By Bicester green campaigner Pam Roberts

ONE target of the Community Nature Plan recently published by Cherwell District Council is to, 'protect, improve and promote urban green spaces in Bicester'.

This is a laudable aim and is much needed as shown by a study of Bicester’s green spaces by the Environmental Change Institute (ECI), which found a lack of accessible green space in Bicester.

For example, only 13 per cent of properties are within 300 metres of two hectares of accessible green space and none are within two km of a large green space of 20 hectares or more, so many people leave Bicester to visit green space.

The ECI report says that if access to Gavray Meadows Local Wildlife Site was provided in addition to Bure Park and new green areas in NW Bicester and Kingsmere estates, then every household in Bicester would be within the two km of a 20-hectare natural area.

The future of Gavray Meadows is now more secure since the inspector dismissed the appeal by developers against the council’s refusal of their plans to build 180 houses whilst ignoring the required management of local wildlife site.

The future is not certain though, until the wildlife site is managed properly for the rare plants and animals it contains.

A second site rich in wildlife is currently being defended by the council against a planning appeal. This area is part of the proposed district wildlife site at Skimmingdish Lane which was shockingly stripped of vegetation and top soil by the developers last autumn, only days after being refused planning permission.

This disaster for wildlife is slowly being repaired because mother nature has worked her magic and a large variety of plants are currently flowering. They and the butterflies can be seen if you peep over the developers 2m high exclusion fence.

The developer’s appeal will be discussed at a public hearing at 10am on July 31 at Bodicote House in Banbury. If the appeal is refused then there is a chance that this wildlife site can be saved, along with the adjacent Thames Water balancing pond, to provide a large natural green space to benefit residents in Southwold and East Bicester ward.

These residents are very short of natural green space because the Skimmingdish Lane ‘linear park’ is being eaten up by a new housing development and a large electricity substation.

Protection for this green space would be strengthened if the council confirmed the area as a District Wildlife Site and this is also a target of the Community Nature Plan.