Nature reserve to expand thanks to funding boost
A nature reserve in Charnwood is set to expand by over 13 acres thanks to a £240,000 investment to boost wildlife habitats and biodiversity.
Charnwood Borough Council has awarded the funding from developer contributions to Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust to improve habitats at Cossington Meadows Nature Reserve.
The reserve is already an exceptional wetland, supporting an abundance of wildlife throughout the year. Wildfowl including gadwall, tufted duck and mallard are regularly recorded, while winter brings flocks of wigeon, teal, shoveler and snipe.
The funding will enable the Trust to provide long term habitat management in the reserve extension.
Cllr Birgitta Worrall, the Council’s Lead Member for Planning, said: “This is an excellent example of how developer contributions can be used to deliver lasting benefits for our communities and environment.
“By helping to secure additional land at Cossington Meadows, we are supporting the creation of valuable new habitats while enhancing an already outstanding nature reserve.
“As Charnwood continues to grow, it is important that we balance development with meaningful investment in our natural environment.”
Cllr Beverley Gray, the Council’s Lead Member for Climate Action and Net Zero, said: “Protecting and enhancing spaces for nature is a key part of tackling the climate and biodiversity challenges we face.
“Cossington Meadows is one of Leicestershire’s most significant wetland sites and this expansion will create more opportunities for wildlife while strengthening the resilience of habitats for the future.
“The reserve is already a wonderful place for people to enjoy and connect with nature, and this investment will help ensure it continues to flourish for generations to come.”
Ben Devine, Head of Nature Recovery at Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust, said: “We are delighted to be expanding Cossington Meadows and grateful to Charnwood Borough Council for making this possible. Bringing a further 13.6 acres into the reserve will create significantly more space for nature to recover in the area, while strengthening and connecting the important habitats already found here.
“Our long-term vision is to restore a connected, wildlife-rich landscape along the River Soar, where the river and its floodplain can function more naturally. This extension is an important step towards that goal, giving wildlife more room to feed, breed and move through the landscape.”
The Trust says the additional land will be managed in the same way as the rest of the reserve, using extensive conservation grazing to allow natural processes to shape the landscape. Over time, this approach will encourage the development of species-rich grassland, creating valuable habitats for a wide range of wildlife.
As the grassland matures, the Trust expects to see increasing biodiversity, with butterflies such as small copper, common blue and brimstone becoming more frequent. It will also provide opportunities for grass snakes, small mammals and other wildlife to colonise the area, while offering additional hunting grounds for the reserve's resident barn owls.
The funding comes from Section 106 contributions from developers. These contributions are used to support local improvements to mitigate the impact of development in the area. In this case, the Council has used funding allocated for biodiversity improvements across the borough.
There is national legislation now in place to support biodiversity net gain in this way, but Charnwood was ahead of the game and already had its own policies in place to support this approach to increasing biodiversity in the borough.
Charnwood Borough Council News
