Following the purchase of the 87-acre Brookside site in Stanhill Village, Hyndburn Borough Council have partnered with the PROSPECTS Foundation, Lancashire Wildlife Trust, Stanhill Village Community Association, the Ribble Rivers Trust, and Proffitts CIC to transform the space.
We believe that Brookside has huge natural habitat value already and potential for wider public benefit. Our focus for the next 18 months is on creating a masterplan that could transform the space into somewhere local people can enjoy nature and outdoor activities, as well as tackle and achieve radical climate action changes by improving biodiversity, habitat recovery and carbon capture throughout the site.
Together with our partners and volunteers we will be:
Supporting volunteer activities and establishing a conservation group Surveying the animals, plants, and fungi Testing the soils around the site and water quality in the existing lodges and in Lottice Brook Investigating ways to connect the site to existing paths and cycle routes Removing invasive species to promote ecosystem health Improving signage, fencing, and paths Calculating carbon capture onsite and carbon footprint of activities Consulting with disability groups to ensure that Brookside will be a space for everyone Engaging with the local community, to make sure everyone can have their say on the plans
This 18-month project has been funded by the National Lottery Climate Action Fund, the Windfall Fund and Hyndburn Borough Council.
This is a long term project, but it presents an amazing opportunity to make real and lasting changes to the environment and the communities surrounding Brookside. As you can see from the draft plan below, the working group has already identified some key improvements that could help us do this but we would like to get your feedback and see if there is anything else that you think should be included.
Thank you for taking the time to answer these very quick questions and share your ideas. If you would like to see a larger version of the draft plan, and keep up to date with the project, you can do that here: PROSPECTS or here: Brookside Project Updates