31 January 2007

FEN DRAYTON LAKES – A GREEN SPACE OF GREAT POTENTIAL

The RSPB confirmed today that it has bought land to develop a major new nature reserve in Cambridgeshire.

Fen Drayton Lakes are adjacent to the River Great Ouse near St Ives between Huntingdon and Cambridge in the Ouse Valley. In the heart of the Cambridge growth area and a key component of Cambridgeshire’s ‘Green Vision’, this new nature reserve is expected to have great value as a new green space allowing access to attractive wildlife rich countryside for tens of thousands of people from surrounding communities.

It’s this potential that has attracted more than £2 million of funding from Communities and Local Government (£1,120,000) and the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) (£994,000) towards the purchase and set-up costs of the new nature reserve.

Baroness Andrews, Lords Minister for Housing said:
“Growth Areas are about much more than new jobs and homes. We also want to see high quality green spaces like this planned RSPB reserve for people to visit and enjoy. I’m delighted that we were able to support the purchase of Fen Drayton Lakes and look forward to visiting the finished site.”

Jamie Merrick, head of strategy at EEDA, said:
“This exciting project is an important addition to the region’s green infrastructure network. High quality environments make a significant contribution to effective residential and commercial development and economic and social regeneration. Well-managed green spaces and special wildlife sites are also great selling points for attracting new businesses and people to an area.”

The RSPB bought Fen Drayton Lakes from London-based property company O & H Properties Ltd. David Reavell, Head of Lands Team at O & H, said: “We are pleased to have helped in creating a valuable green space in the Cambridge growth area in support of the Government’s sustainable communities programme by selling this large area of land to the RSPB as a whole.”

The new reserve covers 391 hectares of former gravel workings of Hanson Aggregates (formerly ARC) and traditional riverside meadows. It already attracts many visitors and that is expected to increase as the new nature reserve gets up and running. The guided busway being built by Cambridgeshire County Council will provide a new access route to the heart of the reserve, with a request stop at the nature reserve.

It is considered by many birdwatchers to be one of the best birdwatching sites in Cambridgeshire. Its wetland wildlife already includes nationally important numbers of wintering ducks, breeding birds, dragonflies and otters. With the right management, the new reserve has the potential to become a wetland of national importance for wildlife.

Graham Elliott, the RSPB’s Fens Area Manager said:
“This nature reserve will be established both for people to enjoy wildlife and the countryside and for its potential wildlife value. It’s already a great birdwatching area and we will work to make it much better still for all kinds of wildlife. We are grateful to CLG and EEDA for helping make this possible.”

The RSPB expects to encourage new wildlife spectacles such as common terns and black-headed gulls nesting on islands and kingfishers nesting in man-made nesting banks. The landscape and wildlife will be enhanced through a programme of habitat management including removal of willows to open up views, scrub management, creation of reedbeds, and digging new ditches and pools.

The new reserve will be part of a very large wetland complex of adjacent nature reserves along the River Great Ouse. North east of Fen Drayton Lakes is the Hanson-RSPB Wetland Project at Needingworth Quarry, where Britain’s biggest reedbed is being created over the next 30 years. Then, north of Earith, is the Ouse Washes with its nature reserves owned by the RSPB, Wildlife Trust and Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust. With the addition of Fen Drayton Lakes, this area of protected wetland is already 23 miles long and over 2,300 hectares in size, with the prospect of being even bigger as the RSPB and other organisations are working together to add more land in future.

As part of the ‘Green Vision’, these projects will also contribute towards a network of accessible green spaces across Cambridgeshire. This 20-year plan will improve quality of life for residents of the county now and in the future through enhancing the environment for both people and wildlife.

Initial work at Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB nature reserve will include signposts, footpaths, car parking and interpretation panels as well as spreading the word about the reserve in surrounding communities. In time, getting people close to wildlife is the aim, including hides and guided walks.

The RSPB will liaise closely with local communities surrounding the site so that the development of the nature reserve benefits local people and enhances the local environment.