Beddington Farmlands Bird Group (BFBG)
Email: beddingtonfarmlands.sightings@gmail.com
RESPONSE TO VALENCIA WASTE MANAGEMENT PROPOSALS AT BEDDINGTON FARMLANDS – January 2024
WHO WE ARE
Formed in 1992, the Beddington Farmlands Bird Group records the birds and other wildlife on the site, and publishes sightings on a dedicated website – https://beddingtonfarmlands.wordpress.com/
Made up of local enthusiasts, we are carrying on a rich tradition of monitoring Beddington Farmlands. Ornithological recording at the site began over a century ago and provides a unique snapshot of shifts in bird numbers, biodiversity and behaviour – a powerful barometer for assessing the impacts of climate change and habitat alteration, which are becoming increasingly pressing issues.
In addition to continuing this vital piece of citizen science, the group is passionate about the long term future of Beddington Farmlands. Naturally, we are concerned about the implications for the site’s wildlife, but we are also active in ensuring the Farmlands is a place where the public can engage and interact with nature. Our members have regularly led public walks across the site, and our outreach has included appearances in features on Springwatch/Autumnwatch, natural history documentaries and a short film for the Guardian.
The Beddington Farmlands Bird Group is independent from the site’s land owners and lease holders.
THE STATUS OF THE ORIGINAL RESTORATION PLAN
Much was promised in the original restoration plan – most notably in terms of bespoke habitat creation and opening of a nature reserve to the public by the end of 2023. Regrettably, most of the promised habitat is yet to be created, that which does exist is poorly maintained, and public access is severely limited.
Notably the plan outlined 10 target species to protect, and attract to the site to breed – Lapwing, Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Redshank, Common Tern, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Yellow Wagtail, Tree Sparrow and Reed Bunting.
Tree Sparrow became extinct in 2020, Lapwing numbers have tumbled, and the species is barely hanging on. Sedge Warbler and Reed Bunting have dramatically declined. Ringed Plover, Redshank, Common Tern and Yellow Wagtail appear only as migrants, and do not breed on site. Of the 10 key species, just two – Reed Warbler and Little Ringed Plover, show signs of stability or slight increase.
Crucially, many of these species need very specific habitats to breed, and these have not been created or maintained at Beddington Farmlands.
BFBG’S RESPONSE TO THE NEW RESTORATION PLAN
1) Consultation of the New Restoration New Plan
The outline of the new plan, and online presentation/webinar were announced with little warning. The website, giving summary details of the new proposal, only became live a matter of hours before the online presentation. The bird group only became aware of the webinar days before the event.
It seems that little was done to actively promote this event. The BFBG notes that there was no visible postering in the public hides at the site, nor were we contacted by Valencia to help spread the word about this vital consultation. Responses from other groups such as Hackbridge and Beddington Corner Neighbourhood Development Group (NDG), support our view that efforts to publicise the consultation of the new plan were at best minimal.
The website is lacking in detail, rendering it confusing without knowledge of the original plan. We observe that the website contains no link to the original plan, which would have helped with transparency. We have had several people contact members of the BFBG saying they do not understand the proposal, and so are confused about how best to respond and take part in the public consultation.
2) The Habitat
The BFBG’s position is the creation and maintenance of the key habitats is the pivotal first step to the success of Beddington Farmlands. Without these habitats, the chances of nature flourishing is greatly diminished. With little wildlife, there is little to engage the public. Failing to engage the public feels at best a missed opportunity, and more bluntly a failure.
As noted above, the success in creating and maintaining these promised habitats has been poor so far. We are encouraged by some elements of the new proposal, notably the construction of a new lake to supply the Phase 3 Wet Grasslands on the southern edge of the site.
The creation of the Wet Grasslands requires the ability to precisely control the water levels. Last summer this area dried out, and couldn’t be rewetted effectively. With climate change, longer and hotter summers are more likely, and it is more and more likely that this area will dry out more and more frequently, and the habitat has little chance of becoming established.
We are encouraged by this plan, however this is not the only area of Beddington Farmlands which is being affected by climate change. Notably, Phase 1 Wet Grasslands fared far worse during last summer, becoming far dryer, and allowing scrubby plants to grow across the area. Yet there isn’t any plan in the present proposal for how Phase 1 and other susceptible areas will be protected from climate change, which is disappointing, and we feel this needs addressing urgently.
The habitat creation in some areas has been more successful than others – such as the North and South Lakes. However, this has been undermined by poor maintenance – for example invasion of the islands in North Lake by saplings and succession plants that will dry out the habitat. It is our understanding that these islands were designed specifically for nesting and feeding wading birds, but our group’s observations show that they are rarely being used for this purpose.
Additionally, we are disappointed that the plan doesn’t acknowledge shortfalls in the water management across the site. Water is very much the life blood at Beddington Farmlands, virtually all the habitats rely on a precise supply. Yet, we understand that the sluices that control the flow between the different water bodies are not fit for purpose, and do not offer the precision needed to maintain the water levels effectively. We see it as imperative that this issue is addressed.
The site is still in an early phase, and so requires substantial maintenance, which in turn requires a substantial, dedicated workforce. However, we understand that the workforce is currently made up of one warden and one site manager, and that the latter also has to operate the weighbridge, keeping him away from maintenance duties across the site. It is difficult to see how the site can be maintained with this current level of staff, and we would welcome Valencia outlining how they plan to rectify this situation.
Our overall position is that we are still waiting to see the promised habitats created and maintained. As noted above, without this the wildlife is likely to dwindle even further, decreasing the opportunity to engage the public, and the veracity of Beddington Farmlands Project.
3) Public Access
We often meet members of the public along the permissive path, and universally they are keen to know about the future of the site, and critically when they might be allowed in to enjoy some of the other areas of Beddington Farmlands. However, in recent times it is clear that there is a growing frustration and anger that the promised deadline of the end of 2023 has been missed. We find it strange that there is little acknowledgement in the current proposal that this deadline has been missed, or exactly what the new deadlines are for the new proposal.
We are keen to retain the spirit of the following from the original Restoration Management Plan: “Beddington will make a significant contribution to providing public access to nature however the primary aim at Beddington is to allow public enjoyment without impacting on the nature conservation interest of the site”. We are concerned that the primary aim will be forgotten in the future plans.
We welcome the concept of an East – West access to the site. An increase in accessibility is likely to lead to increased public interest and engagement with the site, and this would have considerable benefits for Beddington Farmlands Nature Reserve in the long term. However, we are concerned that unless managed properly, an increase in footfall could lead to increased disturbance and adverse impacts on the site wildlife. We would welcome details from Valencia about how they plan to avoid this scenario, and why this particular route has been chosen.
The same concern about disturbance extends to the proposed opening of the paths over the mound. This area supports ground nesting birds such as Skylark, which has suffered a catastrophic crash in numbers across the UK, and has recently been designated as a Red List Species, meaning it is a species most at risk of national extinction. The Skylark is very susceptible to disturbance. The same is true for one of the target species – Lapwing, which is prone to abandoning nests if disturbed.
Our concern has been heightened by new fences which have recently been erected along the new paths, they are flimsy and are not secured at ground level, meaning that they are not an effective barrier. This is especially pertinent if dogs are allowed on site. Even well-trained dogs have the tendency to wander, and have the ability to impact negatively on ground nesting birds such as Skylark, and these fences would pose no obstacle to a dog in their current state. In the webinar Valencia proposed that dogs would be allowed on site, but gave no details about how this might be managed and controlled to minimise disturbance to wildlife across the site.
We would also like to take the opportunity to give feedback on some of the facilities in the public area so that similar mistakes aren’t made when further areas are opened up. The hides along the Permissive Path have wonderful locations, and offer people the chance to engage with the site’s wildlife. However, for several months of the year both the North and South Lake hides are rendered next to useless as a wildlife viewing location as the growth of surrounding plants and foliage is left unchecked and blocks the views. Given that one of the key objectives of the Farmlands is to provide the public with access to nature, it is disappointing that this is being left unmanaged. We would welcome a plan for how this situation can be avoided moving forward, and how it can be avoided at the new hides that have recently been placed in the Farmlands, and which presently offer fantastic views across the site.
4) Education
Members of the BFBG are questioning why there is no provision for education in the present proposal. Educating and enthusing school children in the delights and benefits of nature is a potent weapon in ensuring long term biodiversity and helping to combat climate change. Yet there seems to be no plans for a study or student centre in the present plans. We feel that this is a missed opportunity and out of sync with a long term plan for the future of Beddington Farmlands.
5) Security
Members of the group are also concerned about disturbance because security at the Farmlands is presently very poor. People with up to eight dogs regularly enter the site and carry out illegal hunting, which naturally causes widespread disturbance. This issue has been highlighted a number of times by our members, but no action has been taken by site management, which leaves us low in confidence that Valencia can create the secure environment that a nature reserve requires.
6) Areas That Have Disappeared From The Original Plan
We have noted that a significant area covered in the original restoration plan has mysteriously disappeared from this new proposal. Colloquially called “Three Corner Field” it consists of small pools and scrub, habitat which adds to the biodiversity of the site. It lies immediately to the north of the Phase 1 Wet Grasslands, and adjacent to the permissive path. The BFBG would like clarity to why this area has been excluded, and the future plans for this area.
7) Future Co-ordination and Co-operation with Thames Water
The area that Valencia is developing as a nature reserve is flanked by two areas that have historically been part of the Farmlands, but recently Thames Water has taken over the management and conservation of these areas.
100 Acre is on the north side of the site, abutting Mitcham Common Golf Course, while as the name suggests the South East corner is the area that connects on to the east side of Phase 3 Wet Grasslands at the south of the site. These two areas feature shallow pools, interspersed with scrub land, and are important ornithologically, botanically and entomologically. Notably these are the areas where Lapwings have successfully bred in recent years, as well as Little Ringed Plovers, which are a Schedule 1 species.
The BFBG calls on Valencia to outline how the relationship between them and Thames Water will work, how conservation plans will dovetail to the benefit of biodiversity of species across the wider site, and crucially how resources such as water supply will be shared going forwards.
8) Transparency and Accountability
While welcoming Valencia’s decision to engage with the public over this new proposal, the BFBG is conscious that we have had repeated promises about the future of Beddington in the past, but few of these have come to fruition.
To help demonstrate that Valencia are determined to change the course of this narrative, BFBG suggest they make a concerted effort to improve transparency and accountability with the project as it moves forwards. Simple solutions would include publishing the minutes of both the Conservation and Access Management Committee (CAMC) and Conservation Science Group (CSG) meetings online, and creating a website with a clear timeline of delivery, which tracks and updates the public with progress made at the site.
9) The Future
BFBG looks forward to working with Valencia Waste Management and Sutton Council, and playing a full role in the development of a unique nature reserve in the heart of an urban area, which can offer a haven to wildlife, a green lung to visitors, and crucially inspire future generations.
Beddington Farmlands Nature Reserve 