NOTES FROM THE MLC MEETING
held at The Ark, Cambourne on Tuesday 27 May 2003at 7.15pm

Speaker: Mr Nick Hammond - Director of the Wildlife Trust

The Chairman welcomed Mr Hammond to the meeting.
Mr Hammond explained that The Wildlife Trust, which has offices in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and Northamptonshire is expected to open its offices in The Manor House by 1st April 2004. It will be responsible for taking on areas of the S106 Agreement relating to the ecologically important areas in Cambourne. This is to include the woodland areas, green lanes and lakes, although the responsibility for the water will also rest with Anglian Water.
A Wildlife Manager position is to be created and an existing member of staff has already been selected for the position. He will be assisted by a Community Officer.
The Manor House, which will have approximately 30 plus staff plus volunteers, is expected to also have a resources centre and a meeting room suitable for up to sixty people. The room will be open for community use, however instead of a formal charging structure donations to the Trust will be welcomed.
It is planned that the staff will use environmentally friendly vehicles such as cycles and electrically powered vehicles that will be charged via the solar panels on the roof of the Manor House.
Works with the community will include work with children, for example a wildlife watch, walks and the running of ecology groups.
Swift nesting boxes are to be installed on the Manor House's chimneys, which are non functioning, purely decorative features, to encourage a bird uncommon to the area. Sheep are to be introduced to the grassland to keep the grass under control and will be kept in the area by an electric fence.
A rough summary of the questions from the members and the public to Mr Hammond included:
Q. What conditions are there on the ownership of the land to ensure that it can not be developed in the future?
A. The conveyance of the land will include restrictive covenants.
Q. What is the primary consideration and use for the lakes?
A. As balancing lakes.
Q. Who takes the decisions on whether the lakes require de-silting?
A. Once transferred that decision rests with the Wildlife trust who will use consulting engineers.
Q. How will all the additional housing impact on the area?
A. The homes and gardens has increased the bio-diversity of the area bringing more wildlife than previously present on an arable field.
Q. Recently there has been damage in the Eco Park for example damage to bat boxes and badger sets. How will the Wildlife Trust deal with this?
A. In the fist instance the Trust would seek to identify and talk to with the person or persons concerned.
Q. Once the land is transferred to the Wildlife Trust who checks that the clauses in the contract are being undertaken?
A. The District Council, the Developers and English Nature as an arbitratorary body. An Ecological Management Plan has been drawn up by Ecological Services Ltd (ESL). The MLC asked to see a copy of this document and Mr Douglas said he would discuss this with Mr Chare.
Q. Councillor Mrs Sue Richmond, Chairman of Bourn Parish Council asked various questions relating to the capacity and management of the lakes and sought assurance that there would be no future flooding of Bourn.
There were no further questions and the Chairman thanked Mr Hammond for attending.