Main Car Park.
In the spring of this year, FoSCP came to an agreement with Wiltshire Council that the Council would forego charging park users to park if, from October, FoSCP kept the car park surface in a fair condition. As part of the agreement, the council would provide the materials, the Friends provide the work and visitors to the park would continue to use it for free. It is hoped that the repairs made in November will last until a more thorough repair to the whole surface area is planned for March 2019.
Proposed Development Church Lane. This proposed residential development, although outside SCP, shares a common border with the park for some 500 metres – the Lambrok Stream The FoSCP are deeply concerned and believe that Lambrok Streams’ ecological importance has not been properly assessed. Furthermore we believe that it will not be possible to protect Lambrok Streams’ biota from the consequences of development at the Church Lane site and that the development of the site will incur loss of habitat for the park’s wildlife. The Ecology Preliminary Ecological Appraisal produced for RPS as part of their application is considered weak; FoSCP intend to commission a more rigorous survey.
Working with Groups. During the year the Countryside Team and Friends have hosted groups from:
Wheels for All. In March Rob Paget from Wilts council and Chris Revill from Wheels for All visited SCP to assess its suitability for an adapted cycling programme for people of all ages with disabilities. It is intended that a container for the cycles will be located by the HNC and the programme started in 2019.
parkrun. Continues to attract with an average of about 300 participating in each event. However, this is affecting the hard path and certain areas of the circuit which continue to deteriorate. Action to rectify this is becoming urgent.
Friends of SCP.
During the year and the bi-monthly working parties a great deal has been achieved in the promotion of and maintenance of the Park:
A vibrant Webpage edited by Suzanne Humphries now has more than 700 followers and apart from providing information and photographs on the fauna and flora within the park and all the works carried out by the FoSCP leads on campaigns directly affecting SCP, in particular the RPS’s planning application to develop the Church Lane site.
FoSCP have a regular contribution, provided by Sarah Marsh, in the Southwick Village News.
Hedge reduced and its immediate area cleared in the main car park area to make more visible the SCP sign.
Brambles and undergrowth cleared around newer plantings [Sheep Field, Heritage Orchard, near entrance Oak] plus widening various gateways and paths throughout the park to make them more accessible to the public.
Ragwort, principally in Village Green, Corn Field, Sheep Field and The Race pulled prior to the hay cut.
Following the agreement with the Wiltshire Council for FoSCP to maintain the Car Park to an agreed standard in order that parking remained free, Pot holes were repaired in November.
Fund Raising.
Through the Friends [Southwick Fete, HNC Christmas Market and other projects] some £159 was raised.
Additionally an Area Board Grant of £800, for tools and equipment for the FoSCP, has allowed the procurement of; HiViz Vests, Ragforks, various saws, telescopic Pruner, shears and a Waist wader.
Flora & Fauna.
Slow Worms and Grass snake recorded during the year.
It was a poor year for lepidoptera, surveys were made in June and September, generally numbers were down but new records of Small Heath and Dot moth made.
First records made of Jerusalem Artichoke, Skylark, Linnet, Little Egret and Marsh Tit and
confirmation of Cuckoo and Barn Owls in the park.
During the summer seven species of Odonata were confirmed, including the Scarce Chaser.
Southwick Country Park Nature Reserve 