East Keswick Wildlife Trust has signed an option to purchase some strategically important land in the heart of our village for our community and future generations to enjoy.
Sadly, even Greenbelt land isn’t completely safe from the threat of development so we want to safeguard this land forever, particularly as it is rich in flora and fauna of a type that is rapidly disappearing from our countryside.
We want everyone to be involved so please come to a public meeting at 7.30pm on Monday 10 September in the Verity Room at the Village Hall and have your say. For further information, please call 01937 574140.
Thank you for holding the open meeting to keep people informed and involve us. I hope everyone in the village supports the Trust to purchase this land and safeguard it. I look forward to hearing how the plans develop.
Hi Julie thanks for all the support we will keep you up to date on all progress.
I am concerned the wildlife trust have over paid for the land. 4 residents of the paddock made an offer of £15k to the owner to safeguard the land as none of us want to see it developed. We were then going to ask the trust to maintain it.
We are now advised the trust want to keep sheep on the land. Sheep are not wildlife. The nationa Wildlife trust have advised this is not satisfactory.The proposed fencing will stop the deer and other creatures going onto the field, kill the flowers and insects habitat and distroy the brambles that are home to all sorts of critters. A family of hedgehogs, most born this year live there. The fence will be gated and will stop, us the villagers walking on it….unless you have a key. I fear the villagers may not have been given all the facts. The charity commission advise no one is allowed to sit on the WLT if their decisions directly beneffit themself.
Hi Candy
The Trustees considered our offer very carefully, we knew there would be a great deal of interest should this land come on the open market. We consider it was a fair price to pay to secure this important strategic location and have been overwhelmed by the support from the local community. It is far safer belonging to the Wildlife Trust than in private ownership. The Trust’s constitution says that should the Trust cease to exist, all land owned has to pass to a similar body such as our county Wildlife Trust the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust or the Woodland Trust etc., and so will always be protected.
The management plan has not been written, but the Trust do use rare breed Soay and Hebridean sheep for grassland conservation and management with great success on its other reserves, as do our UK County Wildlife Trusts, the RSBB, National Trust e.t.c. Using native breeds for conservation grazing will improve the native flora and in turn this is beneficial to the insect fauna. As a Wildlife Trust we are protecting and managing local sites to benefit our local wildlife, and all management is carefully considered and well informed. If you would like to learn more about conservation grazing please visit “www.grazinganimalsproject.org.uk” and click on “What is Conservation Grazing” to understand why careful grazing of grassland with animals can be beneficial.
Before the Trust purchased this land was in private ownership with no legal permitted public access. When the EKWT became the owner, permissible access will be allowed to members and non members with access gates and styles once we are sure the site is safe. Please come to our open day on Feb 2nd we are inviting all to walk the field and comment on our plans and give suggestions as we wish to consult with all. See our events details on the website. Many thanks for your input and comments.