Beddington Farmlands: A premier urban nature
reserve for the Wandle Valley Regional Park
Beddington Farmlands is a 161 hectare (400 acre) site in the coreland of the wider Wandle Valley Regional Park. Together with the adjacent green spaces of Beddington Park and Mitcham Common, Beddington Farmlands forms one of the largest contiguous green spaces in south London.
Beddington Farmlands is an important area for wildlife and is classified a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation and Metropolitan Open Land (equivalent of Green Belt within an urban area). The site is being restored into a mosaic of important habitats for wildlife ahead of the development of a flagship nature reserve?for people and nature.
“The ‘sleeping giant’ of London’s natural history world”
David Lindo, BBC broadcaster, writer and public speaker
Beddington Farm Bird Group
Beddington Farm Bird Group
Formed in 1992, the Beddington Farm Bird Group monitors breeding and wintering bird populations as well as migration at Beddington Farmlands. In addition, the bird group also carries out habitat management and restoration, working closely with site management. More ?
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Purple Heron seen briefly on the Southernmost Lake this morning before flying off south east. Only the 4th record for the site. Found and photographed by Zach Pannifer.
It’s local Election Day in the wards surrounding Beddington Farmlands and the locals are not happy ??
Local Elections tomorrow . See councillor candidate statements for how they will help deliver the Beddington Farmlands Nature Reserve due to be complete and open to public by end of 2023
bfnr.org.uk/2022/05/may-5th-2022-local-elections-and-councillor-pledges-for-beddington-farmlands/
‘If elected I will ensure all relevant parties meet the 2023 deadline ‘ Dave Tchil, Labour Party, Hackbridge
‘(By the end of 2023)…the starting gun will be fired for the fulfilment of the vision ‘ Tim Foster , Independent, Beddington North
Our 2020 released male, GB35, was back at one of our Sussex release sites last week.
In the past couple of years he's travelled all over the UK, spent the winter 2020/21 at Beddington Farmlands, visited Tice's Meadow Nature Reserve in March this year and even turned up on our new livestream cam!
Where will he go next?
?? Kevin Harwood
Local Election Special (May 5th)
We asked local councillor candidates what they will do to support the development of the Beddington Farmlands Nature Reserve if elected this Thursday.
bfnr.org.uk/2022/05/may-5th-2022-local-elections-and-councillor-pledges-for-beddington-farmlands/
Great opportunity to take in the dawn chorus at Beddington Farmlands on 1 May. Please email farmlandswarden@sutton.gov.uk for further information.
Great opportunity to celebrate International Dawn Chorus Day on 1 May with a guided walk over Beddington Farmlands. Please email farmlandswarden@sutton.gov.uk for further details.
Great opportunity to visit Beddington Farmlands and listen to the dawn chorus. Please email for further details.
www.letsrecycle.com/news/viridor-sells-landfill-business/?fbclid=IwAR3gmH-_CnS84-066WXjmFq20O_plH...
Viridor sells landfill business - letsrecycle.com
www.letsrecycle.com
Viridor has sold its entire landfill and landfill gas business to Frank Solutions Ltd, which includes 10 sites across the UK.Timeline photosWhen birds are on the move, there’s no easier way to unravel the mysteries of bird behavior and migration than with a subscription to Birds of the World. It's the trusted, one-stop-shop ornithology reference developed by leading ornithologists. Each of its 10,824 species accounts and 249 family accounts relates fascinating life history details, photographs, videos, and sound recordings that will help you understand birds more deeply than ever before. Learn more and enjoy a one-time 15% discount when you subscribe (redeem code APRIL2022 at checkout).
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This will presumably have very significant implications on the development of the reserve.
www.sutton.gov.uk/w/sale-of-viridor-s-landfill-and-landfill-gas-business-council-statement?fbclid...
Sale of Viridor’s landfill and landfill gas business - Council Statement - Sutton Council
www.sutton.gov.uk
Sutton Council's statement on the sale of Viridor’s landfill and landfill gas business and how the Council has taken steps to understand the consequences for the Council and for the contractual rela...The latest Wandle Valley Forum Newsletter here:
mailchi.mp/c24797f54716/wandle-valley-forum-bulletin-11447501?e=a7b6c1a51d
3rd and 4th April , community planting weekend to help create the green corridors that link Beddington Farmlands with the local communities and wider regional park
The Beddington Farmlands Campaign is an apolitical group that supports a cross political party vision to create a flagship nature reserve for people and nature at Beddington Farmlands, the hub of the Wandle Valley Regional Park.
The up-coming May local elections will see the election of local councillors who will oversee the reserve completion and opening in early 2024 so we support the election of councillors who will do most to push Beddington Farmlands across the finish line.
Just for public interest, the incumbent Liberal Democrats are spreading misinformation and flyers in the adjacent wards to the farmlands and saying that it is a two horse race between Conservatives and them and the only way to keep the Conservatives out is to vote Lib Dem. This is misinformation and will be reported to the Electoral Commission and in fact in the Hackbridge ward there is only a 1-2% gap between Labour and Lib Dems with Conservatives a long way behind.
It is important that councillors in the adjacent wards to the farmlands are elected fairly and the Beddington Farmlands campaign support a fair local election.
Exciting news! This year we can follow the activity of our local Barn Owls with a new nest box camera . Fingers crossed a pair will use the box to breed and raise young. So far a single bird ‘’Tyto’ has discovered the box and is settling in. Follow the journey on the Wandle Valley Barn Owls page.
www.youtube.com
Tyto the Barn Owl (sex unknown) spent 10 mins in the new box having a good look around. It checked out our new camera, which it seemed curious about but not ...m.facebook.com/wandlevalleybarnowls/
www.facebook.com
This page is dedicated to the secretive barn owl population that thrives in the Wandle Valley area of south London. Like and subscribe to receive regular nest box updates throughout the year!More disappointing news from Sutton Council. The Council are now denying access to the Farmlands via the proposed main visitors access adjacent to Hackbridge Primary School. This area is the proposed site for the future visitors centre for the Farmlands (hackbridgeecopark.weebly.com/) and it appears that Sutton Council are utilising the problem of moped crime to restrict access for everyone with suspicions that they wish to sell the land for development. Elliot Colburn MP please help to stop this latest Lib Dem attempt at destroying green spaces and wildlife in Sutton. The Lib Dems are once again squandering the opportunity of developing Beddington Farmlands into the hub of a flagship regional park that will bring community and natural prosperity to the borough. Please everyone vote the Lib Dems out of Sutton in the up coming May local elections. We all know the planet and nature is in trouble and the Lib Dems are the cause of that trouble in our neighbourhood. More from Labour Councillor candidate Dave Tchill taking on the Lib Dem rogues here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTlNOfgVceM
Sutton Council in Private Eye Rotten Boroughs section again this month . Many mentions are of alleged corruption and have been Beddington Farmlands related and all allegations remain unchallenged by the Council.
insidecroydon.com/2022/02/22/crisis-hit-dombey-facing-hackbridge-election-challenge/?fbclid=IwAR3...
Crisis-hit Dombey facing Hackbridge election challenge
insidecroydon.com
Already a source of frequent ridicule in a national satirical magazine, now Sutton’s LibDem council leader is facing a new threat to her power as challengers emerge from Labour, as CARL SHILT...Debate in Parliament about the Beddington Farmlands incinerator district heat network
Extremely fortunate to be only ten feet from this Jack Snipe today - took these on my phone!
It’s the big garden Birdwatch this weekend
m.youtube.com/watch?v=dJdmXdw65lE
m.youtube.com
The #BigGardenBirdWatch is here! What will you see? ?? Get involved ?? bit.ly/BGBWTVengMany thanks to our friends for their support of Beddington Farmlands Nature Reserve
