Concerns raised over proposed changes to a Holbeach nature reserve have been addressed by the parish council.
After the announcement that an improvement plan to the Fishpond Lane nature reserve is one of the three Tesco Bags of Choice options this month, a Holbeach resident wrote to The Voice with concerns about the site.
In the letter (The Voice, 17/05/18), the resident raised issues of accessibility, parking and safety.
Regarding access, a Parish council spokesman said: “The access improvements have been designed with the idea of making it more accessible at the actual nature reserve; including those who need a wheelchair or buggy.
“There is a path along the front to it from the left (as you look at the site) and Lincolnshire County Council Highways department hasn’t the space to put one to the right between the kerb and the
nature reserve boundary.
“Highways are responsible for wheelchair access on public footpaths so I couldn’t comment on their suitability nor would the grant money be used in that way as paving improvements would need to come from Highways.
“There is already an existing footpath opposite, too. Parking will still be at either of the free sites at either end provided by South Holland District Council.”
The letter said that a raised profile of the nature reserve will cause more traffic problems but the spokesman said the nature reserve was registered on Google Maps just before Christmas to raise attention to it and no extra traffic issues have been reported.
Finally, safety and trespassing problems were raised.
The spokesman said: “ On Thursday last week, new signage went up around the Parish as part of a programme of addressing lots of things including visibility and health and safety improvement opportunities around the Parish including in the nature reserve.
“There have been no reported cases of trespassing that the police have forwarded to us or here in the offices directly from residents before these improvements were made public, so initially the risk of drowning was addressed with the new signage excluding access and of course the fencing to keep people out.
“The council will look at ongoing issues as they arise, like with this one incident of reported trespassing, which has been made known to members who may wish to deliberate it in the June meeting.”
