In Owlthorpe it is not only site C and D that have been neglected and left to re Wilden. The Grasslands, Hedgerows and Wetlands of Owlthorpe Heritage & Nature Trail have also been neglected. Some of the reasons for this can be explained by viewing this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6p1SwS5orno Senior Lecturer Nicola Dempsey discusses designed public spaces and the gap between what is planned by practice and what is experienced by people.
In this document I have highlighted in yellow some of the financial pressures that City Councils have experienced: https://www.ecological-owlthorpe.org/EO-14NicolaDempsysustainability-11-00360-v2.pdf
“Parks are well-visited sites of an urban nature in our cities where users can gain positive social and ecological benefits from vegetation including trees, grass, flowering plants and shrubs. However, ongoing financial public sector budget pressure is adversely affecting the management and quality of parks in the UK,”
“Financial pressures on urban parks are adversely affecting the management and quality of parks. According to UNISON (2018), 59% of the UK’s local authorities had cut their parks and green spaces budgets between 2016/2017 and 2018/2019 where the biggest cut was in Warwickshire County Council (from almost £110,000 to just over £14,000) [18]. This has led some local authorities to change how their parks services are delivered with fewer staff and an increased focus on lower maintenance.”
“UK, parks budgets are often an easy target when local authority budget cuts have to be made.”
However this should not have been the case in Owlthorpe as Sheffield City Council where receiving Government funding. Under the freedom of information Act I have received Natural England’s Higher Level Stewardship Agreement. The map shows, Maintenance of hedgerows, ditches, Grasslands and Wetlands of very high environmental value. I have also received a copy of the payment structure.
https://www.ecological-owlthorpe.org/HigherLevelStwardshipAgreementMap.pdf
The attached photo shows the wetlands as they were when first built. But now they are totally overgrown. For more information on how you can help save our oasis please visit our website:
https://www.ecological-owlthorpe.org/index.html
Thank you for your support
Michael Meredith