£2M TO PROTECT OUR GREEN AND OPEN SPACES
Earlier this year an area of pools and pit mounds around the villages of Little Dawley, Horsehay, and Aqueduct was officially confirmed as the thirteenth Local Nature Reserve in Telford and Wrekin. Mother nature at work
The result of years of effort by locals, Dawley Hamlets Parish and Telford & Wrekin Councils has added 94 acres to the borough’s 515 acres of Local Nature Reserves (LNRs). The borough currently has four more sites on the waiting list for approval as reserves with the government’s Natural England agency. Green spaces have always been key to the layout of Telford new town and Telford & Wrekin Council has worked hard in recent years to preserve and protect these vital natural lungs, giving people of all ages and abilities the chance to get close to nature. As part of the council’s £16 million extra investment in the borough, £2 million will go towards enhancing and protecting these precious green and open spaces. The extra investment comes at an exciting time for the Friends of Dawley Hamlets LNR – those who work to promote the use of the reserve and help maintain it. Cllr Andy Burford, chair of Dawley Hamlets Parish Council said: “Telford & Wrekin Council are really good on
green spaces: preserving and protecting them, encouraging people to make the most of them and investing money from housing developments. “We are certainly hoping we may see some of the new money as we have exciting and ambitious plans for the reserve, including making more of its industrial history.” As well as designating more areas as LNRs, the council will be using the new investment money to create more Green Guarantee sites – so far 200 guarantees protect areas of council land from future development – as well as improving site access and installing more signage. Another team hoping for a share of the investment is the Friends of Apley Woods, a 56 acre LNR on a historic former country estate. Volunteer Julie Burroughs said: “The woods are popular with a wide range of people of all ages, particularly those with disabilities – the flat accessibility route being perfect for people in wheelchairs and mobility scooters.
“The Friends of Apley Woods was created in 2007 by a group of residents who formed a partnership with Cllr Karen Blundell and Adrian Corney, Telford & Wrekin’s environmental officer for the area. Fourteen years on, our 13 members have a weekly work party that works under the direction of Telford & Wrekin Council, helping to deliver an agreed management plan,. “When the group worked with the Hadley & Leegomery council Parish Environmental Team a few years ago we found it really useful to have a ‘man with a van’ available to help move materials around the site, as well as an additional person qualified to use power tools such as a hedge cutter and strimmer. It would be very helpful for us to have similar provision through the council’s new investment package.” Julie added: “Maintaining the woods for people and wildlife is a challenge, but with the support of Telford & Wrekin Council and investment from the fund, we feel this can be achieved.”
TOTALLY TELFORD
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