Labour & Co-operative members of Swindon Borough Council have councillors agreed a motion for the Full Council meeting on Thursday 22 October seeking to protect nature reserves.
The councillors say the borough's nature reserves are some of the most beautiful, popular and historically significant in the country, but looking after them is not simple.
Several stakeholders are involved in the ownership and maintenance of reserves, including the council, the parish councils, community groups, environmental organisations and volunteers.
The councillors behind the motion say that where ownership, management, maintenance and funding are shared, or have changed over time, it can become unclear who is responsible for what.
The motion, proposed by Cllr Stanka Wilson (Haydon Wick), calls on the council to strengthen these partnerships by developing clear, documented and sustainable management arrangements for local nature reserves.
This would mean identifying all nature reserves in Swindon and update the current list for the benefit of all involved in preserving the spaces.
Cllr Wilson said: “Our nature reserves are only as strong as they are because of the people in parish councils, volunteers groups and environmental charities who give their own time to care for them, maintain them and make them places within Swindon that we can be proud of.
"They deserve clarity about who is responsible for what. A public list and management plans are a simple way to set out responsibilities and help everyone work together towards the goal of ensuring our nature reserves stay accessible and well looked after for future generations.”
Your Comments
Be the first to comment on this article
Login or Register to post a comment on this article