Cotswold Water Park has been announced as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
Natural England has given all 177 lakes covering 2,000 hectares of Cotswold Water Park, SSSI status.
The status will enable Natural England to work with the owners and occupiers of the venue to protect and enhance its wildlife – which includes scarce species such as little egret, little ringed plover and nightingale – while continuing to live, work, run businesses and follow leisure pursuits at the site.
Cotswold Water Park Trust Chairman, Paul Hazel, said: ‘The Cotswold Water Park Trust has worked for many years with its volunteers, land and lake owners and commercial operators, to try and protect and enhance the area’s wildlife and habitats.
‘The Trust is pleased, therefore, that Natural England has now formally recognised the significance of the Cotswold Water Park’s biodiversity, and in particular its importance to breeding and wintering birds… It is crucial that the Cotswold Water Park moves forward as a balanced and sustainable example of how wildlife and people can successfully coexist, and that the public can continue to enjoy the benefits of living in, working in, or visiting this unique area.’
