Manor Park Management Plan
Flitwick Town Council has approved a scheme to carry out further fencing on the paddocks surrounding Manor Park to improve the management of wetland grass.
Manor Park is maintained in line with a Natural England Stewardship Scheme. The Stewardship Scheme, which provides funding towards the maintenance of the park, requires grassland in the paddocks to be managed and improved. Introducing additional fencing will allow more cattle to graze the grassland surrounding the park.
Cattle are the best and recommended way to manage wetland grass. Cattle grazing helps maintain the structure and composition of wildlife habitats upon which a variety of plants and animals depend for their survival.
The Limousin-cross cattle grazing in Manor Park in the summer did a great job of working their way through the rough vegetation creating clearings across the whole paddock. They will return again in the Spring.
Work will be undertaken to move any trees or saplings that were previously planted or have self-set in the area. The trees and saplings will be carefully moved a few metres from their current location and will also be used to infill some gaps in the surrounding hedges.
September to March is the best time to carry out the moving and replanting of trees and the work is planned to be completed by the end of January 2021.
The Town Council is working together with Greensand Country Landscape Partnership to produce a Parkland Management Plan with the view of carrying out further improvements to Manor Park in the future to improve the park for visitors which includes:
- Tree planting in woodland – involving scrub removal to allow space for ornamental tree planting
- Repair of ornamental bridge
- Rhododendron control in woodland
- Repair main entrance gate piers; rehang gates, and replace associated metal railings
- Renovate pavement area surrounding main gates
- Interpretation board inside of main gates explaining ‘designed parkland landscape.’
The Council will also be investigating the work required to drain the lake to restore it to its former glory.
Flitwick Town Council will publish further updates on the Town Council website www.flitwick.gov.uk
