Site of Biological Importance

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Villagers are celebrating because their community green has been recognised for its wealth of wildlife by a county conservation charity.

Staffordshire Wildlife Trust has recommended Derrington Millennium Green, on the outskirts of Stafford, be designated as a Site of Biological Importance (SBI) – which means it is officially one of the most diverse and species-rich areas in the county.

The news is especially rewarding to Derrington residents. It reinforces the success of a community project launched almost 10 years ago to change the 4.6 hectare site into a Millennium Green.

Volunteers worked tirelessly to raise enough cash to buy the land from a local farmer and, after a year, with help from a number of grants and vigorous fund raising locally, they managed to reach their target.

Once they had bought the site, the volunteers set to work to transform it into a peaceful community area which also had nature conservation value.

One of the projects which has helped them secure SBI status was the creation of two wildflower meadows covering two hectares of the site. To do this hay harvested from a nearby national nature reserve, Mottey Meadow, was spread, mainly by hand , by a large group of volunteers. This has resulted in tens of thousands of rare native seeds being scattered across that part of the site.

Staffordshire Wildlife Trust’s Wildlife Sites Officer Judith Weightman explained: “The Wildlife Sites Coordinator David Cadman and I conducted a survey of Derrington Millennium Green to find out which species were thriving. We found that a diverse range of plant species had colonised the site because of the hay spreading, which is great news. Although SBIs carry no legal protection, they are very valuable and are recognised within planning policies and guidance, so that any development likely to adversely affect them is not normally permitted.”

The Trust has written a full report detailing the species that can be found at the site, which includes a range of native grasses, devil’s bit scabious, lady’s bedstraw and even the spectacular common spotted and southern marsh orchids.

One of the trustees of the project, said: “Derrington Millennium Green has been a real community success story. When we did the hay spreading, many villagers turned up to help, and they will be pleased that all their hard work has been worthwhile .”

In addition to the two hectare meadow area, Derrington Millennium Green also includes a pond, herb garden, willow maze, and a community orchard that has been planted with many varieties of apples, pears, cherries, plums and nuts. All of the trees were individually sponsored and are mainly old species that are the origin of many modern varieties. 'Ashmead Kernel' for instance, is the origin of the modern 'Braeburn' apple.

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