Agenda item

SPA and SANGs

Minutes:

Rose explained that SPAs are Special Protection Areas and SANGs are Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspaces.

 

Horseshoe Lake SANG

Rose Wicks provided an update on the Horseshoe Lake proposal which sought to enhance the visitor experience, providing a welcoming place and removing barriers to access.

Councillor Brossard updated that the Executive unanimously agreed in principle to allocate money to this project. It would be necessary to undertake surveys (highway, wildlife, stakeholder consultation).

 

LCAF members were invited to form a working consultation group. Colin Bird, Jenny Yung, Simon Yates and Councillor Brossard expressed an interest in joining this consultation group.

 

Amen Corner North – Piglittle Field SANG

Graham Pockett informed members that this site was currently managed by Bellway Homes but due to transfer to Bracknell Forest Council from January 2019. This SANG, which was linked to a neighbouring Wokingham SANG (Stokes Farm), was now open to the public but was difficult to access through the adjacent construction site, although there are public footpath links from Murrellhill Lane and the Coppid Beech roundabout

 

Broadmoor Farm Meadows

Graham Pockett advised that this site was now open to the public. The site was part of the historic landscape surrounding Broadmoor and included the Butter Stream, wet meadow areas, woodland and a man-made knoll.

 

Peter Radband expressed regret that the kissing gate was inaccessible to wheelchair users. It was noted that livestock would be grazed there.

 

Securing links

Action 22 concerned providing links to circular / multi-use routes in existing and future SANGs with the PRoW network. Rose Wicks informed members that BFC’s Implementation and Infrastructure Team were keen to engage with LCAF and in particular to receive requests for improved links for recreational routes. A spreadsheet has been created which will be distributed to members in order for them to make suggestions for creating new routes and recreational links and send these back to Rose Wicks to then liaise with Planning.

 

(Action: Rose Wicks

All – to consider any suggestions)

 

Members discussed the need for better signage for these routes and links and suggested that paths should be formally named. “The Hooks” was suggested as a name for the new Thames Water path as this is the name of the woods on the adjacent Warfield Hall land.

 

Graham Pockett presented the following examples of securing links, which had been provided by BFC Planning. Each one showed  maps and descriptions:

  • Linking Ralphs Ride to the open space at the Parks development
  • Linking the Parks and Harmanswater open space has been partly completed
  • BFC owned land north of Garth Pond which had no access northwards. A proposed development at Warfield presented the opportunity to create a river park alongside The Cut which was in the process of being completed by the developer. Members discussed the benefits of this being a designated PRoW as it was felt it would give longer-term security and eventually appear on OS maps. Rose Wicks would add to the list of suggestions.

(Action: Rose Wicks)

There was an existing route running through BFC open spaces Piggy Wood / Quelm Lane. The northern route linked with the existing southern route creating a leisure route from the Three Legged Cross in Warfield to central Bracknell. Hugh Fitzwilliams noted that this shouldn’t show as a cycle track on the ordnance survey map as it can’t be a PRoW and a cycle track.

The new route would connect nicely to the East to West Greenway and connections would be enhanced across the existing routes across Larks Hill, Priory Fields and Hedge Lane. It was proposed that improved signing as a through-route would be beneficial.

  • A route needed to be determined to create the link from Hedge Lane to Westmorland Park over the Bull Brook  which would be permissible to cyclists.

 

Contact Information

Democratic services

Email: committee@bracknell-forest.gov.uk