Update on the Management of Barton Common

Barton Common is now part of New Milton Town Council#s Higher Level Stewardship Scheme.
This means that over the coming years the common will start to be managed better for wildlife through 
a cutting and grazing regime which will encourage a diverse number of species to thrive on the Common.

The new sign, which has been funded by the Community Wildlife Plans Project at the New Forest Land Advice Service talks about the management regime which will be introduced over the coming months.

The Community Wildlife Plans Project will be holding an information day at Barton Common on Saturday 5th April from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. where there will be guided walks and an opportunity to find our more about the management and wildlife of the Common.  We will also be raising awareness about dog fouling and encouraging more people to pick up after their dogs whilst they continue to enjoy the site.

Volunteers from Community Payback have started to clear scrub in order to restore the valuable open habitat.  Cut scrub will be burned on site where possible.  The volunteers will be out on several days in February clearing further scrub and then all work will cease so that the breeding birds will not be disturbed.  Some scrub is being retained as valuable habitat.

A new bridle bridge will be put in over the stream and stock proof fencing will be erected.  It is anticipated that grazing livestock will be present on the Common soon thereafter.

There will be opportunities up in October 2014 for further volunteer scrub bashing days which will be open to everyone to help make the site better for wildlife.

Watch this space.

If you are interested in finding out more or would like to volunteer to be involved in some way in the wildlife conservation of the Common please contact Angela Peters at the New Forest Land Advice Service on 01590 646654 or New Milton Town Council on 01425 619120

Update on the Management of Barton Common

Barton Common is now part of New Milton Town Council's Higher Stewardship Scheme.  This means that over the coming years the Common will start to be managed better for wildlife through a cutting and grazing regime which will encourage a diverse number of species to thrive on the Common.

The new notice board on Barton Common, which has been funded by the Community Wildlife Plans Project at the New Forest Land Advice Service talks about the management regime which will be introduced over the coming months.

We anticipate that fencing will be erected during 2014 and grazing livestock present on the Common soon thereafter.

If you are interested in finding out more or would like to volunteer to be involved in some way in the wildlife conservation of the Common please contact:

Angela Peters of the New Forest Land Advice Service on 01590 646654.

WOODLAND CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT WORK

WOODLAND CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT WORK - WOODS, LONG MEADOW

On agreement with New Milton Town Council, some woodland conservation management work will be taking place at the woods at Long Meadow, which may also be known as Barton Common Woodland, adjacent to Long Meadow this week.  Opportunities for enhancing the wildlife value of the woods have been discussed and agreed with New Milton Town Council. Members of the local community have been involved in learning and inputting into these discussions earlier in the year.

 A mornings woodland improvement work was successfully carried out in February 2013 by a group of local residents through the support of the Community Wildlife Plans Project, to open up part of a pond and pathway in the woods to the light which has increased it’s wildlife value. It is hoped that further volunteer woodland management tasks can be planned for the future in these woods.

This sort of work has to be carried out between the months of September and mid-February so as to not disturb breeding birds or disturb other wildlife. Some of the opportunities for enhancement of the woods involves the removal of several small to medium sized trees, mostly sycamore, next to footpaths. This type of work will allow sunlight to reach the woodland floor. This in turn will allow woodland plants, butterflies and other insects to flourish. The trees selected for removal are too large to be cut safely by volunteers, and funding available through the Community Wildlife Plans project is being used to pay a trained and qualified contractor to remove these trees.

 Another opportunity through this funding is to address the non-native and invasive variegated yellow archangel in the woods. This plant can smother native woodland plants and can be controlled by herbicide spraying. A contractor who is trained and qualified to do the work will be carrying this work out also. It is likely that this plant will need follow-up treatment to really get rid of it.

There are other non-native plants which negatively affect the wildlife value of the woods but it is too late in the season to address these with herbicide this year. It is likely that these unwanted plants have arrived in the woodland from garden waste left in the woods. The contractor will be working in the woods over the next few weeks, so some parts of the woods may be temporarily inaccessible for safety reasons. 

If you would like any further information, please contact NMTC, LMCG and/or Angela Peters on 01590 646654 or 07880 197351

PROPOSED PROJECT FOR STREAM RESTORATION TO THE BECTON BUNNY IN LONG MEADOW

Correspondence received from the Environment Agency Friday 4th October 2013.

Dear Long Meadow Community Group,

Thank you for your e-mail of the 28^th September regarding the Becton Bunny Restoration Project.

We have decided not to progress the Becton Bunny Restoration Project to the next stage of development. We believe the recent consultation process was important and we value the feedback received. Thank you to those who expressed their view.

We recognise that this may disappoint some people. However, on balance, given the feedback received, the time and budget constraints in which we must work and the obstacles to successful and timely delivery of this project, we consider this the appropriate response to the consultation process and the best use of our resources.

Regards,

Tim

Tim Sykes | Fisheries and Biodiversity (Solent) Team Leader

Solent F&B Team | Solent and South Downs Area | Romsey District Office | Canal Walk | Romsey | Hampshire |

AMENITIES COMMITTEE MEETING AT NEW MILTON TOWN HALL, ASHLEY ROAD, NEW MILTON ON MONDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER AT 7.30 P.M.

ALL USERS OF THE LONG MEADOW AND RESIDENTS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT THERE WILL BE A PRESENTATION BY THE ENVIRONMENT AGENCY REGARDING THE PROPOSED STREAM RESTORATION OF THE BECTON BUNNY.  THIS WILL INVOLVE RESULTS OF THE PUBLIC CONSULTATION HELD AT THE SEA SCOUT HUT ON 24TH AUGUST 2013 AND WILL THEN BE VOTED ON BY THE AMENITIES COMMITTEE AS TO WHETHER THEY WILL AGREE IN PRINCIPLE AND COMMIT TO THE ENVIRONMENT AGENCY PROCEEDING TO THE NEXT STAGE.

IT WILL BE GREAT TO SEE AS MANY RESIDENTS AND USERS OF THE LONG MEADOW COME ALONG.

The residents of New Milton & Barton on Sea are invited to 

An Evening Talk


on Thursday 26th September 2013

at

Barton Methodist Church, Sea Road, Barton on Sea

6 - 7 p.m.

"RESTORATION OF THE BECTON BUNNY FOR PEOPLE & WILDLIFE"

by Dr. Naomi Ewald

In partnership with the New Forest Land Advice Service and on behalf of the New Forest Catchment Project

................................................................

• Understanding why there is a need to improve the Becton Bunny.
• How the Becton Bunny would be restored.
• How you can be involved in the process.

 PLEASE COME & ASK YOUR QUESTIONS AS THIS PROPOSED PROJECT INVOLVES ALL USERS OF THE LONG MEADOW - ALL WELCOME 



 

LONG MEADOW COMMUNITY GROUP
together with Barton Sea Scouts and The Friendly Dog Club

are holding a combined:

LONG MEADOW GRAND FAYRE

on SATURDAY 21st September 2013

from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Can you spare half an our or more either to:

1.  Assist in erecting stalls and marquees before 11 a.m.
2.  Support with manning of the stalls
3.  Selling Raffle Tickets
4.  Bake a cake for the cake stall

Your support & assistance will make all the difference to the success of this Fayre.
Please contact 01425 610630 if you are able to help.