Residents are set to benefit from a newly transformed green space designed to boost wellbeing and support biodiversity.

Hampshire County Council has created Hollywater Meadows in Whitehill and Bordon as a safe and welcoming outdoor space for the community, while helping to protect nearby heathland areas from disturbance.

With the arrival of new housing developments on the former Mill Chase Academy site, the 24-acre green space has been designed for everyone to enjoy, with restored hedgerows, accessible paths and areas of scrub that provide vital nesting habitats.

Cllr Kirsty North, Hampshire County Council’s lead member for universal services, said: “It is really important that where development happens, alternative green space is available for residents to enjoy, for the benefit of their health and wellbeing as well as giving nature a place to thrive.

“By working in partnership, we’re delivering our ambitions for nature recovery and sustainable communities across Hampshire.”

Once mixed farmland, Hollywater Meadows has been transformed into grassland and native woodland overlooking the Wey Valley.

Its careful management will support wildlife diversity to flourish, from butterflies and pollinators to amphibians and dragonflies, supported by new shallow ponds and improved habitat.

Hollywater Meadows highlights the county council’s ambitions set out in the Biodiversity Report to conserve and enhance the natural environment, alongside its commitment in the Hampshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy to work with partners to support local communities and create spaces where nature can thrive.

The site design and planning process involved detailed engagement with stakeholders, including East Hampshire District Council, Whitehill Town Council, Headley Parish Council and Natural England. It is the first bespoke Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) created by the county council and has been developed to mitigate recreational impacts on the Wealden Heaths Special Protection Area (SPA).

The county council manages significant areas of land across Hampshire for nature conservation, recreation and the rural economy.