Manchester City Council Item 11 Executive 19 November 2008
MANCHESTER CITY COUNCIL REPORT FOR RESOLUTION
REPORT TO Executive
DATE 19 November 2008
SUBJECT Local Nature Reserve Declaration: Stenner Woods and Millgate Fields
REPORT OF Head of Environmental Services Head of Leisure and Sports
PURPOSE OF REPORT
To seek the approval of the Executive Committee to declare Stenner Woods and Millgate Fields as a Local Nature Reserve.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. To declare the area shown on the location map of Stenner Woods and Millgate Fields ( Appendix1) outlined in red and excluding the building to the west of Millgate Farm at grid reference 384151,389642 as the Stenner Woods and MIllgate Fields Local Nature Reserve.
Financial Consequences for the Revenue Budget
The proposal has no implications for the City Council’s revenue budget.
Financial Consequences for the Capital Budget
The proposal has no implications for the City Council’s capital budget.
Contact Officers
Rachel Christie – Head of Environmental Services 800 4916 [email protected] Eamonn O’Rourke – Head of Leisure and Sports 878 2451 e.o’[email protected] Dave Barlow –Environmental Engagement Manager 878 2755 [email protected] Alex Krause – Mersey Valley Warden Ecologist 881 5639 [email protected] Manchester City Council Item 11 Executive 19 November 2008
Background Documents
The Stenner Woods and Millgate Fields management plans are available from Room 6019 in the Town Hall Extension.
Wards Affected
Didsbury West Didsbury East
Implications for:
Anti poverty Equal Opportunities Environment Employment No No Yes No Manchester City Council Item 11 Executive 19 November 2008
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 On the 13th April 2005, Executive Committee approved and adopted the Manchester Biodiversity Strategy. Objective 2 within the strategy states that any actions should ‘use a best practice approach when managing for biodiversity’. One of the key ways to achieve this objective is to increase the number of Local Nature Reserves in Manchester. The strategy proposes that further sites be designated as Local Nature Reserves over a five year period.
1.2 There are currently six Local Nature Reserves in Manchester – Chorlton Water Park, Blackley Forest, Clayton Vale, Chorlton Ees & Ivy Green, Highfield Country Park and Boggart Hole Clough. Designation has benefited all of these sites and led to increased public usage by both local and regional visitors. These sites have also obtained national recognitions with Natural England and other nature conservation organisations.
2 WHAT ARE LOCAL NATURE RESERVES?
2.1 Local Nature Reserves (LNRs) are sites that contain wildlife and/or geological features that are of special interest locally. Their function is to provide opportunities for people to become involved in the management of their local environment, as well as giving people special opportunities to study, learn or simply enjoy nature.
2.2 Declaring sites as LNRs plays an important role in biodiversity conservation. LNRs will offer many benefits not only to wildlife, but also to the quality of life for the people of Manchester. The benefits of LNRs can be summarised as: -