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• Mardley Heath

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Improved Access for all planned for Mardley Heath

The Countryside Management Service is part of Hertfordshire County Council and works with local communities to enhance the environment of Hertfordshire.  It works with Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council to provide advice on managing their wildlife sites, green spaces and other facilities and involves people through volunteer activity.

Mardley Heath is a Local Nature Reserve managed by WHBC. Local Nature Reserves are a national designation and are for both people and wildlife. They offer people special opportunities to study or learn about nature or simply to enjoy it.

The CMS are currently seeking approval for plans that will achieve the following objectives:

*Improve visitor experience and understanding of Mardley Heath.

*Improve accessibility for people including those who currently find it difficult to access this Local Nature Reserve.

*Support the Friends of Mardley Heath through training to develop their skills and improve safety.

Improvements on the site will achieve clearer signage at key entrance points highlighting the area to passing visitors as a designated a Local Nature Reserve, owned and managed by Welwyn Hatfield BC.

Panels with a map and words will describe how to explore the site, what to look for and why certain management practices are employed on site. Copies of this in poster form will be presented to Welwyn and  Woolmer  Green Parish Councils to be displayed in appropriate public buildings.  A further board will be placed above the parapet of the gravel pit describing features and their specific value for wildlife. A leaflet is also planned giving information to guide people around the site.

A series of circular walks within Mardley Heath will be marked with posts and arrows to guide people unfamiliar with the area but who want to explore either the whole or part of the site. One will circumnavigate the whole site and the other will provide shorter routes. Rights of Way (Footpaths and Bridleways) that cross the site including new finger posts giving destinations and distances will also be improved.

A short circular route and extended out-and-back path will be created in the south of the site. This will be surfaced to a high specification and have easy gradients that make it available to people who find walking difficult. It will also accommodate children’s buggies and would be an easy access trail linked to improvements to create a couple of spaces for disabled parking opposite the entrance to the existing car park.

These proposals will form the basis of a grant aid bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund to be submitted in spring ‘09. The Countryside Management Service has successfully recruited funds from Land Fill Tax sources and the proposed programme of work will be communicated to local people through displays planned during June.

Once these access improvements have been approved and are completed the Countryside Management Services plan to develop a programme of proposals that will improve the site for wildlife and will be seeking funds from other sources to support this.

The first stage for the initial programme will be to gain approval from the two Parish Councils concerned before achieving the go-ahead from WHBC.

More information about the CMS can be found on www.hertsdirect.org/cms.