WHITEHILL Town Council will assume full control over the Deadwater Valley Nature Reserve after EHDC members decided to sign the land over. The decision was made at Tuesday's North East Hampshire community committee meeting.
The land is currently leased to the town council for £20 a year and still has 97 years remaining on the lease, but the council wishes to change the status of the land to a local nature reserve and apply for more funding. EHDC countryside co-ordinator Martin Healey recommended the move, he reported that: "The declaration of this area as a local nature reserve will bring extra protection. The Deadwater Valley Trust is a key partner in the conservation of the local environment and is much appreciated by the local community."
Deadwater Valley Trust Chairman, Dr Bill Wain explained to the committee about the importance of the nature reserve.
"The Deadwater Valley has 12 identified habitat types in only 38 hectares of public access land. These different habitats in such a small area accommodate a tremendous bio- diversity with records of 819 different species so far, and counting.
"It is essential that this area, forming a natural border to the urban development should be classified as a Local Nature Reserve on the basis of the rich recorded bio-diversity, the educational and conservation uses, and the wildlife corridor between the SSSI's (Sites of Special Scientific Interest)," said Dr Wain.