NOTTINGHAMSHIRE WILDLIFE TRUST

THE SECOND BATTLE OF WILWELL CUTTING

The proposal to build the new Beckett Scholl next to wilwell has been abandoned in late 2004. The school will now be built on land behind the old Chateau on Wilford Lane.

CLIFTON VIA WILFORD TRAM ROUTE

Generally the Trust has no particular problems with five of the six possible candidates for the next tram line route out of Nottingham. However NWT will oppose the adoption of the Clifton via Wilford route. This particular route uses the old railway line running from the Trent through Wilford to Silverdale and depending on how NET were to develop the line, it would either seriously damage the wildlife habitat or completely destroy it.

The line was abandoned over 30 years ago and is now designated as of County importance for it`s wildlife (SINC), having evolved into a patchwork of scrub woodland and species rich grassland running through the urban fringe and providing a green link from the Trent through to Wilwell. The potential tram route then enters Wilwell Reserve before turning towards Clifton. This would cause some loss of habitat at the northern end of the site beyond the blue bridge, but could also disrupt the drainage patterns out of the reserve, again causing ecological damage. A decision on the second route is due this year, although funding is far from certain.

Of particular concern for Wilwell on top of the loss of some habitat and the potential further disruption of hydrology flows (on top of the Becket scheme), there is also the threat of a car park directly adjacent to the reserve. The indirect level of disturbance, disruption etc if this were to be the case cannot be over estimated.

As at September 2002 Net have definitely indicated their preference for this route on grounds of cost and speed. They have commissioned an ecological study of the whole site from Wilford to Wilwell and may also participate in the hydrology study.