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New lease of life for Norsey Meadow (From Echo)
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New lease of life for Norsey Meadow
6:30am Sunday 7th March 2010
A POPULAR meadow and wildlife habitat is set for a revamp as part of a Basildon Council restoration project.
Norsey Meadow, part of historic Norsey Wood, in Billericay, will be the focus of a conservation improvement scheme.
The area has been recognised as a local wildlife site for its grassland and associated species, but much of the grass is becoming overgrown.
Countryside ranger, Chris Huggins, said: “In the long-term, we hope to provide a graded selection of habitats, from open meadow at the western end near Norsey Close, through to a parkland of scattered trees over grass where the meadow meets Norsey Wood.
“This should be a very attractive addition to the landscape of Norsey Wood and the meadow.
“The fenced area will not interfere with the existing public footpath, and gates will be installed to enable continued use of some of the traditional entrances.”
The council is planning to clear the boundary of the site to allow for the installation of fencing, to enable the meadows to be grazed by livestock.
The fencing will allow animals to graze within the meadow and is not intended to stop anyone using the site. This should improve the quality of the grassland for wild flowers, invertebrates and other species.
The work should be completed by the end of the year.
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Johnny B. Goode, Billericay says...
10:20am Mon 8 Mar 10
Personally I think there a lot of problems with this: not the least of which is putting a sheep run, really in the middle of a busy town. Would a sensible farmer do that: however responsible most dog owners may be, at some stage a dog is surely going to get loose or escape from a garden to worry the sheep (or worse); after all about 90% of the users of Norsey Wood are dog walkers.
Do the Norsey Wood Society know about the plans (nothing in the newsletter)? And have the Council consulted with the residents in Norsey Close and Deerbank Road?
Has anyone done a wildlife survey, found out what species are there and will be lost, if the area's turned into grass? There's a variety of habitats at the moment: impenetrable scrub, nettle, a developing oak wood, (very different from Norsey Wood itself).
push-likeTo judge from the predators you see at the moment, ranging from the adders on the ground to the birds of prey in the air, the area is pretty healthy for wildlife. It's secluded too, very difficult to get access in summer; it is a genuine nature reserve.
I think key to this is how far down the slope are they intending clearing? The main thing at the moment seems to be the idea of living landscapes, and linking up the natural habitats - if the woodland towards the stream is cleared then the "bridge" between the railway cutting and Norsey wood gets broken.
Think the council should know what they are doing about this before they make decisions which can't be undone, liaise widely - maybe even test public opinion - just a thought.