Gledhow Valley remains a bucolic beauty spot thanks to communities uniting
A woodland field on Gledhow Valley Road -which is home to deer, foxes and a pair of nesting sparrow hawks – has been saved from housing developers thanks to the resolute community spirit of local people and an inspirational environmental group.
Friends of Gledhow Valley Woods (FGVW) launched the bid to buy a field from Gledhow Valley Road in Chapel Allerton, which the private landowner had previously tried to obtain planning permission for to build new homes on.
Donations from the community topped £28,500 but further funding and ‘stressful’ negotiations were needed to secure the field.
FGVW have now successfully bought the one acre site yet must wait to become a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) before formal ownership is transferred over to them.
A CIO is a new form of legal entity designed for non-profit organisations in the United Kingdom.
The group heard about the news on Friday 20th May after submitting two bids; one from themselves and one as a private individual of the group which ended up being the successful proposal.
Steve Jones-Blackett from FGVW said: “We are absolutely delighted by the outcome and are so grateful to everyone who has helped make this happen.”
The group are ‘not planning to do much with the field’ as its simple green splendour speaks for itself.
Steve added: “Maintaining the boundaries is the first task on our hands, as they’re in a bit of a state.
“The barbed wire will be gone as a matter of urgency. It’s going to get a good clean up.
“Then we’re going to complete an ornithological survey to see what lives there and make it all part of the continuation of the work that we do in the rest of Gledhow Valley.
“We are bowled over knowing that the people in this area really care and are so immensely thankful.”
