A Planning Officer will be in attendance to discuss the planning concerns around Saffron Brook.
Minutes:
Samantha Woods, Nature Conservation Department and Project Manager for Planning, Development and Transportation, was present to provide a verbal report on the Save Saffron Brook project. The following points were highlighted:
· Due to some members of the public not knowing its official name, it was noted that it was locally referred to as the ‘washbrook’ or the ‘woggy’.
· Funding had been received from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) during the Covid-19 Pandemic and a project had been created to design natural wildlife corridors. The funding was provided in 2021 and works in Knighton Park would be completed by the end of March, 2023.
· The Council was working in partnership with organisations and businesses between Oadby and Soar Valley, including Knighton Wild and Trent Rivers Trust.
· The project revolved around 2 kinds of intervention, physical restoration or habitat creation, and the main aim was to connect people with nature and encourage its use.
· Community engagement and wildlife walk programmes were ongoing to encourage schools and residents to visit and explore nature, as well as to note the good water quality of the brook.
· An otter spotters’ group had been formed after it was noted that otters had started using the river as their territory.
· Physical intervention and re-naturalisation work had started in the area at the Golf Centre on Knighton Park’s boundary. The work being done on the riverbed would increase the capacity of the river and reduce flood risk for the future.
· It was noted that work would be started in a few weeks at the Washbrook nature area near Lancaster Boys School, which involved cutting back trees to let in more light and increase wildlife, as well as adding to the river to assist the habitat.
· Work was being done at Overdale School to create a nature trail linked to education for the provision of skills sessions.
· Volunteering at Knighton Spinney to restore wildflower areas was ongoing. It was noted that 65 volunteering activities and 17,000 volunteer hours meant the original target had been surpassed, which 14 schools participated in.
· Work was planned to deepen the slope, increase water capacity near the concrete flood barriers and create new ponds at Knighton Green on Kenwood Road. The work would be completed by the Christmas period.
· Due to the erosion of Knighton Park’s brook bank, the aim was noted to encourage visitor entry only in specific areas and dissuade use in other areas to ensure safe access to the river.
· A nature walk was noted to be in development at the old St Mary’s orchard, which was noted to be a circular path that would run through St Mary’s and Hughenden Drive.
Councillors questioned the intention of the work beside Knighton Park. It was noted that it would be a social space, noting that the work wouldn’t impact the flood defences. The ground was noted to be reinforced and artist interpretation installations and benches may also be a possibility.
A member of the public questions whether a swing would be installed near the brook due to the history of local children creating improvised swings in the location. It was noted that swings would not be installed.
Members of the public were advised to contact the Nature Conservation Department by email if they had any further questions or were interested in volunteering. Consultations regarding Kenwood Road and St Mary’s would happen on 29th November, which involved house to house consultation. It was noted that the artwork for art installations were developed by local children.
The Chair thanked the officer for the report.