Project: SINC at Popley Fields, Basingstoke
Back in 2007 a large area which was already a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC), needed to be re-created for Great Crested Newts at Popley Ponds, Basingstoke, before redevelopment of the adjacent land for new homes by Wilson Homes.
What made this project so interesting was the fact that part of the plan included 6,000m² of wildflower meadow, with a dispersal corridor between the ponds and the meadow, as Newts require suitable terrestrial habitat for most of the year.
The Principal Ecologist therefore, requested specific native wildflowers and grasses to be included in the seed mix as these were compatible with the habitat required for the Great Created Newts.
This project is a perfect example of how the construction industry and ecologists can work together, to try to minimise the overall ecological impact on wildlife,…