Wildlife group warns new park would threaten birds

Wild Marlow said there were 186 species of bird at the site

Getty Images A grey heron catches a fish as a little egret flies over at Lodmoor Nature Reserve — Wild Marlow said there were 186 species of bird at the site

A new country park would damage bird populations, wildlife groups have warned.

Plans to open the park at Little Marlow have been approved in principle by Buckinghamshire Council but will still need planning permission.

The aim of the new park is to divert people from Burnham Beeches, a nearby conservation area expected to see greater numbers of visitors from new homes being built at Hollands Farm.

Environmental organisations fear turning the land around the lake into a country park would disturb wildlife, including the peninsula in the middle of the lake, which is informally recognised as a bird sanctuary.

'Significant damage'

Wild Marlow, a non-profit community group, has told the council the site is home to 186 bird species and dog walkers using all-access footpaths could impact nearby roosting sites.

In a letter to the council on Monday, it said: "The draft proposals will cause significant damage to these populations... Especially if off-lead dogs zones are permitted."

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said there were currently signs around the lake asking dog walkers to keep their pets on leads during bird nesting season.

The Buckinghamshire Bird Club also warned the creation of a country park around Spade Oak Lake would have "extremely negative impacts" on wildlife in the area and warned it "must not be used as a convenient proxy for unwanted pressures on Burnham Beeches".

Plans to create a country park in Little Marlow will be funded by the Hollands Farm developers

Geograph/Andrew Smith A wide lake surrounded by autumnal foliage on a day with clear blue skies — Plans to create a country park in Little Marlow will be funded by the Hollands Farm developers

The works to create the country park, which has been known as Little Marlow Lakes Country Park since the 1960s, are to be funded by the Hollands Farm developers.

Scenes for a Star Wars TV show were filmed at the site in 2021.

Proposals would mean the park would become what is known in planning as a Suitable Alternative Natural Green Space (SANG), a piece of land designated for recreation to attract residents of new developments away from protected and vulnerable sites.

However, Natural England requirements for SANGs state access should be "largely unrestricted, with plenty of space for dogs to exercise freely and safely off the lead".

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