Proposed wetlands will 'create mosaic of wildlife'

A conservation charity has said plans to create wetlands in the west of the Isle of Man would serve as a "mosaic of wildlife features".

Manx Wildlife Trust has submitted the proposals, which would also include three bird hides and Sand Martin nesting sites, along with site access and car parking at Ballacosnahan farm in Patrickk.

The charity has said the plans would "transform an area of heavily modified, low-ecological value pasture, into a complex wetland system that benefits a wide variety of species".

Chloe Hurst, Land and Nature Advisor at Manx Wildlife Trust, said the restoration was "vital" and would give people "direct opportunities to connect with and learn from nature".

Healthy wetlands would also "boost biodiversity, store carbon and water and reduce downstream flooding", she said.

The area would support amphibians, wading birds, wildfowl such as ducks, geese and swans, aquatic invertebrates and marginal plants.

Sand Martin nesting chambers would "provide a substantial increase in breeding opportunities for a locally important migratory bird, while the creation of three purpose-built hides will allow sensitive public engagement without disturbance to wildlife", the charity said.

The land would continue to be used as part of a working farm through seasonal grazing.

The charity said the proposals designed to "increase the site's ability to temporarily store excess water" through reinstating depressions, creating shallow scrapes and deeper pools.

"Once completed, the wetlands will immediately provide extensive new foraging, breeding and refuge opportunities for wildlife," the planning application said.

And re-introducing rare wetland plants, "represents a significant contribution to species recovery on the island", it continued.

The project would protect ecology by "expanding freshwater wetland habitats and creating a mosaic of high-value wildlife features," the charity added.

The plans, which were recently submitted, will be considered by a planning committee at a later date.

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