Biodiversity Annual Monitoring Report for the Vale of White Horse
Each year the council publishes a South Oxfordshire Biodiversity Annual Monitoring Report which provides a snapshot of how some of our most important habitats and species are doing.
Download the Biodiversity Annual Monitoring Report 2022-2023 for Vale of White Horse
Our wildflower meadows
We have several designated areas in the Vale that are our wildflower meadows where we only cut the grass three times during the year – at the beginning and end of the growing season in March and October, plus a cut and rake up in September once the wildflowers have set seed.
This helps to ensure that grass doesn’t dominate the area and gives wildflowers the chance to establish and grow. In some cases, we also plug plants or sow wildflower seeds to encourage a more diverse range of species.
If you click on following links you will be able to download the maps showing our wildflower areas for:
Looking after land we own and manage
In May 2022 we trialled letting the grass grow on sections of land we own in Abingdon, Faringdon and Wantage,, with one or two cuts at the beginning and end of the growing season. This allowed wild plants and flowers to grow, which was good news for insect life, particularly pollinators such as bees and birds. In 2023 we extended the trial further with our Let It Bee project which included more sites across the district.
And in 2024 we have added new sites to our meadow areas following recommendations from residents, council members and parish councils. These have been carefully managed and monitored with the aim of increasing wildlife, as well allowing the existing plants to thrive by not being cut so often. This should make the plants and soil better able to withstand periods of extreme weather.
More on how we manage our land on our grass cutting page.
Tree planting
We want to see a vast increase in tree planting across the district, on both public and private land.
On our tree planting page we have information on how to get involved with tree planting projects. Also support for tree planting projects as well as information on planting trees on council land.
Funding for nature recovery projects
We have the Climate Action Fund which provides grants of up to £10,000 for climate-focused projects including for nature and biodiversity.
We also provide grants to local community organisations, which could be used for climate projects.
We have a list of other sources of funding for community projects on this page which shows where to get funding.
Oxfordshire’s Local Nature Partnership (LNP)
Oxfordshire’s Local Nature Partnership (LNP) brings together councils, universities, environmental organisations, farmers, business and landowners, and puts nature at the heart of decision-making to help our communities and nature to thrive. You can find out more on the organisation’s website.
Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) for Oxfordshire
The Oxfordshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) is one of 48 strategies which will cover the whole of England. The LNRS is being prepared by a partnership of organisations from across the county. Oxfordshire County Council is the ‘Responsible Authority’ leading on the preparation of the LNRS with Vale of White Horse District Council acting as ‘Supporting Authority’. The final LNRS which is due to be published in 2025 will set out the priorities for nature recovery in Oxfordshire.
The consultation on the draft LNRS was published in September 2024 and you can read Vale of White Horse District Council’s response here.
Biodiversity and planning
The council works to protect and enhance biodiversity through the land use planning system to help ensure our local environment is better protected for future generations.
More info is on our Biodiversity and planning page.
This page covers (among other things):
- Biodiversity Net Gain
- Local Plans
- Neighbourhood plans
- Great Crested Newts
Rivers and Waterways
We have a dedicated page for rivers and waterways which covers
- River catchment partnerships
- Where to get information on sewage discharges into our rivers
Oxfordshire's state of nature report
Oxfordshire’s State of Nature report provides us with a picture of the state of Oxfordshire’s natural habitats and species. It helps us prioritise landscape-wide initiatives such as the 15 Conservation Target Areas (CTAs) in South Oxfordshire where we can direct our efforts to make the biggest impact.
