A project to restore a reedbed at a country park in Donisthorpe has won a national environmental award.

The water-cleaning scheme and landscape restoration at Donisthorpe Woodland Park was commissioned by Leicestershire County Council and carried out by civil engineering contractor King Industries.

The works involved the replacement of the borehole pump and monitoring equipment which is used to maintain water levels in the Ashby Canal - by pumping water from the old mine workings into the reedbed, where it is filtered and gravity-fed into the canal.

The reedbed – which is not open to the public - was also restored and improved, to provide a natural and sustainable water filtration system, as well as enhancing the environment.

Councillor Joe Orson, Chairman of Leicestershire County Council, and Tim Hudson for the environment team, with the Green Apple Award

Once those works were completed, King Industries donated eight new bird and bat boxes and partnered with Donisthorpe Primary School, whose pupils chose the locations for the boxes, and went along to the park to learn more about the environment and see the boxes installed.

The works and their role in protecting and enhancing the natural environment have now been recognised with a Green Apple Environment Award, which was presented to representatives from King Industries and Leicestershire County Council at a ceremony at Kensington Palace on Monday.

Councillor Blake Pain, cabinet member for the environment and green agenda, said: "The restoration scheme at Donisthorpe Woodland Park, and the installation of the bird and bat boxes with pupils from the local primary school, was a partnership between Leicestershire County Council and contractor King Industries to improve the environment and bring ecological benefits.

"These environmentally-friendly works will ensure that people can continue to explore the Ashby Canal for years to come."

Donisthorpe Primary School pupils chose the locations for eight new bird and bat boxes, and went along to see them installed

Leicestershire County Council Chairman, Councillor Joe Orson, was at the award presentation ceremony at Kensington Palace. He said: "I was honoured to be able to represent the county council at this prestigious event and proud that this innovative partnership working has been recognised with a national Green Apple award."

King Industries Group SHEQ Director, Lee Wood, added: "We are pleased that our environmental work at the Leicestershire County Council Reedbed Renewal Scheme has been recognised. We are overwhelmed to receive the National Gold, Utilities Conservation and Wildlife Projects Green Apple Winners Award in collaboration with Leicestershire County Council.

"We would like to congratulate and thank the team at King Industries for their hard work and help in bringing this conservational project to life and inspiring the future generation."

The Green Apple Award presentation at Kensington Palace

Donisthorpe Woodland Park is home to a range of species, including kingfishers, blue tits, goldfinches, jackdaws, reed warblers, grey heron, common pipistrelle bats and wood pigeons – and visitors can record any species they spot on the NatureSpot website.

Ashby Canal was originally constructed to serve the coalfields around Moira and Measham.

In recent years, restoration work has helped areas of the canal at Snarestone and between Moira and Donisthorpe to reopen.

The county council says this work is part of its ongoing project to make space for nature and to improve the natural environment throughout the county.