NEWS
PROPOSED SMALL ORCHARD ON THE CORNER OF BARE LANE
AND FAIRHOPE AVENUE
Following a public consultation by Lancaster City Council, there have been a number of objections to our proposals for a mini orchard on part of this site, which had held such a feature until the early 1960s. As a result, the decision has been made not to proceed with the project since it is not wanted by the local community. A number of alternative proposals have been put forward in the objections and these are now with the City Council.
The award for the cost of this project was from the Lancaster University Wind Turbine Community Fund and this will now be returned to them for use by other deserving voluntary groups across the District. Thank you to those who have spent time working up the project and preparing it for implementation.
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Group Donation. We are delighted to announce a generous donation to our group by supporters who wish to ensure that our voluntary work continues across the district. It is likely that the funds will be used both in support of creating a new orchard on land that used to be such, immediately adjacent to our site at Bare Lane station, together with replacement tools and accessories for those lost on active service!
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Compliments on our work. A Climate Action Advisor for schools in Lancashire and Cumbria (from Let’s Go Zero) – Aurora Trujillo – has complimented us on our ongoing work at Mossgate School, which has impressed her. This is much appreciated by our volunteers.
BIODIVERSITY NET GAIN (BNG)
BNG is an approach to development that makes sure habitats for wildlife are left in a measurably better state than before the development.
Developers must deliver a BNG of 10% more or better than before.
The requirement applies as follows:
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From 12th February for major developments.
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From 2nd April for small developments.
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From late November for nationally significant infrastructure projects.
BNG must be achieved through the planning process and in the following order:
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Creating it fully or partially on site within the development.
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Creating it fully or partially off site at another location.
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Creating it by buying statutory biodiversity credits from the Government, as a last resort.
Habitats created or enhanced must be maintained for a minimum of 30 years.
Further details can be found on ‘Understanding biodiversity net gain’, published by DEFRA, February 2024. Available from Gov. UK and DEFRA.
LANCASTER LOCAL PLAN REVIEW
Lancaster City Council are currently reviewing the Local Plan to cover the district over the next 15 years or so. Key themes include addressing climate change; nature recovery and biodiversity and protecting landscapes and townscapes.
Have your say and make your views known to Lancaster City Council by Friday 20th September 2024. Please see Lancaster Local Plan Review on the City Council website and respond with comments on the Review to planningpolicy@lancaster.gov.uk
Here is some of our activity from 30 years ago, at Hazelwood Farm, Silverdale, repairing drystone walls, which are valuable habitats for many small creatures!
At Thurnham Church some of us are preparing to extend the main wildflower area of the meadow where we started working six years ago.
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In 2024 we are 40 years old!
Look at our Achievements page (under About heading) to see what we've been up to for so long!
With environmental concerns currently the way they are, both in the UK and in the wider world, our work is needed more than ever on those often-unloved pieces of urban and urban fringe greenspace that are located close to where people live, work and enjoy recreation time.
We planted the tree above on Torrisholme Barrow in the early days. It would have started off as the one on the left, needing a sturdy wirenetted cage to ward off cattle.
THE TREE COUNCIL
NATIONAL TREE WEEK
25 November - 3 December 2023
Grow a tree in 23!
National Tree Week was extra special as it marked the 50th anniversary of the famous ‘Plant a Tree in 73’ campaign – from which National Tree Week (and The Tree Council) was born!
Read more (Including about the Sycamore Gap Tree, in 'Latest News and Views'}
The majority of our planting was the hedgerow with trees at White Lund Farm in Morecambe.
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After the Tree Council's National Hedgerow Week in May we did our maintenance day on the newly planted hedge at White Lund Farm.
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PLANTING TUBS AT BARE LANE STATION ARE LOOKING FOR SPONSORS
As Northern Station Adopters at Bare Lane, Lancaster & District Conservation Volunteers are looking for interested local people and businesses to sponsor planting tubs. The sponsorship is renewed annually and covers plants through the year, soil, compost, feed etc, together with a small plaque to commemorate your sponsorship. It also includes the cost of maintaining the planters themselves with appropriate treatment throughout the year. Our volunteers will do all the necessary work on the planters and look after them on a regular basis. The annual cost for interested people is £40 in the first year (including plaque) and then £35. For businesses, the cost is £80 in the first year (including plaque) and then £75.
If you would like to sponsor a planting tub, contact Liz on 01524 412938 or via email on e.a.alexander@btinternet.com to discuss it further and help brighten up the local station.
NATIONAL TREE WEEK
26 November - 4 December 2022
GROUP CONNECTS TWO HEDGEROWS AT WHITE LUND FARM, TO PROVIDE A BETTER FUNCTIONING WILDLIFE CORRIDOR
As National Tree Week 2022 got underway, the Lancaster & District Conservation Volunteers began planting work to connect two hedgerows at White Lund Farm in Morecambe and improve access in and around the farm for wildlife. After stripping back the vegetation, over 350 hawthorn hedging plants were planted, together with a few variations (such as dogwood, dog rose and hazel), and a few hedgerow trees (such as oak, rowan, field maple and alder) that will also provide future shade for stock on the farm. It was good to work in conjunction with the farm staff at White Lund to ensure that the few trees will be adequately protected from the cattle as they grow.
National Tree Week is the UK’s largest annual tree celebration. Each year, the country’s conservation sector, volunteer groups and tree-lovers come together to plant thousands of trees to mark the start of the annual tree planting season.
in 2022 the focus was on Hidden Connections vital to tree life - roots, soil and fungi.
Read about the Orchards for Schools Programme. See www.treecouncil.org.uk
We did our bit at White Lund Farm over the first weekend.
Thank you to Bolton-le-Sands WI
Yvonne Bell, President of Bolton-le-Sands WI, came to one of our task days at the station and Sylvia Cooper, a WI member, handed over a cheque from them.
Our sincere 'thank-you' goes to BLS WI for such generosity and support for our community work. The money will be used to enhance our tool collection.
Lancaster & District Conservation Volunteers assist Bolton-le-Sands WI
The field maple was planted as part of the Queen's Green Canopy across the UK, to commemorate her Platinum Jubilee 2022 and to help to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.
OUR TORRISHOLME BARROW HEDGE WAS INCLUDED ON THE QUEEN'S GREEN CANOPY MAP ACROSS THE UK!!
Maggie and Pete planting the hedge
Community Volunteers Boost Biodiversity and Nature at Stations...
While our work at Bare Lane Station continues to steadily improve local biodiversity and nature, similar groups working with the Greater Anglia Train Operating Company are to be rewarded with an official recognition from Norfolk Wildlife Trust.
The Greater Anglia Wildlife Friendly Stations Accreditation Scheme recognises the range of habitats found at local stations, from planted borders of shrubs and flowers, through areas of grassland, becoming increasingly 'wilder' until quite dense scrub and trees are reached. Such areas are managed by local station adopters.
From 'Branchline News', 7 August 2021
Station Adopters, August 2021
DONATION
Covid produced a very challenging time for us all, not least for volunteer conservation groups such as our own. We tried every safe and secure way we could to maintain our programme of management work at our sites across the district. In this light, we were absolutely delighted to have received a substantial donation from Julian and Janice, who are friends of Liz, and who wished to support our conservation work. This donation was especially appreciated when we were fundraising towards replacing our old strimmer, after such dependable service for around 20 years! Thank you to Julian and Janice.
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A booklet for useful stay-at-home reading:
'Healthy Hedgerows on your land’
produced by the People’s Trust for Endangered Species
It talks about more joined up hedgerows to act as wildlife corridors; the benefits of hedgerows for farms, wildlife and the environment; planting up gaps in hedgerows; giving hedgerow trees the space to grow on, and managing hedgerows well and at the right time of year.
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Carbon+ Million Trees Planting Project
For information on this Lancaster City Council project and any planting days,
email sgray@lancaster.gov.uk or telephone 01524 582217.
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