Hazlerigg Parish Council has claimed that Newcastle’s Havannah Nature Reserve, an important urban biodiversity site, has been left “abandoned.”
Concerns raised include motorcycles damaging the area, fences needing repair, and dogs being allowed in ponds, all contributing to what council chair Rachel Locke describes as “a rapid decline in biodiversity.”
Urban Green Newcastle, the charity which runs the site, said: “Our rangers carry out regular patrols, site management and monitoring in Havannah Nature Reserve to ensure this popular green space remains an enjoyable place to visit.”
The reserve was managed by Newcastle City Council until 2019, when control shifted to The Newcastle Parks and Allotments Trust, now known as Urban Green Newcastle.
“We were told that things would become a lot better but it’s just been years of rapid decline and now it just feels like the reserve has been abandoned,” Ms Locke said.
She added: “There is such pressure on wildlife with all the development around.
“The site just isn’t being managed, fences were put up last year, but they’ve been pulled down and not repaired, we’ve got motorbikes riding around, open ditches left for months.
“The site desperately needs a permanent warden.”
Joanne Smith from Save Newcastle Wildlife criticised the current state, calling it “a farce.”
“We had red squirrels but they’re gone and surveys show the number of species are declining rapidly as more and more people access the site,” she said.
“It needs to be managed better as a nature reserve, right now people are treating it as a park.”
The council continues to urge action to protect and restore the reserve’s natural environment.
In a statement, Urban Green Newcastle said: “We would encourage park users to contact us if they have any concerns, including biodiversity and local wildlife, and infrastructure like fences and pathways.”
Newcastle City Council, which voted in November to take back control of its parks, including Havannah Nature Reserve, said: “Anti-social behaviour and motorbike disorder is a concern across the region and the police are working proactively to address it and we will support those efforts as we know the distress it can cause communities.”
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