Wildlife trust seeks to buy long sought-after land

The land could be sold for housing, Durham Wildlife Trust said

A wildlife trust is seeking £54,000 to help buy fields near its nature reserve which it said could be sold to housing developers.

Durham Wildlife Trust needs to raise the money before October so it can buy the fields bordering the driveway to its Rainton Meadows reserve in Durham.

Emily Routledge, head of development and communications at the charity, said the trust had been trying to buy the land for years, but the landowner has only recently entertained its offer.

The trust wants to use the fields to make the nature reserve larger, she said.

Ms Routledge said there has long been a desire for development on the fields.

A planning application for housing last went to the local authority in 2018, she said.

If any plans were approved, they would be "really detrimental" to the reserve where more than 200 bird species have been recorded, Ms Routledge added.

Housing developments nearby would mean more house cats nearby, she said.

"This would have a significant detrimental impact on ground nesting birds."

The wildlife trust has an October deadline to unlock cash from the Landfill Communities Fund.

The fields themselves cost £540,000 and the charity needs to raise 10% of this itself in order to access the rest.

It launched its campaign on Thursday after sending donation letters to its members and has already raised more than £11,000.

If the land is purchased, the plan is to start work next year creating new wetlands on the site.