A Dudley nature reserve is in line for a £20,000 revamp set to give the greenery a new look.
The money means work can now get under way on the improvements at Cotwall End Valley Reserve in Sedgley.
Council bosses have accepted an offer of £19,800 of landfill tax money after officials at Wren, the government’s waste recycling scheme, backed plans to upgrade the beauty spot.
The money is set to be spent on paths, fencing and general accessibility as well as habitat improvements at the site.
The Friends of Cotwall End Valley applied to Wren for the cash boost more than a year ago but as part of the terms of the grant, council officials had to obtain different quotes for the work to be carried out. That has now been done, leading to council bosses officially accepting the money for the works to be completed.
But it is not the only work to be carried out at the site.
Dudley’s beauty spots won praise recently in a national report, in particular for improvements and increases in the number of nature reserves boroughwide.
The national survey, ranked Dudley sixth. The conservation report looked at what work 25 local authorities based in urban areas have carried out since 1993 to improve nature facilities. Dudley Council, which has expanded its range of nature reserves from four to seven during this period, was praised in the report.
3 Comments
Why was this money not available a couple of years ago, when Dawn Laycock fought so hard to get grants out of the council, and none were forthcoming. It was alot more fun then with duck races and pantomimes, easter egg hunts etc. Yes it was run by a private individual and entry charges levied but those charges are still being asked by the ‘charity’ that has it now.
I wonder if any official has the guts to answer your question Jan ? Somehow I doubt it !!!!
I am a previous volunteer from critters farm and i enjoyed every minute working with the animals and my friends. We protested(which was publicied by yourselves) against the closure of Critters farm as it was then known. I am very dissapointed that the farm has gone from a beautiful place where familys and friends could come on the site and enjoy themselves by joining in with the events, where as now NEIL SWANN owns the site it has turned into a mess. There are no events, animals are allowed to roam free (eg. sheep) and i am suprised he has visitors.I worked there for 4 years, and 2 years on there have been no changes what so ever, apart from new animals. The council wasn’t bothered about helping Dawn laycock so why are they so bothered about helping Neil Swann just because he owns a charity called proteus.