Land ownership issues have forced a big change in the pond and river proposal for Kings Pond in Alton.

Alton Town Council is considering two schemes for the future of the pond - either dredging it, known as Option 2a, or separating the pond from the River Wey which runs through it.

The council’s initial plan for the pond and river scheme - known as Option 4a - was a meandering river, which would have the most environmental benefits because it would create more habitats for wildlife.

But for a meandering river to be sustained the land where the river leaves the pond - by Waterside Court - would have to be sufficiently lower than where it enters the pond to increase the flow rate.

The council owns the pond, but the land beyond the weir where engineering work would be needed to create a bigger drop for the water is owned by the Waterside Court management company.

This has made the council go back to a previously considered plan - Option 3c - for a straighter river channel.

That would not require engineering work beyond Alton Town Council’s land to achieve a sufficient drop to increase the flow rate, but would produce fewer environmental benefits.

The news was revealed during last night’s meeting of the Kings Pond community and stakeholder focus group at Alton Community Centre, which was attended by around 60 people.

Town councillor Don Hammond, one of the members of the group, said: “To achieve that layout of a nice windy river we would have to lower the outlet level.

“A designer who looked at it 18 months ago assumed a drop of 0.8 metres. There is plenty of capacity there, as beyond the weir the water drops 1.2 metres into a chamber, but it would require quite a lot of engineering work.

“Option 3c is a bit straighter than the wiggly river because we only have 0.3 metres of fall to play with, and it assumes the water goes out of the pipes at the back of the weir, but it’s a perfectly feasible solution.

“Some work within Alton Town Council property would get another 0.2 metres of fall. There would still be a river, still a big pond and some wetland areas.”

Town councillor Matthew Kellermann, who is not a member of the group, said: “The meandering option is dead by the sounds of things, and Option 3c was rejected by the previous council who were gung-ho to push this through.

“You’re pursuing an already rejected inferior option to keep it going. It’s a phenomenal waste of public money for an option not wanted by the people of Alton. I think it’s disgraceful this is being resurrected. Just end it.

“If there is any reticence from councillors to come to this difficult decision, give the decision to the people in a referendum and move ahead with what the people want.”

There was some support for the pond and river option at the three-hour meeting. A woman who lives in Alton and described herself as an environmental scientist said: “It’s a really good opportunity for the right choice for the long term to increase biodiversity.”

But out of a total of 24 public speakers, 16 expressed a preference for one option or the other, with only two supporting pond and river against 14 who wanted to keep the pond.

Kings Pond Preservation Society chair Nathan Cuff said: “The alternative scheme was ambitious: ‘to dream the impossible dream’.

“Now it is time to save funds and not pursue the alternative option. Or, as Disney says, ‘Let it go’.”