Home

Preliminary works complete

Discover The Paddock, Preliminary works complete. Have your say today and share your views on the future of your community. Powered by Commonplace, the leading community engagement platform.

1/2

Works completed to remove Japanese Knotweed

Entrance to The Paddock

The first phase of the comprehensive enhancement scheme to improve The Paddock community nature reserve has now been completed, and The Paddock has now reopened.

Our specialist contractors, Ebsford Environmental Ltd., have successfully cleared the significant Japanese Knotweed infestations and decades of fly-tipping that have blighted the site.

Using the ‘cell burial’ method of excavating, sealing and burying the Japanese Knotweed in a geo-textile membrane, The Paddock has been largely cleared of the Knotweed that was colonising the site and depriving native species of their habitat.

With each area of Knotweed that was excavated, tonnes of historic fly-tipping and dumped building waste was discovered, making the task of burying the Knotweed rhizomes more complicated. The contractors discovered enough dumped vehicle parts to re-build a car! 30 tonnes of rubbish in total!

The cleared Knotweed has now been encapsulated in 6,400 sq.m. of geo-textile membrane, creating a secure cell with a life of 50 years. The cell has been capped with over 3,300 tonnes of soil, delivered to the site in 234 truckloads sourced from a local supplier to keep environmental impacts to a minimum.

The cleared space in now a new meadow as well as new ‘wet meadow’ or boggy areas. The meadow will be planted with wildflowers to improve the biodiversity of The Paddock, while the wet meadows will help diversify the range of habitats on site. 

Ebsford Environmental have kindly sponsored and undertaken hydro-seeding of the meadow, ensuring that the planting can become established through the Spring.

Due to the challenges of undertaking excavations close to the waterway, some of the Japanese Knotweed infestations close to the River Lee have been left in situ. These will be treated through a sensitive chemical treatment programme.

With the completion of this first phase of enhancement works, plans for the main works to improve the path network, entrance areas, visitor facilities and landscaping can now be progressed for implementation in Autumn 2023.

For full information on why this work is needed can be found on the Japanese Knotweed at The Paddock page. 

The Conservation Volunteers

To celebrate the completion of the first phase works, there will be a community event on 27 May 2023 (12noon – 1.30pm) open to the whole community, where families and individuals can get hands-on helping TCV to plant the meadow areas, take part in a crafts workshop, and go on a self-guided trail around The Paddock. The Paddock Design Team will also be on hand to share information about the Paddock Enhancement Programme  For more details, please visit: www.tcv.org.uk/thepaddock