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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ColinD" data-source="post: 1158786" data-attributes="member: 55409">I wondered what your opinion is of this:<a href="http://www.sthelens.gov.uk/newsarticle.do?articleid=4213" target="_blank">http://www.sthelens.gov.uk/newsarticle.do?articleid=4213</a> If you don’t want to read the link, here is a quick overview. Inglenook Farm is on the Rainford bypass, just north of St Helens. It consists of 500 acres of farmland. It is one of the top sites in St Helens for Skylark, Lapwing, Corn Bunting and in winter Pink-footed Goose. Yellow Wagtails are always in the area in summer and probably breed. They certainly breed on the adjacent fields. Also Grey Partridge, Tree Sparrows and Brown Hares.The farm is to be developed into “…100 acres of wildflowers and lavender and other essential oils crops….. Fields of lavender and acres of stunning wildflowers will become a familiar sight in St.Helens with the prospective launch of the UK's first essential oils and national wildflower farm.”. What happens to the other 400 acres is not obvious to me. I guess it just stays as it is.The web site goes onto say “Once the fields are established we will also use the farm for some of our project work researching sustainable landscapes, while the living seed bank will conserve some species that would not otherwise survive, so that we can continue to establish new wildflower landscapes across the UK.".Finally “This development will bring our wildflower fields to one stunning location, making them more efficient to grow and harvest, and providing a fantastic new nature, education and tourism resource for people in St.Helens, the Northwest and beyond. “This seems like good news to me. The seeds on these fields in winter can surely only be good for farmland birds, and I know one of the organisations involved and they do like to look after wildlfe, and are keen to show that what they are doing encourages wildlife.The plan is still at the planning permission stage because they need to convert some of the farm buildings.As I said, it all seems like good news. But should I be worried? Does it pose any threat to the wildlife which is alrwady there? Or does it help conserve and consolidate that wildlife? How would you feel if it was coming to your area?</blockquote>

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