Allotment holders in an East Hampshire village are happy to go with the flow as long-awaited drainage work should improve their patch.

There’s been an exciting plot development in Headley as work has begun to create a balancing pond and French drain system at the Liphook Road site.

Flooding has become a perennial problem at one end of the site so Headley Parish Council did some digging.

They backed plans to install a natural balancing pond in an unused area of the site after consulting an ecological contractor with nearly £13,000 of developer contributions covering most of the costs.

East Hampshire District Councillors Anthony Williams and Richard Millard also pumped £1,500 into the project with contractor Morton Pattison overseeing the work.

The main pond – which is lined and should retain water all year round – is surrounded by gently sloping edges for increased capacity in times of heavy rainfall.

An accompanying planting and seeding scheme will increase plant and insect diversity that should also attract and assist mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds.

The banked areas around the pond will be seeded with a tussocky wildflower mix with woodland flowers and grasses being sown around the more shaded areas.

The planting should be completed before the end of August with the results providing a visual treat and a haven for pollinators.

Cllr Williams, who is also chairman of HPC, hopes allotment holders will reap the benefits and has already   commended the contractors for their “high standard” or work.

He said: “I am very pleased that EHDC, through a combination of grants from Cllr Richard Millard and myself plus S106 funding, has enabled the construction of a balancing pond.

“The pond will alleviate the drainage problems that have affected adjacent plots and will enhance plant, insect and bird biodiversity.