Significant progress is being made in creating the Rhuddlan Local Nature Reserve – the first area of public land created in Rhuddlan since the Admirals Playing Fields.
As well as heavy plant machinery dredging up thousands of tomes of silt and sludge from the pond area, the old road is currently being excavated and replaced with a surfaced path allowing access for all.
This type of work is obviously untidy and the use of heavy plant has resulted in the loss of some poor quality vegetation but this is the optimum time to carry out such work i.e. outside the bird nesting season.
Carrying out the work intensively over a short period of time is the preferred approach because the site is disturbed only once and is then left to recover and improve as a wildlife area.
On completion of the project the balance will most definitely be addressed with an overall gain in habitat through the planting of 7,000 shrubs and trees. The planting will commence the week beginning Monday March 15th and Denbighshire Countryside Service will be inviting the local school, members of the community and employees under the Future Jobs Fund to become actively involved in this exciting project. Areas of bare soil created by machinery tracks will be sown with an appropriate wildflower mix.
Denbighshire County Council has been working closely with Ysgol-Y-Castell, Rhuddlan and the local History Group to develop information/interpretation boards and a leaflet to help explain the special features of the site to the visiting public.
Emphasis has been given to the fantastic views out to the castle and to the biodiversity/wildlife interests. The project has been made possible with generous funding via the Welsh Assembly Government’s Strategic Regeneration Area Budget, CADWYN Clwyd’s Rural Development Fund, Countryside Council for Wales Grant Scheme and Denbighshire County Council.
Mr Raymond Fagan, a former Rhuddlan boy and successful London-based businessman has also provided land in his ownership towards the project and is investing up to £30,000 in future funding. The project is being done to honour his parents, Tom and Edith Fagan. Tom was well known for his contribution to the local area and was the first town mayor.
The work will be completed by end of March 2010. On completion, the project will be something that the residents of Rhuddlan can be proud and under the guidance of the Management Advisory Group (“MAG”) the designation of Local Nature Reserve (“LNR”) will be pursued which will ensure that the site is protected for future generations to enjoy.
Rhuddlan Management Advisory Group (MAG) for the Local Nature Reserve
The MAG, is under the chairmanship of Raymond Fagan and was formed to oversee the management of the site. It has drawn together an excellent balance of professionals and local representative groups. Already the Group consists of local MP Chris Ruane, Town Councillors (Gareth Rowlands and Reg Davies), County Councillors (Selwyn Thomas and Anne Davies), Rhuddlan Community Group (Steve Rafferty), Rhuddlan History Group (Wenna Williams), Ysgol-y-Castell, St Mary’s – Rhuddlan Parish Church, the Rhuddlan Environmental Group (Brenda Taylor and Barbara Borders), as well as professionals drawn from North Wales Wildlife Trust, the Countryside Council for Wales, Keep Wales Tidy and the Countryside team of DCC.
