Bid to form friends group for Bury St Edmunds nature reserve

Two councillors are looking to help form a friends group to care for a Bury St Edmunds nature reserve and boost it as a ‘community resource’.

Green Cllr Julia Wakelam and Independent Cllr David Nettleton are appealing for interested residents to join a Friends of Tayfen Nature Reserve.

The group would help look after the green area, off Spring Lane, and come up with initiatives to ensure it’s used more.

St Edmundsbury Borough Council will continue to maintain the site and the new group’s work would be supported through both councillors’ locality budgets.

Cllr Julia Wakelam, who was part of a group which helped save the reserve from being developed in 1995, said: “It’s a lovely space and could be used more. If more people were involved in the nature reserve it would become much more of a community resource.

“When we first rescued it we had community events there. I think it would be nice for that to come back. Although it’s nice, it isn’t looking loved.”

Cllr Wakelam said she had been contacted by residents concerned about teenagers ‘colonising’ the reserve and children’s play area. She said a space could be created in the reserve for older children.

Cllr David Nettleton said they were also looking at installing a new bench along the pathway.

Anyone who wants to join the group should call the council on (01284) 763233 or email David.Nettleton@stedsbc.gov.uk or Julia.Wakelam@stedsbc.gov.uk