The Land Trust teams up with Whitehill & Bordon Regeneration Company to manage public open spaces within Prince Philip Park

The Land Trust is delighted to announce that it is working with Whitehill & Bordon Regeneration Company to take on responsibility for the management of the public open spaces within Prince Philip Park, which is part of Whitehill and Bordon, an NHS England Healthy New Town and one of the most exciting, innovative and largest regeneration projects in the UK.

The Trust will manage over 100 hectares of green spaces, including Hogmoor Inclosure. Hogmoor will be a significant community resource containing a café, play and activity facilities, as well as over five kilometres of trails for local residents and the wider community to use for health and wellbeing activities such as walking, running or cycling. There is also beautiful parkland for people to relax and spend time with family and friends.

The Trust will partner with local organisations such as Deadwater Valley Trust and the Whitehill & Bordon Community Trust, who are running the Hogmoor Café, to make the most of what the new green spaces have to offer.

A key part of the Land Trust’s objectives will be to ensure that the site is managed in a way that benefits biodiversity, wildlife and the local environment.

Land Trust Chief Executive, Euan Hall, said:

“At the Land Trust our philosophy is about delivering significant added value, bringing communities together and changing people’s lives for the better. We are really excited about the opportunity to work on behalf of the community at Prince Philip Park and make a positive impact on people’s lives, whether that be through health activities, protecting the investment they have made in their home or providing educational or training opportunities.

“As a charity with environment and biodiversity as one of our key objectives, it is important that we achieve all of the community objectives, but not to the detriment of the local environment and biodiversity. It is vital that this is allowed to thrive.

“As an NHS England Healthy New Town it will be so important to manage the spaces in such a way that they benefit the physical health of the community but also the mental wellbeing. “We know through our own research, conducted in partnership with the Natural Health Service Centre of Excellence, that spending time in well managed green spaces has a hugely positive impact on people’s mental health. We hope that through our management that we will be able to create a healthy, happy, thriving community which is a fantastic place to live.”

Hogmoor Inclosure is the third largest SANG (Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace) in the country with over 54 hectares of woodland and heathland, with over 750,000 shrubs and trees due to be planted over the course of the development.

SANG is greenspace that is of a quality and type suitable for use as mitigation to offset the impact of new residential development on European protected Natura 2000 sites; Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). The purpose of SANG is to provide an alternative greenspace to attract residents of new developments away from the protected and vulnerable sites.

Prince Philip Park will be used by residents of 2,400 new homes, which are currently being built. In the long term the Land Trust will manage the strategic open space on behalf of these residents, who will pay a service charge for the maintenance of the green space around their homes.

Hall added:

“It’s absolutely vital for the success of projects such as this one that a long term, sustainable funding model is established at the outset which ensures that the green spaces are managed in a way that benefits the community in the long term and leaves a legacy that lasts long after the final home has been sold.”

Bruce Collinson, Project Manager for Whitehill & Bordon Regeneration Company, said:

“We are really pleased to be working with the Land Trust on the management of the public open spaces.

“The Trust will employ a dedicated Estates and Community Officer who will oversee the management of the public open spaces and work with the community to deliver activities that benefit them.

“As well as the creation of new homes, the public open spaces form part of a much larger regeneration project of the area which will see a new town centre created, which will include cafes, shops, leisure centre and a cinema, which will see over 3,000 jobs created over a 15 year period.”