Six new Telford sites set to be designated Local Nature Reserves
Six new nature reserves could be designated in Telford under plans to be discussed by councillors.
Telford & Wrekin councillors will meet next Thursday, September 22, to discuss plans to create six new Local Nature Reserves and the expansion of two existing reserves.
The proposal would see new nature reserves created in Donnington, Heath Hill, Brookside, Horsehay, St Georges and Dawley Bank.
Expansions to Dothill nature reserve and the Granville, in Muxton, are also planned.
The sites
Central Hall, Donnington
The proposed site at Central Hall, known locally as 'The Snake', covers five hectares in Donnington off Oakengates Road and St Georges Road, behind the industrial estate next to Asda.
Heath Hill and Pool Hill, Dawley
The site in Dawley covers 13 hectares, encompassing the woodland straddling either side of Station Road near Doseley Motors.
Holmer Lake with Kemberton Meadow and Mounds, Brookside
The Brookside site covers nine hectares, including woodland and grassland around Holmer Lake, and a further 20 hectares just south of the A442 Queensway.
The proposal includes woodland on the eastern edge of Halesfield industrial estate.
Horsehay Pool with Simpsons Pool, Horsehay
The proposed sites in Horsehay include three hectares encompassing Horsehay Pool, north of Bridge Road next to the steam railway. Four hectares of woodland around Simpsons Pool, behind Horsesay Methodist Church, are also included.
The sites are popular fishing spots, and the proposal assures angling and recreational interests will be protected.
Snedshill and the Flash, St Georges and Priorslee
The largest site, 49 hectares of proposed 'compartments' are included in the St Georges and Priorslee proposal. The Flash covers woodland and grasslands as well as Hangman's Pool just east of the A5 St Georges Bypass.
A former mine, east of the A442 in Snedshill is also included, as well as Redhill Eco Park near Telford & Wrekin Hockey Club in St Georges.
Langley Fields, Dawley Bank
The site in Dawley Bank covers 13 hectares of land adjacent to the Telford Langley School off Duce Drive. The site is rich in amphibian and reptile species, birds and invertebrates including the dingy skipper butterfly.
Extensions
Large extensions to Dothill and Granville Local Nature Reserves would see an additional 35 hectares of land added to the sites.
Councillor Carolyn Healy said the proposal will ensure "everyone had nature nearby."
She said: "Our green spaces are so important – a haven for those seeking to bolster their mental and physical health, a place where we can protect and reconnect with the natural environment, and a free activity in an ever more expensive world."
Aside from targetting climate change and declines in biodiversity, the proposal hopes to improve accessibility to nature in areas with higher than average deprivation - particularly in the south of the borough.
A 2020 UK's People and Nature survey found the ability to access green space was strongly linked to socioeconomic status.
Councillors supporting the plans hope the reserves will provide residents "a feeling of local ownership", and an opportunity for community involvement, physical activity and social interaction.
If successful, reserves will be set to increase by 25 per cent, bringing the number in the borough to 23, covering an area of 707 hectares.
The borough already has close to three hectares for every 1,000 people, three times the recommended level of provision.
The plans state that the sites will be managed and maintained within current budget levels, and aim to work in partnership with parish and town councils to establish volunteer groups across the sites.
More information and site maps can be found on the council's website: democracy.telford.gov.uk.
