THE SEED has been sown for an extensive new wildlife meadow in Stratford.
Nearly six hectares of wildflower meadow will be created at Rowley Fields near to the Welcombe Hills.
And the blooming good idea has sprung from cash secured by Warwickshire County Council and Stratford Town Trust.
The meadow, within the publicly accessible grassland fields just off Maidenhead Road, is being funded through the Government’s Biodiversity Net Gain Programme – a scheme of biodiversity offsetting that will become mandatory across the country for developers from November of this year.
Chief executive of Stratford Town Trust Sara Aspley said: “Since World War II the county has lost 97 per cent of its traditional wildflower grasslands and the loss continues. As part of our commitment to increasing biodiversity we’re pleased to be working with Warwickshire County Council to contribute to the recovery of nature by creating new habitats for wildlife.”
WCC environment spokesperson Coun Heather Timms added: “This project is an investment in Warwickshire’s natural capital, which will cause a ripple effect creating and seeding other wildlife opportunities around Stratford.
“Wildflower meadows play a hugely important role in the biodiversity of an area. This is an investment in natural capital that will benefit both wildlife and the people who live, work and visit Warwickshire’s beautiful countryside and landscapes for generations to come.”
