Radley Lakes wildlife agreement signed
13 Nov 2009 
Power Stations / Generation
Plans are being drawn up to ensure that a wildlife haven being created from former gravel workings near Radley in Oxfordshire can be used as an educational resource as well as protecting the area’s wildlife value.
A formal agreement has now been signed between RWE npower and wildlife partners Northmoor Trust, who are drawing up detailed plans for the area in consultation with local people.
The Northmoor Trust has been asked to look at the Sandles building alongside Thrupp Lake to consider options for its future use, perhaps as an educational resource with outdoor learning space where people can look at habitat creation and interpretation.
John Rainford, manager at RWE npower’s Didcot A Power Station, said: “The agreement puts the funding in place so that between now and the end of the year the Northmoor Trust can look at all possible options.
“That might mean renovating the Sandles building or it may be more sensible to put the educational resource elsewhere. Northmoor Trust will look at the costings and the wildlife implications of the various options and then report back to us and the local community.
“Many people have said they would like to see a circular route around the lakes, bird hides and other facilities but it is important that the habitats are protected while allowing such access and the Northmoor Trust has the expertise to come forward with recommendations.
“Once that study is completed we aim to put in place a longer term agreement at the beginning of next year when there will be further consultation around Northmoor Trust’s findings with local stakeholders.”
Harry Barton, CEO of Northmoor Trust, said: “This is a tremendously exciting opportunity. Thrupp Lake is a beautiful site with a lot of demands on it. Our proposals will aim to strike the best possible balance between the needs of people and wildlife. We are now working on costed plans for all aspects of the area, and we look forward to discussing these with npower and the local community over the coming months.”
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Notes to Editors:
- The area had been earmarked to be used for the disposal of ash from Didcot A Power Station but contracts achieved last year to supply ash for road works and to Waste Recycling Group’s Sutton Courtenay landfill site mean there are now sufficient outlets to utilise almost all the ash that will be created during the final years of the power station’s life without using Thrupp Lake.
- Since 1982, four other former gravel pits in the area that have been filled with ash have been restored to complement the surrounding countryside and the whole area has achieved County Wildlife Status. Three further areas that have recently been used for ash disposal will be restored.
- RWE npower owns Thrupp Lake and the Sandles property, which is alongside the lake.
- Didcot A Power Station has been generating electricity for two million homes throughout the UK for the last 36 years. Without the secure "24:7" disposal option for ash that Radley Lakes have given the power station, it would not have been able to meet peak electricity demand.
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