Feature in Westlea Park brought to life
The pond, in Westlea Park bordered by Westlea Drive, which originally served the farm which covered the area before houses were built, was refashioned by Thamesdown Council’s parks department. They also helped the school deliver lessons at Westlea Primary School on the importance of water creatures in the environment and asked children for ideas on its design. At the time Michael Sinclair, Gareth Adams and Oliver Thompson said they liked seeing the frogs in the pond.
Over the last 30 years the pond has gone through cycles of becoming overgrown and filled with litter before Swindon Council staff and volunteers have moved into clear it out. In 2006 local councillors Mary and Nick Martin and also future Swindon Mayor Steve Wakefield organised a clear out, attended by prospective Conservative Party Parliamentary candidate Robert Buckland.
In 2017 and 2018 Parish Councillor Suresh Gattapur organised a series of clean-ups attended by residents, local councillors and also South Swindon MP Robert Buckland to return the pond in good condition as a feature of the park off Westlea Drive.
