A successful grant application to the Awards for All Lottery Fund by the Friends of Aston Brickyard Plantation (FAB) means the group can continue their valuable work in partnership with Derbyshire County Council to manage and conserve this historic woodland and grassland.
The plantation is at the side of Derby Road on the north edge of Aston on Trent. It’s an area of mixed woodland planting and a wildflower meadow on the site of a former clay pit and brick works. It was a major gypsum provider in the 18th century, a brick works until mid-1960s, and then a landfill site until the late 1970s when villagers began to plant trees. The site was left wild until 2012 when FAB was formed with our guidance.
The grant of £9,000 will be used for the following work:
- Information points, interpretive panels and signage
- Provision of seating and easier access to vantage and observation areas
- Planning and establishing of flora and fauna surveys to add to national, regional and local databases
- Conservation/environmental learning and awareness-raising opportunities for the community, especially for young people.
The Council have trained the FAB volunteer workforce, many of whom have also brought valuable expertise to the project. The Cabinet Support Member for Highways, Transport and Infrastructure councillor Trevor Ainsworth, said: “In common with many of our countryside sites Aston Brickyard Plantation is built on land reclaimed from former industrial use and returned to nature for the enjoyment of both residents and visitors.
“We are very grateful to FAB for their commitment to continually enhancing the site which has become an important community resource and a home for a wide range of wildlife. Their fundraising success is great news. We congratulate them on this and look forward to working with them to bring about further improvements.”
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