AGENDA ITEM

COMMITTEE: ENVIRONMENT & NON-EXECTUIVE FUNCTIONS SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

DATE: 22ND FEBRUARY 2005

BRIEFING NOTE: WILDLIFE TRUST STATEMENT – REVIEW OF CONSERVATION

REPORT AUTHOR: GRAHAM BELLAMY (SENIOR CONSERVATION OFFICER) - – THE WILDLIFE TRUST BEDFORDSHIRE, , AND

Wildlife Trust Statement for Scrutiny Committee 22nd February 2005. Review of Conservation

Who are we? The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Peterborough is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee. The Trust exists to protect and conserve wild habitats for the benefit of wildlife and people. We manage 137 nature reserves across the three counties, and involve people in all aspects of our work, through volunteering and training opportunities, as well as through education programmes for adults and children.

The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire was established in 1951 and has since merged with the Trusts for Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. We have over half a century of experience in conservation and land management. We have 58 members of staff and more than 500 volunteers. We have over 22,000 subscribing members and 72 corporate members. The Trust has a council of 12 voluntary trustees.

What do we do in Bedfordshire? In Bedfordshire we work from an office in Priory Country Park, Bedford, and an educational centre at Randalls Farm near Stewartby. We protect wildlife directly by managing nature reserves, and indirectly by protecting sites of known wildlife interest and protected and scarce species through the planning process and by giving advice on management. We manage 27 nature reserves in the county including seven that are on or close to the Chilterns and close to Luton and . All our nature reserves are open access and they provide visitors with a safe experience of nature and the countryside. Most of our reserves are of at least County Wildlife Site (CWS) quality and four of the seven close to Luton are recognised as of national quality as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

County Wildlife Sites (CWS) and SSSI County Wildlife Sites are key hotspots of wildlife that are considered important for securing and sustaining the wildlife capital of the County. Bedfordshire and Luton has close to 400 County Wildlife Sites. The best examples of CWS are often recognised as SSSI which are statutorily notified by English Nature. SSSI's are a representative series of quality wildlife habitats and it is recognised that on their own they will not sustain the wildlife capital of the county, they need to be seen as a series with CWS. Luton has 25 County Wildlife Sites of which Warden and Galley Hills is the only SSSI. The Wildlife Trust receives weekly planning lists from each local authority and we scan them to see if any affect sites of wildlife interest.

Chalk Grassland a nationally important habitat Lowland Calcareous Grassland, occurring locally as Chalk Grassland, is a priority habitat in the National Biodiversity Action Plan and our country has an international obligation to manage and protect it. Luton is fortunate in being located between two parts of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding National Beauty. The chalk hills supporting chalk grassland habitat pass through Luton notably at Dallow downs, Stopsley common and Warden and Galley Hill The Wildlife Trust manages four important chalk grassland nature reserves that are similar to the Luton chalk sites. (Pegsdon Hills, Blow’s Downs, Knolls and Totternhoe Quarry). Nationally it is considered that the best way to manage chalk grassland to retain its wildlife interest is by grazing and the removal of invasive trees and bushes. Annual cutting is less favoured but will retain much of the interest and frequent cutting is considered a poor option that will eventually degrade the wildlife interest. Without any management the grassland becomes covered with dense continuous scrub and the chalk grassland is lost. The retention of some scrub is beneficial for birds and for providing shelter for livestock and wildlife.

The Wildlife Trust works with staff from the John Dony field centre to share good practise and expertise on chalk grassland management through the Bedfordshire and Luton Chalk Managers Group who have worked together for over ten years. This group is responsible for monitoring the Lowland Calcareous Grassland Habitat Action Plan contained in the Bedfordshire and Luton Biodiversity Action Plan, and staff from Luton are key active members of this group. Luton’s management of chalk grassland sites like Warden and Galley hill, Bradgers hill and Dallow Down are important contributions to the targets of the Biodiversity Action Plan.

Other habitats Other CWS in Luton represent good examples of other wildlife habitat types for which there are also habitat action plans in the Local Biodiversity Action Plan. Luton’s work through its officers at the John Dony Field Centre to retain and manage its natural environment through its work with its County Wildlife Sites is good practise and we are familiar with work at Fallowfield, Cowslip meadow, Leagrave common as well as work to recognise the wildlife interest within Stockwood Park, Riverside Walk, Peoples Park, The Lee corridor and other sites. Luton is fortunate to have some excellent examples of wildlife habitat for people to enjoy now and for the future, and also to have appropriately qualified staff with the vision to carry out the work required to manage the wildlife resource. The Wildlife Trust Visitors Centre Priory Country Park Barkers Lane Bedford MK41 9SH Tel: 01234 364213 Fax: 01234 328520

The Wildlife Trust Visitors Centre Priory Country Park Barkers Lane Bedford MK41 9SH Tel: 01234 364213 Fax: 01234 328520