Part of former sugar beet site in Sproughton Road, Ipswich, could become nature reserve

Part of an old sugar beet site on the outskirts of Ipswich could become a nature reserve to protect it for generations to come.

Babergh District Council believes the 23 hectare patch of land at Eastern Gateway industrial park, in Sproughton Road, could become a ‘green oasis’.

Next Tuesday, the authority will meet to discuss whether or not it should be designated as a local nature reserve.

Now home to the Amazon distribution centre, the plot contains woodland, ponds and reed beds and a range of animals, including kingfishers, deer, otters, water voles, bats and badgers, can be spotted there.

Babergh is working with Ipswich Borough Council – which owns the site – to protect it, subject to a consultation from Natural England.

Cllr Helen Davis, the district council’s cabinet member for climate change, biodiversity and nature recovery, said the site’s rich biodiversity made it ecologically significant.

She said: “My thanks to officers at both Babergh District Council and Ipswich Borough Council, for their working in collaboration on these proposals to protect this valuable oasis for future generations, and also unlock the potential for greater community involvement so that local residents can also enjoy this natural heritage.”

If the designation is granted, it means the site would be managed forever through the Greenways Countryside Project.

The council will also consider whether the site should instead continue to be managed by the councils’ joint Landscape and Ecological Management Plan.

However, a report submitted to the district’s cabinet said this would not be sustainable and could be a detriment to its long-term preservation.

The plans to turn the site into a nature reserve have been recommended for approval.

Ipswich Borough Council has owned the Eastern Gateway park since 2014.

The new plans are being modelled after Belstead Brook Park, which has also been designated as a local nature reserve.

Cllr Lucy Trenchard, Ipswich Borough Council’s portfolio holder for parks and climate change, said the designation would help protect valuable habitat along the River Gipping.

She added: “The recently upgraded river path provides access through the reserve with beautiful river views and a rich diversity of wildlife species.”