A six-week public consultation exercise starting in April is being proposed by Marlborough Town Council to give the public an opportunity to give their views on the latest management plan for the Stonebridge Meadow.
The wild reserve on the edge of the River Kennet, which is jointly owned by the Town Council and Action for the River Kennet (ARK) has come in for criticism from both inside and outside the council.
And this has resulted in what Councillor Bryan Castle, chairman of the council’s Amenities and Open Spaces Committee, described as an “inspired new vision” for the future of the currently water-logged meadow.
He did so at this week’s meeting of the committee at which Charlotte Hitchmough, director of ARK, outlined some of the new proposals, which include removing ugly fencing, introducing new public seats, repairing the footbridge, and creating new entrances to the Meadow.
But in particular the new look will include introducing reed beds where the ditch runs at the current Stonebridge Lane entrance to the Meadow and creating a new pond, both projects aimed at increasing the Meadow’s wildlife features.
“Reed beds are a way of treating dirty water and can be very effective by taking oxygen from the air and pushing it down into their roots,” Charlotte explained to councillors. “That means that they get a whole load of microbes working down there, which clean the water.”
A first outline design had been prepared for this part of the project, which alone would cost £8,000, funding possibly coming from an organisation that had helped ARK in the past.
“It is an example of what we could do that would be functional with board walks going across the reed beds,” added Charlotte. “Reed beds are very pretty to look at and are also home to reed buntings and warblers that are already on the Stonebridge site.”
And Councillor Castle interjected: “As well as an encouragement to wildlife we would get rid of the ugly railings there at the moment, the dirty smelling ditch, which is a eyesore, and we will also get several access points into the meadow.”
Another major feature being built into the Meadow’s management plan is the creation of a pond by the Pond Conservation Trust, and aimed at maximising its wildlife potential for dragonflies, frogs and newts in particular.
“It would be a place that the public would want to come and see as we want it to be an asset to the community,” said Charlotte.
A report from Shelley Parker, the town clerk, revealed that the public consultation would be carried out in two parts, one a survey that residents could complete on and offline, their views on the Stonebridge proposals welcomed.
The second would be a public workshop held in Marlborough Town Hall, one session outlining the main proposals through talks and discussions, the other providing specific details of the plan.
“A draft questionnaire will be submitted to the Amenities and Open Spaces Committee for approval,” reported Mrs Parker. “The workshop will primarily be an opportunity for local people to learn more about the meadow.”
