Trentham Estate wants large beaver enclosure

The Trentham Estate hopes to introduce four Eurasian beavers

A country estate has put forward plans for a beaver enclosure, with the aim of reintroducing the creatures to its lake next spring.

Trentham Estate, in Stoke-on-Trent, hopes to support four Eurasian Beavers.

The animals were once common in England, but were hunted to extinction in the country in the 16th Century.

The estate said reviving the beaver population could "restore our ecosystems and mitigate the impact of climate change".

'Enormous benefits'

The estate and its parkland attracted more than 3.2m visitors per year and it said wildlife and conservation were a big part of its appeal.

It has previously been successful in reintroducing voles to its lakes.

It also said the reintroduction of beavers needed to be carefully controlled, to keep them away from agricultural land and it hoped the enclosure would offer them a safe place to live.

The Staffordshire Wildlife Trust said beavers contributed to the environment by trimming down trees and shrubs and creating their own waterways, connecting areas of water and supporting other species such as otter, voles and wetland birds.

The estate said this could bring "enormous benefits" to other species and Alastair Budd, senior director at Trentham Estate, added: "Beavers are one of the most important species in our habitats and we want to help visitors to understand why this once extinct UK native should be back in the English countryside."

He said the enclosure, if it gets planning approval, could be one of the largest beaver enclosures in England.