We are continuing to enhance The Parks for biodiversity, creating more interesting spaces for wildlife and helping local residents to connect with nature.
About The Parks
The Parks is a 19.3 hectare green space located to the south-east of Bracknell town centre. It features woodland, wildflower meadows, grassland and a range of recreational facilities.
Find out more about The Parks.
What we have done
As part of a trial enhancement project in 2024 we reseeded a 0.7 hectare area of grassland with a wildflower mix, aimed at improving biodiversity.
Some of the wildflowers included:
- birdsfoot trefoil – a member of the pea family with yellow flowers that look like birds’ feet
- field scabious – has pin-cushion-like flowers in the palest lilac colour
- lady's bedstraw – a low-growing yellow flower that attracts a variety of insects
- yarrow – has clusters of white, flat-topped flower heads
- yellow rattle – known for suppressing grass growth, which allows more wildflowers to grow
This followed an ecological survey that identified an opportunity to enhance floral diversity of the grassland.
What we are planning
Following this work, we are now planning to establish further new wildlife areas on site. This will create more space for nature and enhance the area for the local community.
Work proposed includes:
- seeding new areas of wildflower meadow
- digging a new wildlife pond and several new “swales” (shallow ditches which improve drainage but are also planted to create space for nature)
- planting an avenue of 15 fruit trees along the main path
The work is expected to start in late summer 2026 and will be complete by spring 2027. It will not take place all at the same time.
This is part of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) work to help local habitats thrive. We are engaging with The Parks community about this proposal, with an information session held on Tuesday 23 June.
You can download a copy of our project plan below.
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New meadows
We have carefully selected suitable grassland areas within The Parks to be sown with wildflower seed and allowed to grow naturally throughout the spring and summer.
The longer grass and wildflowers will provide valuable shelter, while the nectar-rich blooms will support a wide range of wildlife, including insects, birds and small mammals.
Paths will be cut through these new meadow areas to maintain good recreational access. Visitors will be able to get closer to nature and enjoy colourful floral displays throughout the spring and summer months.
The following pictures show a similar project at Pope's Meadow.
Preparing the soil at Pope's Meadow for wildflower planting.
The wildflower meadow that bloomed in the spring and summer.
Pond and swales
A new pond and drainage swales will create a diverse aquatic habitat, with open water and new vegetation. This will provide food, water, shelter and breeding opportunities for a wide range of wildlife, including:
- dragonflies
- birds
- small mammals like hedgehogs
- amphibians such as frogs
These new wetland features will also help to tackle drainage issues around the site by keeping surface water away from some of the paths.
They will be very shallow, minimising the risk to the public. The pond will have a new fence to reduce disturbance to wildlife and potential accidents with the public.
Fruit trees
We propose planting 15 new fruit trees, which will create spring blossom and autumn fruit. This will provide food and shelter for birds and insects. In time it will also help with local climate mitigation by trapping moisture locally in the air and providing shade to walkers who use the main path.
Those benefits will need some years to develop. In the short term, colourful blossom will make an attractive feature for many locals to enjoy.
Why we are doing this
We are looking to expand key habitats. The Parks has the space to accommodate more areas for nature while still providing high-quality recreational opportunities for local people.
Meadows in decline
Wildflower meadows have declined dramatically across the UK, and this has had knock-on effects for a range of British wildlife. The Joint Nature Conservation Committee found that between 1980 and 2024, distribution of pollinators (such as bees, butterflies, flies and wasps) fell 23% across the UK.
There have been signs in recent years of recovery, due to action being taken to reverse this decline. However, more work is urgently required, which is why we are expanding meadow areas in our parks and open spaces.
Precautions
To keep disruption to a minimum we will:
- use site notices and webpage updates to keep local people informed
- keep all planned works within normal working hours, Monday to Friday
- reduce temporary path closures to a minimum and making sure there are alternate routes
- work with our contractors to develop access routes which minimise ground disturbance and wider disruption to the site with protection for paths where possible
- plant new vegetation to compliment the work and provide new habitats for wildlife
Funding the work
We are proposing to use local developer funding (Section 106 money) to pay for this work. This money must be spent on improving public open spaces that people can use and that will benefit residents of the development.
We have secured the funds and we are recommending they are used for this purpose to:
- help reduce the impact of local developments
- provide offsite biodiversity units for BNG
- contribute to the recovery of nature
- make sure the habitat for wildlife is in a better state than it was before development
Other BNG projects
This is one of several projects we are planning or undertaking to provide a net gain to biodiversity. Other projects include: