Biodiversity and open space management (Focus Area 7)
Nature is an essentially ally to halting climate change and protecting our planet. By caring for the environment and the species within it we enable the living landscape to better absorb carbon, reduce flooding and heatwaves, generate food and many other benefits. The Council is working to ensure that biodiversity is increased across the Borough and species and habitats exists in North Warwickshire long into the future.
What the Council needs to do
- Achieve biodiversity net gain
- Encourage landowners and occupiers to use their land in sustainable and biodiverse ways
- Identify areas of Council land which can be used for renewable energy generation
- Protect existing habitats and local nature reserve
What we are doing
Community Orchards
The Council in collaboration with Warwickshire County Council successfully secured funding from the Coronation Living Heritage Fund. This fund is for the creation of community orchards across the Borough. Working in partnership with local people and groups trees are being provided to create spaces for people and nature. By creating more areas where people can connect with nature the Council hopes to deepen the connection between residents and nature.
Need met - Encourage landowners and occupiers to use their land in sustainable and biodiverse ways
Nature reserve management
As a Borough Council we have four Local nature reserves which with the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust we manage and maintain on our behalf to enhance the sites and their habitats. The sites consist of woodland, grassland, wetland and scrub.
At Cole End Park a number of Whips have been planted, some coppicing in the woodland has been undertaken to vary the age of the understorey and encourage a strong root stock. Meadow management has been undertaken to improve the quality of the grassland. Himalayan balsam pulling has been undertaken to stop the invasive species from taking hold.
At Abbey Green Park Nature reserve Himalayan balsam has been pulled. The Top Meadow has been cut and raked off to encourage wildflowers. Normally there would be reed management however this is dependent on the weather, due to the amount of rain we have had this has not yet been possible.
At Kingsbury Meadow part of the sedge bed has been cut along with some bramble and other scrub. A fallen tree has been cleared and footpaths cut back. Re-naturalisation of the Hurley Brook has also been completed, this has involved putting in deflectors to narrow the brook and reduce the erosion of the bank.
Daffern’s wood has had sensitive coppicing completed to help encourage the wonderful display of wildflowers, several sycamore trees have been removed to open the canopy and reduce the number of invasive saplings. Invasive species have been cut back and the grassland area has been cut and raked as well as some scrub clearance.
Need met - Protect existing habitats and local nature reserve