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What Does It Mean For Us To Be A Local Nature Reserve?

Shropshire Council, together with Natural England and the LLIMEYS has declared the Heritage Area as a LOCAL NATURE RESERVE (LNR).  The Council issued a press release on 28 September 2020, in the Oswestry & Border Counties Advertiser to let everyone know about this great achievement.

The LNR is here to protect the site and its habitats so that everyone will be able to continue to use and enjoy the area for generations to come.  The recent (and ongoing) pandemic has shown how important the area is to our community as well as visitors from outside the area.  The numbers of people visiting the LNR has increased dramatically and at weekends this can mean for a very busy car park!

A Local Nature Reserve is a designation for nature reserves in Great Britain.  It is a statutory designation made under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949.

We have flora and fauna and geological features that are of special interest both locally and nationally.  We offer people opportunities to study, learn about nature or simply stroll around the Heritage Area and enjoy it!

There are woodlands, flower-rich meadows and a long abandoned Limeworks with kilns and quarries, now recolonised by wildlife.

This is an impressive natural resource which makes an important contribution to the UK’s biodiversity.

The quarry area of the Limeworks on both the Welsh and English sides, is already a Nature Reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), managed by Shropshire and Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trusts.  The focus for our LNR is on the lower area and  encompasses the buildings, tramways, woods and meadows.

The area shown in red below is the boundary of the LNR

Management 

Shropshire Council manages the LNR, but does involve the local community and specialist expertise where needed.  Here at Llanymynech there are a number of such groups:

  • “Friends of” community groups, (such as the LLIMEYS and the Llanymynech Wharf Visitor Centre)
  • Shropshire and Montgomeryshire Wildlife trusts as well as other recognised conservation bodies
  • Shropshire council site-based rangers
  • Local schools, Bryn Offa and Carreghofa
  • Natural England (who give advice)

Access

Our LNR is publicly accessible throughout, though we do ask that visitors don’t damage the area or disturb wildlife.  Due to the nature of the site, not all areas can be accessed by our disabled visitors, but the main pathways provide access to the majority of the site.

Bye-laws

Local authorities and town and parish councils may create LNR bye-laws.  But before bye-laws are created we should work together as a community to explore alternatives to keep our LNR safe and its wildlife protected.

If Bye-laws are created they can only be enforced within the LNR.  They must not replicate existing laws and the LNR must be formally declared to Natural England or the bye-laws will be invalid.

SUGGESTIONS AND IDEAS

If you have any suggestions or ideas about how the LNR can be utilised within the community, then please get in touch with us, email us at admin@llanylime.co.uk or use our Contact Form at the bottom of the page.