Management Plan

The group is working to the Bowland Ecology management plan which can be seen by clicking the link below.

Click here to view our Management Plan

What is the Management Plan?

The management plan identifies the main objectives for conservation management at Lower Burgh Meadows. It aims to provide a definite plan of prescriptions, to be undertaken by the ranger service, which will contribute to the overall management aim of the site.

The meadows are located on the former Burgh Hall Landfill site. When the site was decommissioned, the waste was sealed with a bentonite cap, with silt excavated from Birkacre Big Lodge also being spread. The use of a bentonite cap, a material which is comprised primarily of impure clay, resulted in the formation of a poorly drained, wet meadow. This is the most abundant habitat on site.

Whilst the site is owned by Chorley Borough Council, who undertake much of the general site maintenance via the Yarrow Valley Country Park ranger team, both Lower Burgh Meadows Conservation Group and Chorley Natural History Society also undertake a variety of conservation management and biological recording tasks.

Many habitats within the UK, including meadows, require human intervention to persist and flourish, for example a traditional hay meadow is mown in late summer. However, in sites such as this in relatively urban locations, where public access is available, there is a risk that over-management or ‘gardening’ of the habitats can occur. This management plan focuses specifically on retaining the site as semi-natural habitat.

The management plan provides background detail of the site and outlines the key aims of the management plan.

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