Brook Course Management
Water Voles were once a familiar sight but their populations
have declined by over 90% in the last 20 years through habitat
destruction and degradation and predation of the American Mink,
making it one of the fastest declining mammal species in the UK.
Water Voles have already become extinct from large areas of Britain
and the Spadesbourne and Battlefield Brooks in Bromsgrove are home
to some of the last remaining colonies in Worcestershire.
To minimise the impact on water voles Bromsgrove District
Council are working with partners such as the Worcestershire
Wildlife Trust and the Environment Agency to improve and create
better habitats. Our watercourse management work involves
:-
- Carrying out work in late summer/early autumn when voles can
best tolerate disturbance
- Controlling invasive species such as the Himalayan Balsam and
pruning bank side trees to prevent over shading
- Maintaining an undisturbed 'buffer' zone of 10 – 15 cm high
vegetation within 2m of the watercourse
- Reducing footfall along exposed areas of the brook course by
using large logs to divert routes
- Planting water vole loving plant such as reeds, rushes, sedges
etc.
- Removal of trial section of the concrete channel
The water vole is a protected species under the Countryside and
Rights of Way Act 2000 and if an offence is committed, a fine of
£5,000 can be levied, in addition anything that was used to commit
the offence may be forfeited. This could include diggers,
dredgers. Under new legislation offenders could also be
imprisoned for up to six months.
It is an offence to:
- Damage, destroy or obstruct access to water vole burrows
- Disturb water voles
To request further information about wildlife in Bromsgrove
please email parks@bromsgrove.gov.uk
