Lambley Parish Council have recently completed on the purchase of Lambley Reed Pond, a site of approximately 5 acres in the heart of the village, an area of natural beauty and a haven for wildlife.
Doubts had recently been raised about its future and the purchase is a welcome relief for many in the village.
In May 2019 the then owners, Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, announced that they were intending to sell the Reed Pond at auction to the highest bidder.
The land had originally been donated to them by Mr & Mrs Burks who had lived at Lambley Reed Pond, almost 20 years ago – in their wording they had stated that they were donating it to NWT to ensure that it could be enjoyed by future generations in the village. Unfortunately, there was nothing preventing NWT selling the land, or profiting from it within the deeds.
Fears about its future, and questions about the morality of sale, when it had been originally gifted, were hot topics for several weeks and months within the village.
The Parish Council had applied for a grant to help to purchase the land, however, due to delays on this caused by Covid and concerns that NWT may revert back to considering other purchasers, the Parish Council, together with help from fund raisers, has now purchased the land directly. It will be applying for grants instead to help with making it more accessible, and to ensure it is brought back to its former glory. A “Friends of Reed Pond” group will shortly be formed and volunteers invited to help to create plans to make the most of this valuable and rare gem in the heart of the village.
Lawrence Milbourn, Chair of Lambley Parish Council said : “The Reed Pond is an important green space in the heart of the village and the only way to retain it for use by the community was to purchase it. By doing so we have ensured that it will be there for future generations to enjoy”
