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FAUNA is a 16-acre site including pasture and wetland covering the fields beyond the Fairfield Allotments and the proposed new sports field for Lancaster Girls Grammar School (LGGS), fringed by Lucy Brook and the Fairfield Community Orchard. This 'unimproved' farmland, which is home to a great range of wildlife, especially birds, is currently grazed by White Park cattle, a traditional British breed with low environmental impact and many positive benefits. The land belongs to Lancaster City Council, and it is currently farmed under an agricultural tenancy by Mr Robin Loxham. We are in negotiation with the City and Mr Loxham with the aim of taking over the lease of the site: however, we would invite Mr Loxham to continue to graze his cattle. Once we gain possession of the site and have raised the necessary funds, our immediate plans are to restore the hedgerows, create new ponds and 'scrapes', manage the grazing for conservation and build a small network of footpaths which will link the Fairfield Orchard and Abraham Heights across the site to the Lancaster Canal. In later stages of the project we might construct purpose-built education facilities (eg for pond-dipping) and possibly a multi-purpose meeting room, storage area etc.

Our main aims for FAUNA are to:

• Protect and enhance the mixed dry- and wet-land habitat, an area of unspoiled natural beauty close to the centre of Lancaster
• It includes habitats for rare and endangered bird species (e.g. lapwing, bullfinch, song thrush, reed warbler) and has potential for rare mammals (water vole), amphibians (newts) and a wide range of flora, invertebrates, etc.
• Create a community resource for leisure, recreation and environmental education in Lancaster that can be easily accessed by residents and the wider community

In Phase 1 of the project we will:

• Manage and improve the existing habitat (conservation grazing, new ponds, bird scrapes, hedges & hedgerow management etc.)
• Increase the variety of flowers and herbs on the site (e.g. by re-introducing purple ramping fumitory to Lancaster)
• Create new access points and begin to install a wheelchair-accessible system of footpaths and boardwalks
• Develop more links with local schools and community organisations
• Encourage volunteers to be involved with all aspects of the project

In later phases we will seek to:

• Develop suitable infrastructure, such as pond dipping, interpretation and a small building to store tools, etc.
• Develop other community projects and facilities in line with local needs and wishes

The Story So Far

2004-8

• Lancaster City Council Cabinet agrees in principle to support FAUNA
• The Fairfield Association works with an ecological consultant and landscape designer to assess the potential for the project, and draw up a management proposal and design
• Extensive community consultation is carried out and a planning application for change of use is submitted and approved
• Negotiations between the land owner (Lancaster City Council), LGGS, Robin Loxham and the Fairfield Allotment Association, result in a land swap between the Council and LGGS so that LGGS can extend their playing field, Fairfield allotments can be extended and the remaining land is reserved for FAUNA

2009

• Fairfield Allotment Association has 26 new allotments with a new fence and hedge (project value £35,000)
• LGGS is working on the final details for the extension to its sports facilities
• The Local Strategic Partnership objectives have been updated to include urban nature reserves
• Lancashire County Council offered us a capital contribution (£15,000) and project development support
• We earmarked £5,000 of our own accumulated reserves (which have been built up for FAUNA over several years) for the next stage of development
• In December Lancaster City Council Cabinet unanimously agreed a new proposal to support and promote the project, including leasing the site to us at a peppercorn rent
• The RSPB, Lancashire Wildlife Trust and the Ramblers' Association have each offered us their support for FAUNA
• On 11^th-12^th December 2009 a new exhibition and public consultation on the latest plans (at the Friends Meeting House, Lancaster) demonstrated very strong community support for a proposed Phase 1 of the project, gave us useful guidance on preferences for specific footpaths within Phase 1, and yielded a wide range of useful and imaginative suggestions for later phases. The exhibition posters and a full report on the consultation can be viewed here

Next Steps

• The City Council and Mr Loxham are in negotiation to terminate the current lease in early 2010 (Mr Loxham’s White Park cattle will stay on the land, grazing it for conservation purposes)
• In January 2010 we submitted an application for the maximum £30,000 to Lancashire Environmental Fund (which distributes landfill tax), with support from Lancashire County Council Environmental Projects Team. We will shortly submit a further application for up to £50,000 to Changing Spaces (Big Lottery Programme). Together these two bids should cover the cost of Phase 1 of the project
If these bids are successful, work on FAUNA will start as soon as possible, hopefully by autumn 2010

The Future

As we develop later phases of the project:

• We will continue discussion with conservation bodies (RSPB, Lancashire Wildlife Trust and Natural England), and explore the possibility of Higher Level Stewardship funding from DEFRA/Natural England
• We will regularly consult schools and other organisations, community members, users of FAUNA and new recruits to our volunteer team

For the current plans please click the images below to see them full-size in a new window: