Leather Lane will be closed for approximately 14 months, but our conservation work continues. The Leather Lane Conservation Group is carrying out ecology walks and biodiversity surveys to monitor how the Lane and its wildlife are affected — and we’d love your support.
Whilst Leather Lane is closed to pedestrians and vehicles we have managed to secure access to the bottom part of the lane (accessible from the A413). We also have the Landowner’s permission to access the Copse of woodland to the north of Leather Lane and a pond just off Potter Row.
We have undertaken our first survey of flora, fauna and wildlife in the vicinity of the lane. Our full results will be available in the next few weeks. Our bird survey identified redwing, haw finch, firecrest, gold crest and even a grey wagtail - a rare find in our parts! Our objective is to gain a clear baseline picture of the wildlife and ecology that surrounds the lane which will form part of our new conservation area.
If you are interested in volunteering with us please let us know and we will be in touch with further details of volunteer sessions.
Future Plans
As well as engaging with Align and HS2, LLCG has now registered as a charity (number 1212850). We met with HS2/Align on Thursday 16 October to discuss our future needs and plans. This is a major undertaking for a small group, and will need additional trustees, and finance to put our plans into action. Ownership and maintenance of the site are two key areas of focus which we covered in the meeting. We hope to arrange a meeting with Bucks Council soon, since one possibility is that they take over the site from HS2 or the Department for Transport. However, HS2 are likely to retain control of the site until the railway is up and running, in case they discover a need for more land, so we may seek to negotiate some interim access arrangement, once construction is complete. The financial implications are currently unclear, but it seems likely that money will need to change hands at some point.
The conservation area might include the gap between the new and old lanes, which would contain many of the oaks, and the dark green areas to the south west of the line. The “Copse” (an old chalk pit) beside the old lane might also become available, although it is outside the HS2 act limits.
We would like to thank all of you for your past support, without which we could not have persuaded HS2 of the importance of the Lane and its bats. We hope this will continue, so that we can ensure these gains continue to be protected.
We thank you all once again.
From all at the Leather Lane Conservation Group
(Site Plan – from DPL-CS03_CL05-741001)