The Steel Valley Project - the potential to enhance the level of biodiversity in Stocksbridge

Biodiversity is an important factor in enhancing sustainability

The Steel Valley Project (SVP) team has become more involved in habitat management and creation in recent years. This reflects the growing alarm in Britain about the decrease in biodiversity in the countryside as well as urban areas. Nationally we have been fairly good about identifying and preserving the best of our remaining natural habitats - identifying them as islands of land to be conserved and from which development has been excluded. However, until recently the role played by the rest of the countryside and the unbuilt land within cities in supporting biodiversity has been ignored.

In Stocksbridge the Steel Valley Project team have been trying to redress this imbalance by identifying the potential to enhance biodiversity. They have been working on the countryside and more recently in the built-up area to develop ideas, approaches and schemes, which should eventually mean that a more sustainable local environment develops to support biodiversity, as well as people's needs.

The local sites of scientific interest

There are several sites of local and regional value for their scientific interest as shown in this diagram - click for details about local natural environment.

The potential

SVP's task

Gardens and biodiversity

Assessment of
potential

 
 
The Ecological
survey

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