Agenda item

Report of Corporate Director, Communities

Councillor Chris Gibson did not formally declare an interest in agenda item 9 ‘Rewetting Fairham Brook Nature Reserve’. However, he informed the Committee that he was Chair of Planning Committee. If this item was to come to a future Planning Committee meeting he wanted to avoid pre-determination and keep an open mind. Councillor Gibson remained in the meeting during consideration of the item, but took no part in any decision-making.

Chris Kennedy, Southern Reserves Officer, and Ruth Testa, Wetlands Project Officer from the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust (NWT), introduced a report summarising the Trust’s proposals for the management of Fairham Brook Nature Reserve, and seeking the Committee’s support for the proposals.

Mr Kennedy and Ms Testa explained that the NWT managed the site on behalf of Nottingham City Council, and made the following points:

(a)  Fairham Brook Nature Reserve is designated a biological Local Wildlife Site and is a ‘valuable area of scrub, grassland, ponds and swamp, with a length of the adjacent Fairham Brook;

(b)  the fen habitat at the northern end of the reserve has dried out considerably, and the rewetting proposals are designed to avoid losing the habitat for good;

(c)  NWT had received 25 written expressions of support for the project, and feedback from the Consultation event held on 29 April 2014 was also positive;

(d)  a map showing revised proposals was tabled at the meeting. A proposal for a stone track has been amended and the revised works will leave a smaller ‘footprint’ on the site.

A councillor made a number of comments on the proposals, summarised below:

(e)  there is no evidence presented showing that the fen habitat drying out – no borehole has been sunk to demonstrate the proposed works are needed;

(f)  the physical works, including trench-digging, pipework, pond-lining and  removal of peat soil are disruptive and damaging to the natural environment, and natural paths have been previously damaged by the use of machinery on site;

(g)  it was unclear why peat soil had to be taken off-site and why mature and semi-mature trees had to be removed;

(h)  the existing water levels in the brook are already quite deep;

(i)  the revised drawings tabled at the meeting did not form part of the current planning application;

(j)  the work already carried out by NWT on the site was not of a high standard;

(k)  in view of these outstanding issues, the councillor requested that the proposals be put on hold until further borehole and surveys of the site were conducted, and that NWT should hold further consultation, including a public meeting.

Councillors, colleagues and community representatives made a number of comments in the discussion which followed:

(l)  there has already been a full public consultation, including a consultation event, and no negative written submissions have been received;

(m)  since the consultation, the stone track proposal has been amended, which will reduce site disruption;

(n)  revised plans and detailed survey data will be considered as part of the planning documentation;

(o)  Mr Kennedy explained that Environment Agency flood plain management rules mean that the dug-out peat soil can not remain on-site. He also expressed the view that the drying out issue is less to do with water table levels (indicated by a borehole survey) than with managing the over-topping of Fairham Brook when in spate;

(p)  3 trees needed removing to allow the proposed works to proceed. The trees, along with the spread of low-level scrub and willow,  were partially responsible for the drying-out of the fen habitat;

(q)  no lorries will be permitted on-site;

(r)  Noel McMenamin, Constitutional Services Officer, advised that a document circulated to Committee members by an Area 8 resident before the meeting criticising the proposals and the general management of the site did not form part of the formal documentation for consideration by the Committee;

(s)  Councillor Steel proposed an amended resolution that the proposals for the rewetting of Fairham Brook be delayed until a detailed site survey is completed and further consultation is carried out;

(t)  in response to a councillor’s question on wider parks development issues, James Dymond, Parks Development Manager, confirmed that 2 issues were progressing at Victoria Embankment. The paddling pool is expected to be open for the Bank Holiday weekend at the end of May 2014, while City Council colleagues were in discussion with architects about renovating the cricket pavilion.

RESOLVED by a majority of 4 to 3:

(1)  to reject Councillor Steel’s proposal at paragraph 10(s) above;

(2)  to support Nottinghamshire Wildlife trust’s proposals for the management of Fairham Brook Nature Reserve, noting the amendments to the original proposals reported to the Committee.