Town will capitalise on its ‘natural capital’

An ecological study has been carried out to see what impact planned projects at four Slea-ford sites will have on local nature and the environment.
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The study, carried out by the Greater Lincolnshire Nature Partnership (GLNP), looked at the four sites - Lollycocks Field, Cogglesford Mill, the River Slea and Castle Causeway.

As reported by the Standard last month, the works are part of a £1.29 million scheme - called the Witham/Slea Blue Corridor Project - to improve riverside walks and environments between Sleaford and Grantham.

The projects in Sleaford include improvements to the flow of the River Slea; increasing the plant and natural habitat upstream of Castle Causeway and Watergate; lifting the footbridge to Cogglesford Mill to improve the habitat; and improving the Lollycocks area.

Work will also be undertaken on footpaths along the river to provide a vital link to the town centre from new developments in the pipeline.

The GLNP pilot study, on behalf of North Kesteven District Council (NKDC), aims to highlight what ‘potential benefits these sites currently provide and how these might be affected by any improvements’. The study concluded that the projects will actually boost what it calls the ‘natural capital’ at these sites - and ‘improve ecosystem services which benefit society’.

GLNP policy officer Luke Bamforth said: “The GLNP is pleased to be working in partnership with North Kesteven District Council in developing a process to assess natural capital which will now be available to other local authorities in Greater Lincolnshire and beyond over the next year.

“This work demonstrates that NKDC are leading the way in embracing what is becoming an increasingly important concept across the world.”