Smawthorne Marsh
I'm interested in what we can do with two nearby green assets in the urban area. Starting with:
Smawthorne Marsh
This is a sizeable marshy pond that is home to various wildlife - it's also home to fly-tipping and the odd anti-sociable behaviour. Well, about two years ago I went in there in my councillor role. Nearby residents had complained about rats coming from there. We saw the rats but I was both shocked and delighted at the marsh I decided to find out what could be done. Shocked that it was untidy, negected and a haven for fly-tipping, but delighted we have a green opportunity within the built up area.
Turns out the place is a flooded private allotments so most of the marsh is in the ownership of various private individuals. Some ( a fairly sizeable area) is owned by the council. It is not classed as a nature reserve. I have been working on what could be done and next month will, in association with Castleford Heritage Group, start a working group. We will need to find out, among others things, what funding is there to help us.
I'd be interested in the views of local people as well as others who could advise or help us with a way forward. Should the marsh be left as it is, or turned into a form of nature reserve, or (I'm not sure if this is acceptable but it has to be considered) just drained and have houses built on? Any comments?
The other green area I want to discuss is Castleford's Valley Gardens. More about that later.
Published Date:
30/05/2006
Modified Date:
30/05/2006