Old Down & Beggarwood, Protected Sites and Local Nature Reserve Does Cabinet Believe in Big Society?

The Wildlife Group has made a strong case for Old Down and Beggarwood to become a Local Nature Reserve and for saying that both sites should be protected from any risk of unsuitable development, or in the case of Old Down, prevent a road across it that has been suggested. The few Local Nature Reserves in Basingstoke are all to the north of the town, none to the south. One only has to look at Old Down, especially in Spring and Summer to see what improvements can be achieved by the community to the wildlife. Work on Beggarwood is slower with fewer volunteers but is benefitting from some conservation management. All ages can benefit from helping this project and seeing and learning about the return of wildflowers, butterflies birds and more. See a presentation about what has been achieved on Old Down at www.olddownandbeggarwood.org.uk. In more than 6 years and some 12,000 – 14,000 volunteer hours of community effort the wildlife group has made a big difference to Old Down. Cabinet by comparison has focussed more on development of community owned town open spaces. Is the fact that most Cabinet members live outside Basingstoke town relevant?

Cabinet appears deaf to our efforts and success. Local Nature Reserve status for Old Down and Beggarwood supported by Natural England was applied for to Cabinet 12 months ago. A decision was only made on November 6th, just 1 day before a key scrutiny committee met at which we argued our case. Council Committees are listening and have recommended there should be a list of protected sites that only Full Council can authorise instead of the Cabinet which is 9 or 10 people from one political party.

The Cabinet decision was to keep an option to build a road across Old Down but without actually saying so and to delay Local Nature Reserve status for Old Down and Beggarwood indefinitely. It is possible LNR status was blocked for Old Down (and by extension Beggarwood) because Cabinet might find it more difficult to get planning permission to build a road if it had already agreed to LNR status! If true it would be hard to find a more cynical example of political expediency.

Since Cabinet (9 Cllrs) can ignore comments from Committees and even Full Council (60 Cllrs) (unlike Parliament) our open spaces cannot be protected or LNR status agreed to unless Cabinet changes its position.

We need to change Cabinet thinking but we need you to help bring about that change. Many residents have sent emails to Cllrs on Committees and one Cllr told me he had been “deluged”. The one thing we need is continued solid support and for Cabinet to appreciate that it cannot take residents and our open spaces for granted.

Can you please write to Maria Miller MP. Emphasise your support for Old Down and Beggarwood to be: (a) Protected Open Space and (b) designated as a Local Nature Reserve. Tell Mrs Miller why we need our open spaces, why we need Local Nature Reserves for people and wildlife. Emphasise that there are no nature reserves to the west of Basingstoke. Make sure you include your name and address.