Broken Bridges Nature Reserve awarded £50k grant following unanimous council support

Salisbury City Council is pleased to announce that Broken Bridges Nature Reserve Limited (BBNR) has been awarded a grant to help enable the completion of the purchase of 35 acres of Fitzgerald Farm.

The not-for-profit Community Interest Company has been awarded a grant of £50,000 from the council’s Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funds. The decision to award the grant was unanimously supported by councillors at the Full Council meeting on Monday 4 November 2024.

BBNR aims to purchase land at Fitzgerald Farm, in the area commonly known as Broken Bridges, located between Harnham and Lower Bemerton, to create a nature reserve for the local community. The project’s goals include enhancing the meadow’s biodiversity, providing access to green space for community health and well-being, and improving accessibility along the public footpath, which is a crucial link between Harnham and Bemerton.

Cllr Jeremy Nettle, Chair of BBNR, said, “This is a tremendous step forward and we wish to thank both the Council and all the people and groups in the community that have made donations. This is a huge demonstration of the public support for bringing this much-loved area into community ownership. It is a green lung, giving people access to nature whilst working to improve the much-needed access between Churchfields, the railway station and the new housing developments on Netherhampton Road.

“The city’s donation comes from a much larger contribution to community infrastructure by developers of the new housing estates along Netherhampton Road. This funding, known as CIL, cannot be spent on day-to-day running costs of the council so does not impact service levels or council tax.

“Once the land has been formerly acquired the work begins in implementing our plans, but for now, we just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported us!”

Pam Rouquette, Founder Director of BBNR, said, “Creating a Nature Reserve at Broken Bridges has been our dream for so many years, it is fantastic that the dream can now become a reality. We are delighted that the City Council has given us their full support.”

Anne Trevett, also a Founder Director, said, “This is a really wonderful example of the City Council and local people coming together to begin a project that will go on benefiting the lives of Salisbury people far into the future.”

If you would like to donate to BBNR or find out more, please visit their website at www.mybrokenbridges.org.uk