Two West Sussex sites have received thousands from a £225,000 pot the Environment Agency is investing in angling projects across the South East.

Park Mill is a 30-acre lake owned by the Haslemere Angling Society in West Sussex. Thanks to a range of rare plants at the site, it is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

The club carried out major improvement works under the Reservoir Act, including draining the main lake, which took six weeks and was a huge undertaking.

The club was granted £12,930 to help revitalise the lake. The first £5,000 was used to install aeration equipment for the fish when the water was drained. A further £7,930 was awarded when the water was back in. The club was able to build purpose-built swims, recreate the public pathways, and replant the lake with natural lilies to recreate habitats for wildlife.

At Goose Green historic pollution and low dissolved oxygen levels in the summer were harming the lakes’ fish stocks. With £2,800 from the Fisheries Improvement Programme (FIP), Pulborough Angling Society purchased six aeration units that improved water quality and allowed the lakes to once again provide affordable angling, especially for local children.

Environment Agency Solent and South Downs Fisheries, Biodiversity, and Geomorphology Team Leader Amir Fogel said: “Anglers often ask us about how we spend the money raised from the sale of fishing licences. The FIP is a prime example of how this income protects and improves fish stocks and boost the popularity of angling.”