the town council is holding a series of consultation events, the first being this Saturday’s drop-in session, when details of the proposed management plans for both King’s Pond and Flood Meadows will be available to peruse and members of the town council steering group and staff from Footprint Ecology will be available to discuss the proposals.

Steering group members will also be available to discuss the proposals between 10am and noon on Saturday, August 5, at King’s Pond, and Saturday, August 12, at Flood Meadows.

The consultation will close on August 31, at which time a summary of all comments, views and suggestions will be collated and reported to the town council.

Once any changes have been agreed, a full version of the management plan will be prepared and put on the council website for any final comments before being finalised.

Anyone unable to attend the public consultation sessions can give their views by letter to Fenella Lewin at Footprint Ecology, Forest Office, Cold Harbour, Wareham, BH20 7PA.

Or by e-mailing [email protected].

In urging people to give their views regarding the beauty spots, Alton town clerk Leah Coney said: “The town council are seeking the best solutions for the future management of these important local amenities and the widest consensus on how this can be achieved.”