Councillors push for rewilding project in Westbury

WESTBURY could eventually see rewilding projects springing up around the town following a recommendation from the town council’s climate emergency sub-committee.

At a meeting of the policy and resources committee of the town council on Monday 3rd April, councillors voted to provisionally approve to spend up to £5,000 for an ecological survey and nature recovery report for Westbury, following a recommendation by the council’s climate emergency sub-committee. This will focus on rewilding projects at locations around the town that have been identified by ecology specialists.

Rewilding is a progressive approach to conservation, and is about letting nature take care of itself, to enable natural processes to shape land and sea, repair damaged ecosystems and restore degraded landscapes. Through rewilding, wildlife’s natural rhythms create wilder, more biodiverse habitats.

Before the council can start the rewilding process, they must first undertake an ecological survey and nature recovery report, to see which areas could benefit the most from this project.

The decision will now have to be ratified by the town council. At the meeting, councillors explained that the project came about after looking at Bradford on Avon Town Council’s nature recovery report, and discussing the project with their green spaces officer.

Speaking at the meeting cllr Mike Sutton said, “It was interesting and refreshing to hear what Bradford-on-Avon have come up with, and we cannot move forward with ideas until we know where we stand currently. This report and survey will see where we are today, which will aid us to see where we want to be tomorrow and how long it’s going to take.”

The money will come from capital funds that have been set aside specifically to be spent on climate-related initiatives.

Cllr Jane Russ added, “We have to have a starting point to set realistic goals and to set a criteria to see if we have met those goals – this is a really good idea.”