NEW Leaf and Herefordshire Wildlife Trust (HWT) have confirmed three community consultation events over their plans for the management of Queenswood and Bodenham Lake.
Both groups have a go-ahead from Herefordshire Council to open up a period of public consultation on the future for the sites.
The events will include informal afternoon drop-in sessions, when local people are welcome to come along and look at plans, share opinions, offer ideas, and ask questions of the bid team.
These afternoon sessions will be followed by a more formal evening presentation event, followed by a Q&A.
The dates and times are:
* Wednesday, March 11 in Bodenham:
3 – 6pm Bodenham Village Hall, 7.30 – 8.30pm St Michaels Primary School, main hall.
* Thursday, March 19 in Hope Under Dinmore
3 – 6pm / 7 – 8pm Hope Under Dinmore Village Hall
* Wednesday, March 25, in Leominster
3 – 6pm / 7 – 8pm Grange Court
The proposed session in Bodenham will be followed on March 17 by a local community group consideration of the plans hosted by Friends of Bodenham Lake.
More information about this event will also be available from March 11.
Rob Garner, director of New Leaf said: “Our hope is that the community will whole-heartedly join us and help develop a shared local vision for the future of Queenswood and of Bodenham Lake. We hope that these consultation events over the coming month will be an opportunity for us to answer questions and address any local concerns – and build a really positive plan for our next steps together.”
If current proposals go ahead the freehold of the two sites will continue to be retained in public ownership through Herefordshire Council but the management responsibility of both sites will be transferred to an HWT and New Leaf partnership on a 99 year lease.
The partnership is then expected to be in a position to seek external funding for investment in both sites.
Plans include improved visitor facilities at Queenswood, an environmental education programme and the development of the current woodland management.
Bodenham Lake would continue to be managed as a nature reserve and wildlife haven.
New Leaf and HWT are also inviting comment on the plans through their own websites.
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