Pond - Opinions please

[rebl]

We have a pond. Its about 4m squared. Its in the back garden quite near the house and its right next to the only bit of garden that dc (3.9yrs) can currently play in. In the long term the garden will be all open to dc to play in but right now about 2 thirds of it is mud or out of bounds due to piles of rubbish and broken glass. The pond is a rather tired wildlife pond in need of maintenance which I don't mind doing if we're going to keep it. Its a concrete base type.

I'm very much in 2 minds over this pond. 1st of all I think, dangerous, has to go. But then I think, well I can make it safe if I put my mind to it. Then I think, its position is crap in terms of playing space but then I think its nice having a water feature quite near the house. I also think it will be nice to have the wildlife coming into the garden. We know that frogs and newts (not the protected ones) come to the pond so I'm sure other stuff will come to it.

I'm so indecisive about it. What are other peoples views on ponds in back gardens? I NEED to make a decision by this weekend because it won't be long before the frogs and newts are making their way back to it and if its staying it needs cleaning, if its going its got to go before they come back to it. I just don't know.

Personally I love ponds, but only if they are safe to children. I would never just fence off a pond, but would be quite happy with a steel grid (small squares) over it well above water level. But I am a total frog lover.

IMO it would be a shame to get rid of the pond entirely when in a very few years time it won't be a hazard for your DC, and will probably be a source of interest.

Perhaps you could temporarily make it into a bog garden or suchlike, which would still support some wildlife but not be dangerous, which could then be emptied again in due course?

BTW, regarding the frogs - I cleaned our pond a few weeks ago and there was a frog in it so watch out when you're clearing or filling it

Ponds (as you may be about to discover) attract strong views. There will probably be plenty of people telling you to fill it in.

I would keep it, renovate it and add a strong steel grille fractionally below the surface of the water. Bespoke pond grilles are expensive, but you can make your own from the reinforcing steel mesh which they sell in builders yards - even if you have to pay someone to install it, it'll still be relatively cheap. The pond's being near the house is a plus, if it makes it easier for you to supervise children playing near it.

I've been thinking more about it in the last 24hrs where I've had a million footballs kicked into it and I think I really do want to keep it. The dc were so interested when I said that there will be frogs later in the year. So I've told them not to go near it. I need to make it safe for them though.