Fencing erected. Banking on north shore of Manor lake partially built and capped. Deeper bits dug. But will site be sold to developers? 23rd July 2023

Inert have been busy this past week. Various pieces of fencing have been erected around the site, mainly to plug gaps that have appeared over the years. That I am aware of, fencing has been built to the west of the Bailey bridge (closing a glaring hole) and a short section near Colebrook hide. The latter fencing stretches from a wooden bridge (over the Colebrook cut) northward to plug an embarrassing gap that gave people easy access to Manor lake and Main reed beds. Though this section of fencing really needs mesh to stop dogs getting through the fencing.

My Tuesday stomp revealed our bulldozer driver hard at work crafting the banking between Manor lake and the Main reed beds. He was both contouring and capping this banking.  He also appears to have finished putting a capping layer of top soil on the Manor lake infill.

My Saturday morning on site stomp at 6:00 am (I woke up late) revealed deeper, frilly bits along the south edge of the banking had been dug and contoured by a digger driver. Deeper bits is a misnomer, as I feel water levels will be not much more than waist deep - if that. If what we have been told is true (i.e. Manor lake was filled in to deter swimmers) then this depth of water will stop swimmers, as it isn't deep enough to have a really good swim in. It may deter yobs and lads from walking on the wetlands part of Manor lake.

Most all of the mounds built between the Bailey bridge and the original site of the pump station have been flattened - presumably to build and cap the banking. There are some intriguing deeper bits cut into this area, but I can't determine if they will remain or not.

I have been told that there is a meeting between all interested parties (i.e. Inert, Cemex, Wokingham Borough Council planning, Finchampstead Parish council, large conservation group, possibly Environmental Agency, etc) to establish what remaining works need be completed. Principle will be insertion of sluice gates (delayed due to possibility of Little Ringed Plovers nesting), completion of banking between Main Reed beds and what is laughingly called Manor lake, the actual completion of said lake by joining the extension with the eastern bit of Manor lake.

There are numerous other frilly bits of restoration to complete. Off the top of my head I can think of the proposed bridlepath, other paths (particularly the one going along the west and north parts of the reserve), possibly more fencing, reinstating the Colebrook cut, possibly hides and viewing points, car park, etc. One word about the proposed car park I've seen in plans - 20 spaces is far too small.

One big change, which local residents will be delighted with, is reducing the current speed limit along the Longwater Road from its ridiculous 60 mph to a more sensible 30 mph. Actually, I reckon 40 mph would be more sensible. The reason being that the 60 mph section is straight, which encourages drivers to speed. They will fret at 30 mph, and can barely keep to it within the sections that are currently 30 mph.

One nice aspect of the works tailing off is that wildlife is coming back to Manor lake. I spotted two Green Sandpipers and any number of Lapwings on Saturday. Black headed gulls protested my presence, and I can hear loads of Reed warblers and Black caps. But these birds were always here to begin with when Manor lake was a proper lake.

Finally to the gloomy news. We have been told that a certain large conservation group was going to take over management of the possible nascent Longwater Road Nature Reserve. We've now been told by Cemex that this is not the case. The conservation group is attending meetings in an advisory capacity - I thought I detected their sticky little fingerprints all over the redesign of Manor farm.

Word on the footpaths (amongst walkers, birders, etc) is the gloomy prediction that the site will either be sold off to developers (who will build luxury houses for the uber rich) or to unscrupulous owners who will employ dodgy means to end up building on the site. Another rumour doing the rounds is that the original owners of the Fleet Hill farm part of the reserve want to buy it back off Cemex. I guess we can kiss goodbye to that area being a nature reserve and resource to the community. 

Of course, these are simply rumours and hearsay. But this is to be expected without official word from either WBC or Finchampstead Parish Council or Cemex. I did write to Cemex, some years ago, suggesting they run a publicity campaign and put up notices around the site to make people aware of what was happening and what they could expect with a future nature reserve. The suggestion fell on deaf ears.

We know that even as it stands Moor Green Lakes and the nascent Longwater Road nature reserves have a national if not international repute and standing. I have met many national and international visitors stomping around viewing the huge variety of wildlife on offer. The best outcome is for a large conservation organisation (not the National Trust, I don't like their recent policies and treatment of volunteers) to take over management of the site, and to build a visitor's centre on the Longwater road. I guess the last suggestion is highly controversial, but this is a large site - I once estimated it is roughly the same size as the RSPB Leighton Moss reserve (bar the estuarine bit) - and a visitor's centre plus large organisation will attract lots of volunteers - something MGLG struggles to do.

Well, we can only hope for the best, but currently there is no light at the end of the tunnel, expect the completion of restoration - much to the relief of the locals.