Staffordshire Council announces conservation guides investment planning

An investment into the protection of vulnerable plants and wildlife in conservation areas in Staffordshire is being made by the County Council.

Staffordshire County Council is spending £18 million to upgrade the country parks at Cannock Chase and Chasewater, as well as the Staffordshire Way, which runs 92 miles between Mow Cop and Kinver.

The Council said development at the country parks can help move demand away from the most sensitive areas of Cannock Chase, which is home to plants and species of national and international importance.

Victoria Wilson, Staffordshire Council’s cabinet member for Communities and Culture, said: “Cannock Chase lies within a designated National Landscape which, in terms of visitor numbers for its size, is around five times busier than the Lake District.

“The Chase will always be open to all, so the challenge is how do we manage increasing numbers of people using our beautiful open spaces without damaging them, or even changing them irreversibly?

“How do we reconcile heavier use by walkers, horse riders, mountain bikers and dog walkers with the practicalities of preserving the flora and fauna that make these places so special?

“One way we can do this is by guiding people towards the more robust parts of the Chase instead, or by encouraging some to explore Chasewater as well.”

The proposals currently being developed include redeveloping visitor facilities at Marquis Drive to reflect the Chase’s status as a National Landscape, and upgrading the Innovation Centre and south shore area of Chasewater Country Park to improve the facilities for the local community and visitors from further afield, with a focus on healthy activity within a beautiful, natural environment.

Staffordshire County Council has a statutory responsibility for the 1,300 hectares of Cannock Chase Country Park and the National Landscape that it lies within.

Conservation work includes managing herds of fallow deer to protecting and promoting four of Britain’s six reptile species, rare and endangered birds including the woodlark and nightjar, and some seldom found plants.

Councillor Wilson said: “One of the joys of longstanding open access is that people can go where they will, but a key issue is that some people are unaware of the consequences of their presence.

“Simply leaving a track to tramp across heathland, mountain biking in unauthorised places, or large quantities of dog urine or faeces in a particular place can damage plants or disrupt wildlife.

“Influencing footfall to protect for the future the very things that make Cannock Chase so attractive now will be an integral part of our thinking as we develop these new facilities for people to enjoy.”

The work contributes to the county’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy, which includes initiatives to expand woodland for carbon storage and flood protection, plus supporting native crayfish, adder, nightjar and rare insects at Cannock Chase.