Viridor is transforming the 120-hectare site into a network of species-rich habitats, including wet grassland, meadowland and hedges. They are being developed to support wildlife such as lapwings, skylarks, breeding wildfowl and ducks.
More than 150kg of seed has been spread across the site in a bid to create an area of wet grassland, which Viridor says is one of the most important habitats to be created at the Beddington Farmlands.
“We are pleased to deliver the first phase of the wet grassland at Beddington,” Adrian Frost, head of project delivery for Viridor, said. “To support the lapwing population at Beddington, we are continuing to manage the sludge drying beds to ensure that the lapwing continue to find suitable habitats onsite as the new wet grasslands establish.”
With the first phase of wet grassland now completed, seeded and managed, the site team’s attention will now turn to the second and third phases, which Viridor says may be created by the end of the year.
Reserve development
The reserve development involves a partnership between Viridor, the London Borough of Sutton, Beddington Farm Bird Group, site ecologists, conservation organisations, local businesses and community groups.
A management body, the Conservation and Access Management Committee, has been formed to coordinate the project.
Councillor Tim Foster, independent councillor for Beddington North and chair of the Conservation and Access Management Committee, said: “I recently visited the site as the chair of the Conservation and Access Management Committee for the Beddington Farmlands. The site is still a working area but Viridor is turning former waste land into a nature reserve.
“Wet grassland habitat has been created to the north of the site with channels and islands with some of the birds already enjoying it”
“This summer wet grassland habitat has been created to the north of the site with channels and islands with some of the birds already enjoying it.
“The Conservation and Access Management Committee is a partnership between Thames Water, Viridor, the London Borough of Sutton and most importantly the community – representatives from Hackbridge and Beddington.
“That is what this whole project is about, the community and restoring the Farmlands for their use.”
Beddington
Viridor says the Beddington Farmlands site in the London borough of Sutton has been in use for the treatment of sewage since 1860.
The waste management company has operated a landfill site, a recycling, food and organic waste transfer operation and a sewerage sludge spreading operation at the site since 2004.
Construction of an energy from waste (EfW) plant at the site began in 2015 (see letsrecycle.com story). Viridor’s operations division assumed control of the plant from CNIM, the contractor tasked with building the plant, in January (see letsrecycle.com story).
The site is owned by Thames Water, but leased to Viridor.
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