South Hams District Council has launched a consultation to explore what the public think about the Council enabling re-wilding of some of its green spaces.
In 2020, South Hams District Council declared a Climate & Biodiversity Emergency.
This reflected evidence about the declining state of nature globally with
- 1 in 4 species threatened with extinction
-
47% decline in natural ecosystems on average across the world
As a District Council, South Hams currently manages about 50 hectares of green space which is cut every couple of weeks.
The Council is considering rewilding on a small proportion of this land, 10Ha for a biodiversity led approach, and 3.5Ha for wildflower meadows. The majority of the land, (36 Ha approx) such as active play spaces and football pitches will need to be kept short.
In the UK, many of our best habitats which are important for supporting wildlife have been lost. For example, 97% of wildflower meadows have been lost since the 1930s, with a knock impact on the species which rely on these habitats (the abundance of habitat specialist butterflies has declined by 68% since 1976 for example).
Creating and restoring more biodiverse green spaces and verges can provide value to a wide range of wildlife
The Council has recognised the need to play its part by making a commitment to enhance biodiversity by a minimum of 10% on its green spaces by 2025.