Winchester City Council have put forward plans to redevelop the North Walls Recreation Grounds which are adjacent to Winnall Moors Nature Reserve. Overall, the Trust believes this is an opportune time to provide the people of Winchester with an enhanced natural multi-purpose green space for the people of Winchester while enhancing the Rec for nature.
However, through the May 2021 consultation and direct engagement with the Council, the Trust has raised concerns that the proposals could increase disturbance to Winnall Moors Nature Reserve and the River Itchen.
Winnall Moors Nature Reserve is an incredibly important nature site home to rare and sensitive wildlife, as a result it has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. 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. However, 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.
In particular, the Trust was concerned that the following elements of the North Walls Recreation Grounds redevelopment would increase disturbance for wildlife:
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Promotion of wild swimming in the River Itchen adjacent to Winnall Moors Nature Reserve.
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The paved 'plaza' area by the redesigned Park Avenue entrance
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The loss of publicly accessible green space which would displace more recreational pressures on sensitive designated sites.
We are pleased that Winchester City Council have taken many of our concerns on board, especially the wild swimming area which has now been moved away from Winnall Moors Nature Reserve in the most recent plans published in October 2021.
However, we still have concerns that we do not feel have been properly addressed. We therefore encourage Winchester City Council to ensure that disturbance is minimised and nature’s recovery is prioritised within this scheme.