New Shropshire nature reserves to be confirmed
Four more of the county’s treasured natural landscapes are to be confirmed as nature reserves next week, while plans to designate four others have been put on hold.
Shropshire Council’s cabinet is being asked to approve the designation of Nesscliffe Country Park, Llanymynech Heritage Area, Lyth Hill and Poles Coppice in order to formally recognise their value, attract more visitors and offer an extra layer of protection from development.
The council has legal powers to designate new local nature reserves (LNRs), and a report to cabinet ahead of a meeting next week says the heightened status for the four council-owned sites, covering almost 120 hectares of land between them, will bring considerable benefits including the ability to attract external funding.
The report, by Clare Featherstone, the council’s culture, leisure and tourism manager, says Natural England has been consulted and is supportive of the proposals.
The report says: “A LNR is a protected area of land designated by a local authority because of its local special natural interest and, where possible, educational and community value.
“The Outdoor Partnership Service believes that having environmental designations on its sites raises their profile with the public and can increase visitor usage and the health and wellbeing benefits this provides.
“Environmental designations also provide some protection for the sites nature conservation and recreation interest, as well as specifying a positive use for land that might otherwise be perceived as available for development, thus safeguarding access to the sites for future generations.”
Plans for eight new sites in the county to be designated as LNRs were outlined in a briefing paper to cabinet in 2018, but the report says four of these cannot currently progress due to new requirements and changes of ownership.
The report says: “Recommendations have changed since the 2018 briefing paper when it was proposed that Eardington Quarry and Severn Valley Country Park were included. These are awaiting completed management plans before designation can be pursued.
“There was also mention of Copthorne Park and Monkmoor Meadows in Shrewsbury in the 2018 briefing paper. These sites are listed for transfer to Shrewsbury Town Council, so it is not proposed to take forward designation of them as LNRs at this stage.”
The report goes on to outline why the four sites being put forward for designation have been selected.
It describes the 7.5-hectare Llanymynech Heritage Area as a mix of industrial heritage, woodland and wildflower meadows which is “nationally significant” and dates back to the Bronze Age.
The 53-hectare Nesscliffe Country Park is likewise said to be of national importance, incorporating the Iron Age hillfort, and is a popular destination for walkers, mountain bikers and horse riders. The new designation will not cover The Cliffe, which is not owned by Shropshire Council.
The report explains: “The Cliffe, which is managed by Shropshire Council but owned by Ruyton-XI Towns Parish Council, may be dedicated once future plans have been agreed by the Parish Council.”
Poles Coppice, a 30-hectare ancient woodland near Pontesbury, is described in the report as both an “important habitat” and an “important destination for local people”.
There are also hopes to build on the “excellent conservation work” recently been undertaken through the Stiperstones and Corndon Landscape Partnership Scheme.
Lyth Hill on the outskirts of Shrewsbury is noted for its ecological and historical significance and “magnificent views”.
The 28-hectare site encompasses woodland, grassland and open hillside and the report describes it as a popular recreational area and “an ecological island amongst intensive agricultural land”.
The report concludes: “The benefits of local nature reserve status for these sites are considered justification for their declaration as such.”
Cabinet members will be asked to approve the designations at a meeting on Monday.
