Two more green spaces in Telford and Wrekin given local nature reserve status

This week two more green spaces in Telford and Wrekin were legally designated as Local Nature Reserves, meaning their importance as local sites for nature have been recognised and protected.

The two new sites, at Langley Fields in Dawley and Horsehay and Simpsons Pools in Horsehay, bring the total number of Local Nature Reserves in Telford and Wrekin to 20, covering more than 617 hectares, equivalent to almost 250 full-sized football pitches.

Langley Fields in Dawley is a 13-hectare reserve consisting of mounds from former industrial and mining waste, with a mosaic of pools, woodland, scrub and heathland. 

This unique lowland heathland site hosts a range of protected and priority species including bats, great crested newts, smooth newts, common lizard, slow worm, hedgehogs and badgers, as well as a valuable invertebrate community including nationally important butterfly species such as the green hairstreak and the dingy skipper.

The new Local Nature Reserve at Horsehay and Simpsons Pools covers almost seven hectares, split across the two sites. Horsehay Pool is a reservoir for water management and offers an opportunity to enjoy a waterside walk alongside the various waterfowl that the pool supports. There are also areas of grassland and scattered trees, known locally as Horsehay Village Green.

Simpsons Pool is a flooded former quarry site surrounded by woodland, which is used for recreation by groups and organisations including Arthog Outreach, Telford & Wrekin Council’s outdoor activity provider.

Both of these sites provide valuable habitats for priority and protected species including bats and birds.

Councillor Carolyn Healy, the council’s cabinet member for neighbourhoods, planning and sustainability, said: “The legal designation of these two new sites brings the total number of Local Nature Reserves in Telford and Wrekin to 20, with a further three sites proposed for future declaration. These are in addition to the more than 300 Green Guarantee sites across the borough.

“These fantastic green spaces around our borough are important for supporting wildlife and encouraging biodiversity, but they also have a human benefit too. Visiting or volunteering in nature can have a positive effect on our own health, helping to lower blood pressure and stress levels, and improve feelings of wellbeing.

“Natural England’s Accessible Natural Greenspace Standard recommends a minimum of one hectare of green space per 1,000 population of residents. In Telford and Wrekin, we have more than three times the minimum recommended amount, which demonstrates how important the green spaces are to us in our borough, and shows the council’s commitment to protecting the natural environment around us, protecting our parks, nature reserves and other public green spaces for people, wildlife and heritage.”