Local sites for local wildlife

Working at BBOWT for the past five years has given me a chance to get proactive about wildlife protection. As conservation officer, much of my time is spent ensuring wildlife is protected from harmful development, and safeguarding Local Wildlife Sites is a key element of this.

Local Wildlife Sites are areas which are particularly important for Oxfordshire’s wildlife. There are just short of 350 Local Wildlife Sites in our county, most of which are privately owned.

They include flower-rich meadows, wetlands along river valleys, ancient woodlands, pockets of fen and reedbeds, as well as man-made landscapes, like old quarries, which have developed into wildlife hotspots.

These rare habitats are home to a wide range of species from protected water voles and great crested newts to some of the most important bird populations in the county.

They cover only around two per cent of the land area of Oxfordshire, but together with nationally protected sites and BBOWT reserves, they provide an important network of habitats for the county’s wildlife.

Working together

The sites are surveyed by the Oxfordshire Wildlife Sites Project, which also advises and helps landowners look after the wildlife on site.

The project is funded by Oxfordshire’s local authorities and is a truly collaborative effort in which BBOWT and the Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre are the key partners. Natural England, the Country Land and Business Association, the Oxfordshire Nature Conservation Forum and local wildlife experts are also involved.

Selecting these special places

As spring approaches, a small group of us from the partnership will gather at the BBOWT office. This annual meeting is the culmination of a year’s work of talking to landowners and carrying out wildlife surveys. We will be presented with a plethora of photographs, maps and species lists to help us identify which sites qualify as Local Wildlife Sites.

This is a strict process of selection following Government guidance.

To qualify, sites must meet a number of criteria relating to the quality of habitat and the range of species found. It is this process that makes the identification of Local Wildlife Sites crucial to my work to protect wildlife from harmful development; it develops a network of sites with good evidence of wildlife interest which can be used to help inform planning decisions.

Following each meeting we present the sites to the local authorities, so that when they allocate areas for future development, or a planning application is made, they can check how it might impact local wildlife. Similarly, if an application for development on, or near, a Local Wildlife Site comes forward, I can use the information to help me ensure that wildlife is protected from harm and that measures are put in to enhance the local environment for wildlife.

If you have a question about Local Wildlife Sites or the planning system visit www.bbowt.org.uk and click on ‘Advice’, or email conservation@bbowt.org.uk