Suffolk: Plea for £60,000 to save Holton Pits for public

The newly-formed Holton Pits Community Interest Company (CIC) is appealing for donations to enable it to buy the disused sandpit at Halesworth, which they wish to preserve from development that could threaten its fragile biodiversity.

The CIC also wants to ensure public access to the land is maintained as locals have been visiting for decades for recreation and wellbeing purposes.

The campaigners, including Colin White, right, by the Holton Pits fishing lake (Image: Charlotte Bond)

Building supplies firm Cemex, which owns the site, had put it up for sale through property consultants Fisher German in August, but the campaigners secured an Asset of Community Value (ACV) designation for the pits, preventing sale.

Now the CIC is in a race against time before the ACV status runs out in May, leaving Cemex free to market the site again.

The campaigners need to raise £60,000 to save the pits (Image: Charlotte Bond)

CIC member Colin White said: "Initially, our aim is just to maintain it as it is so there is public access.

"It is used by dog walkers and anglers. Part of it is also called a Site of Scientific Interest (SSI) and there is all sorts of wildlife on there, but it is really just about getting the money."

He added he spoke to one company that had bid to buy the site, which was planning to put lodges in, which could have resulted in the loss of public access.

The Holton Pits site (Image: Charlotte Bond)

As well as the sandpit, there is also a fishing lake and the land has been rewilded since ceasing operations as a pit in the late 1980s.

In total, the CIC needs £200,000 but has already raised £140,000 in loan pledges from businesses and individuals.

Details of where donations can be made will be published on the campaigners' website at kaliwood.wordpress.com/pit-stop.