A spin-off from looking up local election results was discovering a news item about Cravenhill - a major new self build initiative led by Cherwell District Council. The council are purchasing a large MoD site and opening it up for people to build their own homes. I don't know this area at all but it looks set for major change: wildlife will have to adapt quickly. Often MoD sites are very good for wildlife as they have escaped agricultural improvement. Their use for army training has inadvertently protected big areas of habitats otherwise long lost from the rest of our countryside. A good example is the training area at Otmoor, now one of the most important SSSI's in Oxfordshire.
The plan is for half the site to become a community woodland and open greenspace. So there appears to be scope for some of this project to benefit wildlife but also a risk of real damage to any existing interest. I will try to find out more.
Nature in the Heart of England: A personal view of nature at the junction of Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and Northamptonshire - also known as "Banburyshire". Sometimes further afield too!
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