Month: December 2013

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson launched an innovative biodiversity offset project on Streatham Common  on 17th December 2013.

Biodiversity offsetting aims to ensure that new natural sites are created or enhanced as compensation in a measurable way for sites that undergo unavoidable damage or loss due to development.

The project will see native species of trees, shrubs and other plants planted at carefully selected areas on Streatham Common (most of which was declared Lambeth’s first ever Local Nature Reserve in April 2013). The planting – and some maintenance work – will more than offset the removal of trees necessary for the expansion of the Thameslink train depot in Selhurst and is aimed at increasing the biodiversity on the Common. The work will be overseen by the London Wildlife Trust, who will look after the new plantings until 2017. Work will begin soon but not until Lambeth Council and the Friends have agreed on the details.

read more at http://www.wildlondon.org.uk/news/2013/12/17/environment-secretary-launches-london%E2%80%99s-first-biodiversity-offset-scheme

Last month, we held a public meeting on youth facilities on the common (one of four public meetings we held this year).

We recognise that there’s been little investment in Streatham Common facilities over the years, and some of the facilities we have are either reaching the end of their life or are already derelict. The meeting was to try to come up and prioritise ideas for regeneration.

A new group will be getting together soon to take these ideas forward, and start a wider public consultation.

You can read the minutes of the meeting here

Youth Provision Public Meeting Minutes 13Nov13

And email us or send us a note on the website if you want to get involved.