Dorset Council has purchased 13 acres of land near Blandford to transform into a wildlife haven and is looking for volunteers to help plant trees and hedges.
The land, which is currently arable fields and woodland, adjoins the Green Flag award winning Milldown Nature Reserve and North Dorset Trailway near Blandford.
The aim of the land purchase is to create new habitat and wildlife corridors to support the survival of one of the rarest bats in Europe, the Greater horseshoe bat. The project will see hedgerows restored, a wildflower meadow established, and more trees planted.
This purchase has been made possible through our Habitat Compensation Fund, using money secured through developer contributions. With extra funding for the project coming from Defra’s Farming in Protected Landscapes programme (administered by Cranborne Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), Blandford Forum Town Council and Dorset Council.
The new nature reserve will provide crucial habitat for adults and juvenile bats from the nearby Bryanston Site of Special Scientific Interest roost, whilst also supporting other bat species and a host of other wildlife.
Cllr Ray Bryan, Dorset Council’s Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment, said:
“Protecting and restoring Dorset’s natural environment is one of the council’s key priorities.
“This recent land purchase is an excellent opportunity to create much needed habitat for Dorset’s wildlife, whilst providing more access to the countryside for residents.
“We are determined to work with partners to promote the recovery of nature and tackle the ecological emergency.”
To kickstart and celebrate this superb addition to Dorset’s greenspace, we will be holding a volunteer tree and hedge planting event on the weekend of 21st and 22nd January at the site.
Members of the public are invited to come along from 10am on either or both days to help with the planting. Volunteers will need to wear stout shoes or boots and bring their own spade.
To find the event, follow signs from the Milldown Carpark (DT11 7FU) where council rangers will be on site to guide you.
Donations of £40 (+vat) for the 70 trees being planted are being taken by Blandford Forum Town Council, contributions can be made via their online form.
Further volunteering opportunities will be available later in the year.
You can find out more about the steps we are taking to tackle the Climate and Ecological Emergency (CEE) on our website or by visiting our social media pages.
Thirteen acres of ‘transformed’ land is an insignificant area compared to the land that has been taken for development over the past three years in Blandford Forum alone. Developers have exploited the opportunity to build on ‘green’ land when the Council’s Local Plan failed a few years ago. The land that has now been built upon had mature trees, hedges, wildlife, insects flora fauna – it will take decades before it even begins to give back what has been lost.
The damage is evident – the solution – a small area o transformed land would make anyone who understood the gravity over what has happened weep.
Hi Hazel – the land purchased is linked to the Milldown Nature Reserve and the existing Dorset Ecological Network. This means that the management to increase its ecological value will contribute to nature recovery in the wider area. Securing the land in this way also means that it will be protected and managed for wildlife and biodiversity securing these benefits in the long-term.
Whilst this land remains in the ownership of Dorset Council and has no legal protection against development it could be used for housing at a later stage.
Whilst I am very pleased to learn that any land is to be managed to enhance biodiversity and wildlife, assurances as to its future must be sought at an early stage. You will already know the government’s intention, within its new proposed legislation of ‘levelling-up,’ is to use ‘Compulsory Purchase Orders’ to acquire land for building. This is a significant piece of legislation that will be difficult to stop and must be considered now.
Hi Hazel – This piece of land was purchased using habitat compensation funds secured under the Dorset Biodiversity Appraisal Protocol to compensate for residual loss of habitat from development. This means that the land must continue to provide compensatory habitat for greater horseshoe bats (and other wildlife) for a development which has already been undertaken and will remain part of the Milldown Nature Reserve.
If the Council at a future date wanted to build houses on this land what legal remedy could be used to prevent this happening?
Thirteen acres of ‘transformed’ land does not compensate for the amount of land that has been used for housing development in Blandford Forum alone. Builders have exploited the fact that the Council’s Local Plan was rejected and veteran trees, hedges wildlife flora and fauna were lost. It will take decades before this small area will provide the habitats to encourage the biodiversity that existed before the huge amount of building took place.
For anyone who actually understands the importance of this loss and the effect this small has will just make them weep.
I am quite a fan of all sorts of bats but is this necessary just now? With the cost of living and Dorset’s roads and infrastructure in a chronic state of disrepair, why on Earth wasn’t this money used for something of more urgency. There is no shortage of bats, they are protected and doing very well (we were told by the bat experts). How many potholes would this amount of money have filled on the appalling small roads? DCC should put this towards saving the roads and verges from being ruined by enormous unsuitable traffic.
Hi Vivienne – the purchase of the land was largely funded through the council’s Habitat Compensation Fund. Under the Dorset Biodiversity Appraisal Protocol, compensation funds can be secured as a last resort for the residual loss of habitat because of development. These funds are then used to deliver compensatory habitats (created or restored) as close as possible to where habitat loss has occurred. More information can be found on the fund on the Dorset Council website: Dorset Biodiversity Appraisal Protocol.
A plan of the site location would be helpful.
Hear, hear.
We are unable to share a site plan at this stage, but a map of the site will be made available on Dorset Explorer as the project progresses.
As this land has been bought with public money as a Nature Reserve not as a dog emptying area I assume any public access will be”No Dogs”?
Nice to hear about trying to preserve bats, especially horseshoe, which sadly are in drastic decline, due to lose of habit.
Pity the Jan edition failed to arrive, otherwise would have been to initial tree planting session in Jan, as only just seen it, combined with Feb.
Must say, for once in a blue moon agree having an item which I rarely mentions anything west of Dorchester.
Whilst I welcome a new nature reserve, this new site is compensation for a site destroyed elsewhere, as you acknowledge. The new reserve, whilst welcome, is only half the equation. It would be good to know about the site that has been sacrificed, its loss of habitat & biodiversity.
In the last few decades there has been such destruction of habitats & biodiversity that we can ill afford to lose more. Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring is becoming a reality, even here in rural Dorset.
a Lovely idea and project. my daughter and I have broadcast a million wild flower seeds up the local lane where we live. Called west lane and runs from North Wootton on the A3030 and runs to the hamlet of Haydon. hope locals and walker enjoy.