Wild Woodmancote park - work stalled briefly over hedgehogs

The park at Woodmancote, Warndon, Worcester had become overgrown with thick brambles and nettles and had fallen victim to fly-tippers.

Now Sanctuary Housing, which owns the land, may have to call in an ecologist so no hedgehogs, a protected species, are hurt by the clearance work.

A pushchair, office seat, bin bags, a paint roller, toilet roll and soggy beer crates are just a sample of the items dumped in the encroaching undergrowth. 

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The park once contained children's play equipment including a zip-wire, slide and 'wigwam', removed in 2008. 

One resident called it a 'jungle' and 'a mess' as a campaign gathers pace for it to be returned to a green space the community can use. 

Cllr Jill Desayrah (left) and Lorraine Spencer look out over 'the jungle' of Woodmancote in Warndon. (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)

Landowners Sanctuary moved workmen in on Wednesday with diggers to clear the vegetation. As previously reported, the poor state of the park was raised by residents and the ward councillor, Jill Desayrah, who called the clearance 'a great result for the local area' in a letter.

However, one resident said there were 'hibernating hedgehogs' living in the vegetation and that work had now 'stopped'.

A spokesperson for Sanctuary said: "Staff are going to focus on a small area initially and then halt clearance so we can get an expert (ecologist) to come and offer advice/make recommendations on how we move forward."

Cllr Desayrah, who visited the site on Tuesday and Wednesday, said she had received a phone call from someone who was distressed the digger was on site 'and might endanger hibernating hedgehogs in the brambles'.

"This was the first report of the possible presence of hedgehogs we had had," said Cllr Desayrah.

She rang the development manager and went straight to the site and spoke to the foreman. Cllr Desayrah also said she spoke to the resident who had raised concerns.

Cllr Desayrah said: "The foreman and the site worker were very understanding and cooperative once they knew the position.

"It was agreed by us all that the concrete base area was very unlikely to have hibernating hedgehogs there as it is too cold to support them. On that basis, along with assurances that every care would be taken to watch out for hedgehogs, the clearance inside the fencing continued.

"Sanctuary listened and reacted appropriately once the situation was known to them. None of us thought that any hedgehogs have been harmed as far.

"The schedule for completing the clearance beyond the fencing is now to be managed carefully by Sanctuary. I will follow up with the Sanctuary manager but I'm confident they will want to handle the situation properly and avoid harming these protected animals, if they are present."