Two new protected nature reserves considered

Two new local nature reserves are to be proposed in Telford & Wrekin as the council aims to have the equivalent of 1,050 football pitches covered by special protected status.

One site would involve creating a bigger local nature reserve (LNR) along the route of the canal in Newport, combining several existing protected sites.

Another would see the creation of a 26.7 hectare LNR to cover the Hurleybrook area of Hadley and Leegomery, council papers state.

The authority said LNRs, which are protected from development, benefit the health and wellbeing of residents, help tackle climate change, biodiversity loss, and have millions of pounds of "welfare value."

The new designations would mean that the borough would have 27 LNRs compared to the current 20.

The proposals have been published by the borough council and the background report will be heard by cabinet members next Thursday.

As part of the proposals, officials have also looked at the boundaries for LNRs announced in 2022.

These will be at nearly 40 hectares at Priorslee Flash, 11.5 hectares at Redhill Ecology Park, in St George's, 15.3 hectares at Snedshill & Albion Hill, 22.7 hectares at Kemberton Meadows and Pitmounds, at Madeley and Sutton Hill and 14.5 hectares at Holmer Lake and Madebrook Pools, at The Nedge.

If the plans are approved by Natural England the borough will have more than four times the minimum recommended standard of LNRs.

"Visitor modelling in 2025 identified that the borough's existing 20 local nature reserves receive approximately 4.12 million visits a year," the report stated.

"The derived welfare value provided by those visits can be valued at approximately £14.7m a year.

"Of the 4.12 million visits per year approximately 2.5 million visits are made via active travel and 1.1 million visits are made by individuals who have never visited the LNRs before."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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