A Local Nature Recovery (LNR) 96-page Strategy Consultation document has been welcomed by the Warrington Nature Conservation Forum (WNCF) and members of the public are being urged to participate before the closing date this Sunday (March 30).
Former Mayor of Warrington and Chair Geoff Settle said, “When I was a steering group member of the Mersey Forest, Paul Nolan and his team did a similar exercise and produced an excellent Mersey Forest Plan strategy and they are now about to publish their 25-year plan. I hope that the LNR 10-to-15-year plan will be just as good, and we get back to appreciating nature just as the Mersey Forest does for trees and woodland.
The consultation on the Local Nature Recovery Strategy will allow the Council to understand the opinions, needs and expectations of local people, businesses, farmers, landowners, non-governmental organisations (NGO’s) and other organisations across Cheshire.
To reverse the nature emergency, the government has made legally binding commitments to reverse the decline of nature and set it on the path to recovery. This is important for nature’s own sake and for all the things that we rely on nature for, like clean water and food production. For nature to recover, targeted, co-ordinated and collaborative action will be required. The LNRS will help Cheshire Authorities to meet their enhanced biodiversity duties by steering broader action in the county, beyond impact of their own services. From their work so far, it will be based on six themes:
1: Woodland, hedgerows and trees
2: Grassland and Heathland
3: Watercourses
4: Peat & Wetlands
5: Nature based solutions
6: Farmland
Geoff said: “Due to the austerity actions taken almost ten years ago and the loss of so many rangers, nature in Warrington has taken a big hit. Back then funding was withdrawn from our partners like Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Mersey Forest and RECORD. The WNCF lost its web page on the council website, WBC’s environmental officer’s job was axed, creating a large nature knowledge gap. The officer had started her career as a ranger when there was a team of 24. However, by the time she left there were only a handful of rangers remaining. In my view the loss was a massive blow to the borough.
“The proposed LNRS for Cheshire and Warrington will clarify the need to redress such losses and highlight the important role that nature plays in our lives especially when recovering from mental and physical illness. You can help nature recover by taking part in the consultation using the following link Cheshire and Warrington Local Nature Recovery Strategy consultation | Participate Now but please do so quickly because the closing date is Sunday 30th March 2025.”
Silver Lane Ponds at Risley
Geoff is grateful for the help received by the other wildlife groups in the borough. Risley Moss Action Group (RIMAG) created a new website for WNCF provided information and data for their research needs and in return WNCF conducted species counts for the RECORD database, Cheshire Wildlife Trust provided training and the Mersey Forest offered advice.
The former mayor said: “In October 2024 a report commissioned by Millet’s about Nature Conservation across the UK placed Warrington in the top ten. However, he believes that this was largely down to the efforts and contribution of the town’s wildlife groups supported by the ranger service. The wildlife sites can be seen on the RECORD map that the WNCF has distributed to Local Nature Reserves like Risley Moss and Rixton Claypits.
For several decades Warrington has been regarded by many as the Waste Capital of the Northwest generating a huge amount of money from the Landfill Tax. Many of the now Nature Reserves were basically tips but following the end of their life they have been carefully capped and transformed. One of the remaining ones is Silver Lane Ponds near Culcheth that has huge potential. Geoff has only recently discovered the place and describes it as becoming a mini ‘Lake District’ of woodland, lakes and small hills if biodiversity net gain funds/credits are channeled in its direction, say from the new junction 11 M62 service station. He would also like to see the Woodland trust site of the Twiggeries of Latchford recovered and the broad walks repaired and replaced.
Woolston Eyes Bed 4
The matured local reserves include Rixton Claypits, famed for its Greater Crested Newts, insects (dragon flies & butterflies) and land reclamation from the brick industry. Woolston Eyes is an incredible success built next to the Manchester Ship Canal using the dredged deposits. In the seventies Brian Martin moved to Warrington dreamed of the deposit beds becoming a great place for birds. He was amazed at the potential and a vision was planted in his mind that some 40-plus years has become a fantastic site comparable to any RSB site. He has just self-published a book of the transformation. Risley and Holcroft Mosses have reclaimed the peat bogs, large areas of South Lancashire and North Cheshire formed at the end of the last ice age. Risley is a great visitor site with a lovely new viewing platform (fought for by the Risley Moss Action Group) and famed for its raptors, reptiles and moss recovery documented in another self-published book by ecologist Rob Smith.
Geoff concluded: “On behalf of the nature conservation groups, who I admire for their tenacity, passion and hard work, I urge everyone to read and comment on LNR consultation, please do the best you can. There are only a few days left until Sunday 30th March. Instead of reading the large 96-page document there is a summary of 5 pages from which you may be able to complete the questionnaire.
“Why not visit our web site www.wncf.co.uk or our Facebook site ‘Warrington Nature Conservation Forum.’
1 Comment
Thanks Warrington Worldwide I hope your readers will take part and make their voice and ideas known.