Lye Valley campaigners have created a warning video to protect the nature spot from new housing plans.

A planning application to build 10 three-bedroom homes on the land east of Warren Crescent in Headington, Oxford has been made, but a new Lye Valley campaign video sends out a warning message that these homes will put the rare nature spot at risk.

The Lye Valley fen in Headington has one third of the rarest plants in the county and is very sensitive to levels of rainfall.

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Rain throughout the year slowly soaks into the ground and through the limestone surrounding the nature reserve, creating its unique water chemistry in which very rare plants flourish.

However, overdevelopment and large amounts of concrete in the surrounding area does not help this process.

Oxford Mail:

In the Youtube video by Headington Heritage it states the Lye Valley is an Ice Age relict fen home to rare plants needing alkaline water to survive in the heart of Oxford.

However, it then goes on to accuse Oxford City Council of believing the West Fen is just common reeds and suggests the council does not think the springs matter.

The video also states that if the council allows 10 houses to be built it will be ‘risking its survival due to incompetence, ignorance and incorrect advice’.

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An objection has been made to the Warren Crescent housing development plan from a resident at 50 St Anne’s Road.

In the objection it states: “Attempts to develop the Warren Meadow should cease forthwith for the benefit of local children/adults and the SSSI Lye Valley fen and to prevent damage to both.”

Oxford Mail:

Natural England also commented on the planning application objecting and suggesting that further information is needed to assess the potential damage that could be caused by building.

Natural England said: “We require further information with regards any proposed changes to the SUDS system and the surrounding landscaping now proposed in order to understand any likely impacts on the hydrology of the SSSI, and ongoing monitoring and maintenance of the SUDS.”

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The campaign video lists the many rare flowers and plants that grow in the Lye Valley that are not reeds to illustrate what could be lost if more houses are built in the surrounding area.

The video explains that the plant life lives off alkaline water seeping through the soil from the treeline above and building homes next to this treeline could stop the water flow and kill the plant life.

Oxford Mail:

Lye Valley campaigner, Dr Judy Webb said: “We need the city council as the planning authority to block developments which reduce the amount of water feeding the valley springs.”

 

Councillor Alex Hollingsworth, cabinet member for planning and housing delivery, said: “The Lye Valley is a site of great scientific and environmental importance within our city. As with any planning development within the city, and especially one close to a Site of Special Scientific Interest, the importance of biodiversity was very carefully considered at length by the Planning Committee that approved the scheme in 2016."

"The report to the Committee discussed in great detail the issues around the nearby Lye Valley SSSI, and the Committee were informed that neither Natural England nor BBOWT raised any concerns about impact on the SSSI as long as a sustainable drainage system was put in place. The sustainable drainage scheme was made a condition of the development and is to be implemented as part of the development."