Where are we now?
The Park offers many opportunities for visitors to access nature;
nature reserves and path networks provide access to a variety of habitats and species,
while dedicated events promote the Park’s biodiversity resource to schools and the public.
Access to nature is at the heart of our improvement programme;
an objective shared by other key providers of nature sites within the
Park such as the Hertfordshire and Middlesex Wildlife Trust, the London Wildlife Trust, and the RSPB.
Developing green links into the Park, for both people and wildlife,
will be increasing importance as we aim to improve the physical connections
between regional communities and the Park’s open spaces.
What do we want to achieve?
We believe there are three main areas of focus
1. Park wide access to nature
We want experience and interaction with nature to be an integral part of visiting the Park.
Park wide access to nature can only be delivered through partnership; other landowners can play
a key role to enable access to (and through) large areas of the Park, as well as help
maintain and enhance biodiversity values.
There is space within the Park to balance the needs
of both people and wildlife and ensure the public,
especially children have an opportunity to engage and
interact with nature and wildlife without causing it harm
or disturbance.
2. Regionally significant biodiversity destinations
We want to enhance and develop a number of flagship ‘access to nature’ destinations within
the Park. These will be designed, managed and marketed as high quality attractions/destinations
that will be of a comparable standard to the best biodiversity-focused attractions regionally
and nationally.
They will be located in and around sites of existing high biodiversity value and interest,
with care taken to ensure increased access for visitors does not impact on biodiversity values.
Each will feature a bespoke infrastructure and visitor facilities – in order to provide a
distinctive and defining visitor experience.
3. Sites of special biodiversity interest
We want to develop a range of other ‘access to nature’ sites that will complement the
regionally significant biodiversity destinations. These will include:
- Areas of high biodiversity value with access to a less developed nature infrastructure.
- Areas of specific habitat type and/or biodiversity interest.
- Small-scale areas of habitat with high quality, intensively developed access to nature.
How will we deliver?
For the whole Park
We will
- Prepare a strategy and action plan that will identify areas where improvements
to the biodiversity values, or to the visitor infrastructure of the Park, will improve
access to nature. Improving visitor access will be undertaken where it does not harm the
biodiversity of the sites. This strategy and action plan will identify where partners can
play a key role in delivery.
- Work with partners to develop regionally significant biodiversity destinations.
This will be achieved through the ongoing enhancement and integration of existing
access at the following locations:
- Rye Meads/Stanstead Abbotts/Amwell Nature Reserve
Building on existing core visitor offer at Rye Meads Nature Reserve and Amwell
Nature Reserve. Key partners include RSPB and Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust.
- River Lee Country Park Building on existing core visitor offer at Hayes Hill
Farm and Fishers Green and developing a network of further infrastructure within
River Lee Country Park with potential links to Royal Gunpowder Mills.
Key partners include Royal Gunpowder Mills Trust.
- Walthamstow Wetlands and WaterWorks Nature Reserve
Building on the existing core visitor offer at the WaterWorks Centre and
developing new visitor infrastructure within the Walthamstow Reservoir complex;
with enhanced access and links between them. Key partners include Thames Water,
Natural England and others.
On our estate
We will
- Prepare a strategy and business case for the development of enhanced access to
nature opportunities. We will also undertake a long term investment programme for
implementation. This will include:-
- Park wide access to nature throughout our estate.
- Regionally significant biodiversity destination at River Lee Country Park.
- Sites of special biodiversity interest at identified sites within our estate.
- Proposed sites of special biodiversity interest include:
- Glen Faba
- Spitalbrook
- Silvermeade
- Bowyers Water
- Cornmill Meadows
- Rammey Marsh east
- Gunpowder Park
- Pickets Lock (Ponders End Lake)
- Tottenham Marshes
- Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
- Leamouth (East India Dock Basin and Bow Creek Ecology Park)
Working with others
We will
- Engage actively with other landowners and managers within the Park to develop
a shared vision for access to nature.
- Work with key partners to develop a strategy, business case, delivery
and management approach that will implement the shared vision.
- In all cases, additional funding and delivery partners would be
required to ensure the vision is fulfilled.