Campaign group wants to create new Brockley nature reserve

Campaign group The Fourth Reserve Trust exists to create a nature reserve along the Brockley railway cutting. They are campaigning to protect the ancient woodland next to the Crofton Park scout hut, which has been granted 'Asset of Community Value' status. They write:

The scout hut, situated on Courtrai Road, is on a strip of land bordering the railway line, the ‘middle part’ of the New Cross to Forest Hill Cutting that runs between Courtrai Road and Dalrymple Road.

The whole stretch is already recognised by planning policy for its wildlife significance, designated as a Metropolitan Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) in the Lewisham Local Plan, dating back to the 1990s. A Tree Preservation Order has been in place for the site since 1997.

This woodland is home to a variety of protected species including bats and hedgehogs and many mature trees; it is the oldest section along the green corridor, with winding paths through a dense cover of mature woodland.

In order to protect the wildlife and their habitats local group the Fourth Reserve Trust is actively campaigning to preserve the neighbourhood’s fragile nature corridor and get the cutting recognised for its ecological significance as a statutory Local Nature Reserve. This would be of great benefit to the neighbourhood, in particular local schools.

Follow and support their campaign on Twitter here: