A pond that will boost biodiversity and protect wildlife is due to be built in Wheata Wood in Grenoside.
The pond, which will be about 70cm deep and have a sloping profile to allow wildlife to enter and exit, will be planted with only species native to the area.
It will be near the Bower Lane entrance to the woods, within a glade and there will also be a hibernaculum – a log structure which acts as a winter refuge for amphibians.
Susan Capling, 28, who lives close to Wheata Wood and walks her dogs in the area, said: “I think the pond is a brilliant idea and will be great for the community.
“The pond will be able to introduce more wildlife to the area and help with conservation.”
Wheata Wood is a Local Nature Reserve and has won a Green Flag award.
Megan Smith from Grenoside Conservation Society said that over 500,000 ponds had been lost in the UK within 100 years, and the new pond would contribute to wildlife in the area.
She went on to say how the pond would also provide educational opportunities for children, such as teaching them about the life cycle.
The society has suggested a fence around the fence to protect against accidents, such as pets and small children falling into the pond, but has stressed that the fence will not prohibit the public from accessing it.
When questioned on how the pond may affect the safety of pets such as dogs, Miss Capling said that without the fence she may have been slightly concerned about safety, but due to the fence, “good owners should have nothing to worry about”.
Plans for the pond were presented at a meeting of the North Sheffield Local Area Committee, which comprises Stocksbridge, Stannington, and Ecclesfield, on Wednesday 30 April.
Speaking at the North LAC meeting, Councillor Alan Hooper, who represents West Ecclesfield and chairs the LAC, said: “We are more than happy to fund the pond, I think it’s a really good idea and it’s certainly good for children.”
This is the first major step in the construction of the pond since the woods were surveyed in 2023.
Grenoside Conservation Society will receive £4,700 funding from Sheffield’s North LAC, as part of their Great North Fund, which funds community projects in the area.
The society is hoping to start work in September 2025.
