Owlthorpe Fields Conservation Group
About us
Owlthorpe Fields Conservation Group (OCG) came into being in 2018. Originally under the name Owlthorpe Fields Action Group (OAG), a group of local residents joined forces campaigning to save three areas of re-wilded agricultural land from development.
Over the 20+ years during which the land was left to re-wild the wildlife moved back in and the trees, shrubs and wildflowers flourished, and the local people enjoyed walking in the fields, watching the birds and enjoying nature.
Although one of the three areas was developed, the group worked relentlessly to try and ensure that the remaining two
were turned into areas which could continue to be used by the local community and the wildlife alike.
The Fields are used daily for dog walking, watching nature, exercise and the community are reaping the benefits these
bring to mental and physical health.
For the wildlife, it is their home, their hunting grounds, their territory, and to improve and optimise the biodiversity of flora and fauna it is essential to maintain these habits with both the wildlife and the people who use the Fields in mind
How did we secure the future for the Fields?
We successfully applied to Natural England for both the Ochre Dyke Woodland and Hanging Lea woodland to be designated as ancient woodland. These, and a few additional areas, are now included on the Ancient Woodland inventory and on
We measured the older trees in the woodlands and submitted them to the Woodland Trusts Ancient Tree Inventory. To date we have 43 trees designated as:
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notable
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ancient or
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veteran
Some areas of Owlthorpe already had a designation of local wildlife site (LWS) but, based on the diversity of plant species on the two fields originally scheduled for development, we collected data and submitted it to the local wildlife site panel for assessment against grassland criteria. Our application was successful and the designated areas are now included in the Councils draft local plan for the city and can be viewed on the Sheffield Plan Policies Map.
Possibly the most significant achievement in securing the future of the area is the designation of the fields as Local Green Space in the Draft Sheffield Local Plan. Local Green Space designation is a way to provide special protection against development for green areas of particular importance to local communities.
Through following government guidelines outlined in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) we put together a portfolio of evidence, which amongst other things included statements from local residents indicating what the land meant to them, and a list of flora/fauna species recorded in the area, including protected species. The application was successful and the two areas are now included in the Sheffield draft local plan as local green space. You can see the designated area on the Sheffield Plan Policies Map.