Over the winter works have been carried out in partnership with Basingstoke & Dean to tackle Fleet Pond car park. The car park is a major area for fly tipping and anti-social behaviour in the local area so the hedgerows were flailed to increase visibility. Another benefit in reducing their height is that they will bush up come the spring, offering better nesting for a variety of birds, such as Robin, Chaffinch and Blackbird.
By clearing the scrub and gorse from the centre of the islands we hope to encourage the heather to grow more vigorously, returning the area to heathland to match the surrounding dry heath and to encourage heathland species. The islands will be managed by mowing to maintain this heathland to keep the heather and grass short and prevent scrub from taking over again. Hopefully come the spring there should be a bloom of colour as dormant and repressed plants take advantage of the new increase in light.
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