Friends of NL common have been active over the last month or so weather permitting! A couple of sessions have been rained or frosted off!

We have been coppicing the hazel we planted over the last four years – this means cutting them down to ground level to encourage them to shoot and regrow so that  hazel sticks etc will grow and be used for a variety of purposes. 

We protect the stool (stump) while the new shoots regrow either with the plastic tube or with a pile of thorn branches to keep the deer off.

At the same time we have been replacing trees we planted but have died. 

We plan to encourage the dozen or clumps of heather now growing in one glade, so that we can expand it into a larger block – we have taken an expert’s advice on how to achieve this by clearing the grass etc away from around the clumps and exposing the soil  so that when the heather flowers in August /Sept the resulting seeds can be spread on the bare soil and hopefully germinate. 

Acid heaths in Oxfordshire are quite rare so this is a star attraction in the eco system on the common.

Come the spring we will be trying to keep the bracken around the edges of the glades more under control and to stop it smothering young trees.

We are told the newts in the ponds are doing well and  that there is welcome evidence of slow worms and lizards following from the surveys carried out by Harry Fryer – those felt mats placed around the common attract them to take shelter and gain heat on sunny days.

A pair of red kites look as if they might be nesting locally and maybe a pair of ravens – which we have been seeing/hearing.

The gorse is starting to flower, as are the snowdrops and it wont be long before the violets, primroses and bluebells are out.

Birds are starting to pair up and singing – the mistle thrush high up in the treetops around dusk.

Anyone wanting to join the team of volunteers for occasional working parties ( usually Friday mornings twice a month through the winter months) is more than welcome (email hetstjohn@gmail.com)  but if not do go and enjoy what you can see on the Common in the way of flowers and wild life over the changing seasons – there is always something of interest if you keep a look out.

The government Planning Inspectorate is now examining this huge proposal that could place 2.2million solar panels on 3200acres of West Oxfordshire agricultural land.  The entire project area will be greater than the whole size of Heathrow Airport,  or putting it another way, is equivalent to 1800 football fields.   The nearest solar panels to North Leigh parish boundary will be just 1.1 mile away.  It will be one of the largest solar farms in Europe, if it goes ahead.

Some of the major issues identified are as follows:

• Huge size –  too big, wrong place
• 11,500 properties will be within 1.5kms of solar panels – nowhere in the world does this occur
• Loss of productive agricultural land – poor idea in this unstable world.
• 75% of the project will be on Green Belt land
• Risk to heritage  – Blenheim Palace World Heritage Site status could be at risk

Anyone and any organisation can register to have their say

You can do this by typing into Google   “PINS Botley West”.   Then click on “Register to have your say “ .  You can then fill in your name, some other basic information and then your comments about the proposal.  You will receive an email with a registration number showing that your comments have been received.

The Parish Council submitted its representation to National Infrastructure Planning. To view the response, click here. North Leigh Parish Council representation on Botley West Solar Farm January 2025

You must make your comments by 27^th February