Friends Newsletter

Two noteworthy things concerning the long-term future of the Lakes have happened recently. First, Radley Parish Council has opened a new consultation on the Radley Neighbourhood Plan. This was needed because, at a late stage, the Vale of White Horse District Council advised that a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Plan had to be carried out. This means that a new consultation on the Plan and the SEA is needed. The new consultation draft Plan and SEA report can be found via this link.

The Plan has not changed significantly, although there are some changes of emphasis and changes to the wording of some policies. Very gratifyingly, the SEA report highlights the considerable opportunity to support nature conservation and quiet recreation in the Radley Lakes area. The report argues that this will lead to benefits to surrounding communities, particularly in terms of health objectives, one of our arguments for saving Thrupp Lake.

Linked to all this is the extremely good news that the developers of the large ‘North Abingdon’ housing site (adjacent to the Oxford Road below Lodge Hill) have agreed to contribute £68,000 towards the costs of implementing the Radley Lakes Strategy from the Neighbourhood Plan. This sets a valuable precedent for contributions from other developers. We hope that initial discussions with interested parties will take place later this year.

In the light of all this, we are planning to have a presentation and discussion about the future of Radley Lakes at our AGM on 24 November. Further details will be circulated shortly.

Barton Fields Wildlife Site

Barton Fields is part of the Radley Lakes Local Nature Reserve. Abingdon Naturalists Society has been caring for Barton Fields since it was designated as a Jubilee Wildlife Site in 2003.
Situated north of the Thames, upstream of Abingdon Weir, the 17-acre site has a mosaic of habitats including grassland, marsh, scrub and woodland.

Our conservation volunteers, the Green Team, work to enhance the site and its biodiversity. In the grassland many native plants have been introduced and a wildflower meadow was created in 2008, with Lottery funding. Introduced plants include Lesser Calamint, Spiny Restharrow, Sawort, Knapweed, Field Scabious, Marjoram and many others. A small plot sown with ‘Cornfield Annuals’ was a new venture this year.

In the marsh area, six small ponds have been dug. These host amphibians and invertebrates such as dragonflies and several scarce species have been recorded in recent years. The ponds are a great resource for pond dipping and the Green Team have hosted school parties and other children’s groups in recent years. We are fortunate that our smallest UK mammal, the enchanting Harvest Mouse, is common in the marshy area. They weave neat tennis-ball-size nests from grass, supported on grass stems.

As for birds, many species of warbler can be heard singing in spring. In winter we hang out feeders, providing seed, mainly for finches and buntings. In winter too, Snipe and Water Rail can be found in the marsh area.

Our Green Team is active in recording. During spring and summer we do weekly butterfly surveys, while in autumn we carry out a fungus foray and have recorded 110 species to date. Other taxa are recorded throughout the year.

Anyone who would like to help on Barton Fields should contact:
David Guyoncourt: david.guyoncourt@ntlworld.com Tel: 01235 529151