Nature in the Vale

Nature in the Vale is revealed in a new biodiversity report

Vale of White Horse District Council has published a new biodiversity report. This is the first time the council has put together such a document which depicts the natural highlights in the district, including the largest surviving example of alkaline fen in central England at Cothill and an increasing water vole population in the River Ock. The report also sets out the council’s actions to conserve and enhance the area’s natural world.

Councillor Dr Robert Clegg, Vale of White Horse District Council Cabinet Member for Environmental Services, Climate Action and Nature Recovery said: “The Vale is well known for chalk grassland, chalk streams, farmland birds and veteran trees, but its nature is under pressure from development, climate change, and habitat fragmentation. The council is making nature conservation a key priority in its plans and policies and is working with local communities and groups towards this common aim.

“The report includes information about how council is contributing towards nature recovery in the district. It has set out actions for nature in its plans and policies and works in partnership with organisations including the Earth Trust, the National Landscapes and Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre (TVERC).”

While the council manages its own green spaces including Willow Walk in Wantage it also looks to encourage nature recovery on council-owned land by enlisting help from expert local organisations. For example, the Earth Trust manages council-owned land at Abbey Fishponds, Besselsleigh Wood and Tuckmill Meadows, while Abingdon Naturalist Society manage council-owned Barton Fields in Abingdon.

Councillor Clegg added: “I am delighted to endorse this new report on the district’s natural assets and what the council is doing to enhance them. One of the many ways we do this is through the Climate Action Fund for projects tackling climate action and nature recovery. Since the fund started in 2022, we have awarded more than £390,000 to climate action and nature restoration projects including a floodplain meadow in Cumnor, a wetland in Sunningwell and a wood in Blewbury. I am delighted to announce that this year’s Climate Action Fund opens on the 5 May, and we are looking forward to seeing some great new projects for the district.”

Following the Environment Act (2021) all local authorities were instructed to consider their 'biodiversity duty’ - in other words - the measures they have taken and plan to take to protect nature over a five-year period.

The new report can be downloaded here – 2026 Vale of White Horse biodiversity duty report.

Some highlights from the report

Sites in the district identified as being significant, locally, nationally and internationally:

• Two special areas of conservation – Hackpen Hill and Cothill Fen
• 22 SSSIs (sites of special scientific interest)
• A national nature reserve at Cothill
• Two local nature reserves – Tuckmill Meadows near Shrivenham and Abingdon’s Abbey Fishponds

The Vale is renowned for its calcareous species-rich fens that form the largest remaining group of such habitats outside East Anglia and North Wales. Cothill Fen SAC, is the largest surviving example of alkaline fen in central England.

The council’s planning team, including several ecologists, considers how nature interacts with development and the council has pioneered ‘Biodiversity Net Gain’ - where the development of land will lead to losses of biodiversity, developers can pay to create habitat of equal or greater value to wildlife. Between 2013 and 2021, the council raised more than £1,771,800 towards off-site biodiversity gains in addition to increased biodiversity achieved on development sites.

More information on the council’s nature recovery work including meadow areas, countryside sites, tree planting, partnership work, nature reports, rivers and planning is available on its nature recovery page on its website.