The next work party, on Sunday 28 July 10:30 onwards, will be at the New Meadow – the gated-off area just west of the cycle track below the path to Rawcliffe/Clifton Ings. We need to rake off flood and other debris ready for it to be ploughed and re-seeded with a couple of bales of hay during the following week. We will later on be fencing off the southern end of it to plant more tansy there, whilst we have several hundred meadow plants being grown at Brunswick to be planted in the New Meadow in October.

On Friday 19 July we held a meeting with Environment Agency (EA) and Natural England (NE) over EA’s changed management  proposals for the barrier bank and our letter to the Regional Manager in response. Natural England were full of praise for the work done by FoRM over the 23 years towards transforming the area to SSSI quality.

Due to a further delay caused by finding 1000m3 of sandy material below the planned repair to the barrier bank that work by the Environment Agency is not expected to be completed until late August, which is then the earliest the cattle will be on. They are also planning to further cut back the hedge line with Clifton Hospital but make it stock-proof as well!

Bentleys are well on with new rising main and will be doing some work to the side of New Meadow  and in the Reservoir Basin, possibly this Tuesday (23 July 2013), in part way for disturbing the site and our cooperation.