Go-ahead for wildlife garden in North Warwickshire village

A wildlife meadow complete with a pond, bench and picnic tables is to be created in the centre of a North Warwickshire village after control of the patch of land was handed over to the parish council.

A letter from Shuttington and Alvecote Parish Council explained that the plot off Milner Drive, Shuttington, was currently underused and their plans would see a garden created comprising of a mown path surrounded by wildflowers and native grasses and an extension of existing native broad-leaved trees.

The letter, to landowners North Warwickshire Borough Council, added: “The project aims to involve local community groups - Shuttington Community Support Group, school groups and youth organisations - in different ways.

“For the community group, the garden will provide a valuable and safe outdoor meeting point for the senior walking group. For the local primary school, involvement in nature studies, pond dipping, etc is intended and for youth groups such as Brownies and Cubs we would invite involvement with the ongoing maintenance of the site, planting, seed sowing and nature trails.

“The project has been designed to give maximum impact on climate change mitigation with minimal maintenance, which is the very essence of a wildflower garden.”

It was intended that work would start last year but delays now mean contractors will move on to the site in September with autumn sowing recommended.

At Monday's meeting of North Warwickshire Borough Council’s resources board, councillors were told that chief executive Steve Maxey had used urgent business powers to grant a licence to the parish council.

Cllr David Humphreys (Con, Newton Regis and Warton) said: “It is a shame because the county had put money to it, it was going to happen and the contractors had gone in and killed the grass and taken it off while we were still sorting out the licence. Then it stopped and unfortunately the contractors can’t come back until September so it is a shame there has been a year delay.”