In October 2021, Winchester City Council published the final Norh Walls Recreation Ground Plan which has been updated to accommodate the responses received during their public consultation in May 2021. 

However, the Trust is concerned that some of our recommendations for North Walls Recreation Ground have not been taken forward. North Walls is situated adjacent to Winnall Moors Nature Reserve, an incredibly important nature site home to rare and sensitive wildlife. Just this month, the Trust discovered rare white-clawed crayfish on the reserve, that were thought to have died out from the site over 30 years ago.  

The Trusts primary concerns all revolve around the increased disturbance as a result of this scheme to wildlife within Winnall Moors SSSI and in the areas adjacent to the reserve that are part of the SSSI Impact Risk Zone. When sensitive wildlife species are disturbed, they may move away from the important habitat that they live, feed and breed in, resulting in overall declines in species abundance and diversity. We consider that this would not be deemed an acceptable impact on a SSSI under an Environmental Impact Assessment. 

In the proposed final plans, the Trust has concerns that the following elements have the potential to cause excessive disturbance:

1. Continued promotion of North Walls Rec as a space for major events with sound systems would cause disturbance to wildlife, especially during the breeding season.  
2. The paved 'plaza' area by the redesigned Park Avenue entrance – this would be a loss of public green space and increase noise pollution towards the Nature Reserve. We propose a natural alternative, such as a wildflower meadow maze south of the bowling green. This space would then remain accessible to all, boost habitats for wildlife and provide a playful area adjacent to the Park Stream and Winnall Moors. The proposed hard landscaping would be better suited to a brownfield site such as the River Park Leisure Centre redevelopment.  
3. The outdoor gym area north of the outdoor bowls club is a concern due to increased disturbance adjacent to the reserve. In particular, we would like to ensure there is no lighting on the east side of the Rec to ensure light pollution is minimised. 

However, we are pleased to see that the wild swimming location has moved away from the north-east corner of the Rec adjacent to the reserve to the middle river, away from the reserve, due to concerns on disturbance to wildlife.  

If we are to see nature recover, we need a functioning network of habitats across the two counties which allows wildlife to adapt and move freely. But Winnall Moors Nature Reserve and wildlife in the Winchester area is already under significant pressure from developments squeezing wildlife into smaller, more fragmented spaces. In addition to the North Walls Recreation plans, the Durngate Flood Alleviation Scheme, and M3 Junction 9 scheme coupled with less greenspace available to an increasing population have the potential to significantly impact wildlife locally.  

While we are pleased to see some improvements in this scheme, we encourage Winchester City Council to consider their legal duty of care to protect designated and protected areas. It is important that the Park Plan and the River Park Leisure Centre redevelopment to work together to sensitively design the site to maximise benefits for nature and people.  

The Wildlife Trust welcomes the review of North Walls Recreation Ground. This is an opportune time to provide the people of Winchester with an enhanced natural multi-purpose green space and bring them into contact with fields and rivers that make this place special.

Whilst we understand the appeal of such ambitious proposals, we are concerned that suggestions have been made that raise expectations particularly in terms of the potential impacts on nature and wildlife.

Winnall Moors Nature Reserve is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to its value for rare and vulnerable wildlife. The north and east edges of the North Walls Recreation Ground fall within the SSSI impact risk zone and the Trust has significant concerns about the potential urbanisation of this area and promotion of activities that will impact the integrity of the SSSI, disturb wildlife and visitors’ enjoyment of the nature reserve. 

For instance, wild swimming has leapt in popularity during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Whilst we recognise the health benefits from such immersion in nature, swimmers in this locality have been disturbing wildlife and habitats at Winnall Moors Nature Reserve, where swimming is not permitted. We have significant concerns about how these plans might impact on the nature reserve and will want to be involved in any future discussion of this proposal. We would recommend that other options are considered for wild/outdoor swimming away from sensitive wildlife areas. 

In the current plans, the Trust’s key concerns are: 

1. Promotion of wild swimming on the Park Stream in the SSSI impact risk zone adjacent to Winnall Moors Nature Reserve which would disturb sensitive wildlife. 
2. The paved 'plaza' area by the redesigned Park Avenue entrance which would cause a loss of public green space and may increase noise pollution towards Winnall Moors Nature Reserve. We propose a natural alternative, such as a wildflower meadow maze south of the bowling green. This space would then remain accessible to all, boost habitats for wildlife and provide a playful area adjacent to the Park Stream and Winnall Moors. 
3. The loss of publicly accessible green space which would displace more recreational pressures on sensitive designated sites.

The Trust can provide expertise and advice on features that would provide play, exercise and gains for nature within the Recreation Ground including: 

1. Natural play and tree climbing zone. 

2. Native wildflower meadow features. 

3. River habitats and recreation enhancements, for example water play and river dipping zones. 

4. Viewpoints across to the nature reserve to enjoy the sights and sounds from the recreation ground. 

5. Activities and clubs to connect people with the natural environment via waymarking, guided walks and support groups. 

We are asking Winchester City Council to consider the following when redesigning the North Walls Recreation Ground: 

1. Safeguard the wildlife that depends on the River Itchen and Winnall Moors SSSIs. 

2. Connect people to nature in ways that are appropriate and that avoid disturbance to sensitive species. 

3. Encourage people to take action to help wildlife and rebuild biodiversity. 

4. Take action on climate change and its impacts on wildlife and local communities, for example by providing cooler spaces for heatwaves and rainfall interception to provide flood resilience. 

The Trust recognises and supports the need for an increase in the quality and quantity of green spaces for people to enjoy locally. This is especially important to help reduce the impact of growing recreational pressure that our protected areas and nature reserves face. 

New and improved green spaces can also form an integral part of the Nature Recovery Network, if well designed, providing more space for nature, buffering sensitive areas and providing habitat links and wildlife corridors.  We therefore encourage Winchester City Council to prioritise nature enhancements within the redesign.