Fishlake Meadows brought into council ownership

Test Valley Borough Council has vowed to make improvements to the nature reserve after striking a deal with housing developer Bellway Homes.

The ownership was transferred to the authority as part of the Oxlease Farm housing scheme.

The agreement sees the council take a step further towards making improvements to the site’s appearance and ecology. A management team will also be recruited.

Borough councillor Mark Cooper said “On a personal basis it brings to fruition a long held dream. Back in 1996, when I was joint leader of Test Valley Borough Council, I set the then chief executive, Alan Jones, a number of tasks. One was the purchase of land to meet the long term recreational needs of an increasingly urbanised area.

“I specifically named two areas for the borough to target. The first was Rooksbury Mill and its surrounding land in Andover and the other was Romsey’s Fishlake Meadows.

“We managed to acquire the freehold of Rooksbury Mill in 1997 for £1.05 million. It’s taken 20 years to get hold of Fishlake Meadows.”

He added: “It is a pity we could only take it on the back of a planning permission for 64 more dwellings; but at least that means Fishlake comes in to borough ownership with a large cash dowry that will allow for the long term maintenance of the area and provision of additional peripheral footpaths.

“It is very worthy of being a nature reserve with its stunning array of birds, insects and wildflowers, but all nature reserves need competent management to maintain a wide variety of habitats.

“Test Valley and its wildlife partners will have to show skill and judgement in order to manage the land so that local people have access to the countryside whilst at the same time ensuring that wildlife diversity is both conserved and enhanced.”

Borough councillor Dorothy Baverstock said: “I am absolutely delighted as I have been on the council for 14 years and most of that time I have been pushing for the council to take the area over.”