Bird Sanctuary in Oakhill

Went with Janet Bowen-Hitchings, Christina Gardiner, Marie-Claire Edwards and other officers to look at the bird sanctuary and open ground in Oakhill yesterday morning. The actual bird sanctuary at the top of the slope is protected by a formidable pallisade fence but the area below is in grave danger of becoming overgrown with brambles, elder etc and we might lose some of the specimen trees there if we're not careful. Some local residents have also complained about nefarious activities (unspecified) by individuals being carried out there.

The outcome of our deliberations was that we should carry out a species audit of the 'public' area with a view to an ecologically sensitive management programme, starting probably in 2007, after consultation with nearby residents. This will involve clearing some of the undergrowth and crown-lifting some of the trees so as to let more light in. The bird sanctuary should be left very largely alone.