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Claims city nature reserve has been 'abandoned'

Rachel Locke The picture shows a sign saying Havannah Nature Reserve on the ground Rachel Locke
Hazlerigg Parish Council claims there has been little or no maintenance at Havannah Nature Reserve for several months

An important urban site for biodiversity and wildlife has been left "abandoned", a councillor has claimed.

Hazlerigg Parish Council, which has Newcastle's Havannah Nature Reserve within its boundaries, said it had raised concerns about motorcycles using the site, fences not being repaired and people allowing dogs in the ponds.

Chair of the council Rachel Locke said the site was suffering "a rapid decline in biodiversity".

Urban Green Newcastle, the charity which runs the site, said: "Our rangers carry out regular patrols, site management and monitoring in Havannah Nature Reserve to ensure this popular green space remains an enjoyable place to visit."

Rachel Locke Havannah Nature Reserve with a large quantity of water in the foreground of the picture Rachel Locke
Rachel Locke claims new developments around the reserve are causing flooding

Havannah Nature Reserve was run by Newcastle City Council until 2019, when it was transferred to what was then The Newcastle Parks and Allotments Trust, which later became Urban Green Newcastle.

"We were told that things would become a lot better but it's just been years of rapid decline and now it just feels like the reserve has been abandoned," Ms Locke said.

Rachel Locke A piece of grassland with motorbike tracks all over it Rachel Locke
It is also claimed motorcycles are damaging the grass and healthland

She added: "There is such pressure on wildlife with all the development around.

"The site just isn't being managed, fences were put up last year, but they've been pulled down and not repaired, we've got motorbikes riding around, open ditches left for months.

"The site desperately needs a permanent warden."

Rachel Locke Two frogs are staring straight ahead in a pond. Rachel Locke
Save Newcastle Wildlife says the reserve is seeing a fall in the number of species

Joanne Smith, from the campaigning organisation Save Newcastle Wildlife, said the current situation was "a farce".

"We had red squirrels but they're gone and surveys show the number of species are declining rapidly as more and more people access the site," she said.

"It needs to be managed better as a nature reserve, right now people are treating it as a park."

Rachel Locke A trench in some grassland, about one foot wide and several feet long, has been covered by a green piece of fencing but there are holes in it which would be easy to fall throughRachel Locke
Concerns were also raised about a ditch which was left open for several months

In a statement, Urban Green Newcastle said: "We would encourage park users to contact us if they have any concerns, including biodiversity and local wildlife, and infrastructure like fences and pathways."

Newcastle City Council, which voted in November to take back control of its parks, including Havannah Nature Reserve, said: "Anti-social behaviour and motorbike disorder is a concern across the region and the police are working proactively to address it and we will support those efforts as we know the distress it can cause communities."

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