Black Notley Parish Council (BNPC) signed up to the Essex Wildlife Trust Wilder Towns and Wilder Villages Campaign on 29^th June 2022.

The aim is to restore the damaged habitats and create new ones to enable nature and wildlife to thrive.

Our first step towards improving the biodiversity of our green spaces was to implement a biodiversity management plan for the Millennium Green and Cokers Peace.  In order to do this, we engaged the services of ECOS (Essex Ecology Services Ltd) to undertake a survey at each location and to draw up the management plans on our behalf.  These were completed in July 2022. 

The spoil created at the playing field from the construction of the Petanque Court in September 2022 was turned into a bund on the far side of the playing field.  This provided a great opportunity for ‘wilding’.  With guidance from Essex Wildlife Trust, Wilder Communities Manager, Danielle Carbott the bund was divided into sections with native wildflower seeds being sown alongside sections of sand to create bee banks.  An interpretation board will be installed to explain the purpose of the bund to those using the playing field in due course.  Five tonne of sharp sand was used to create the bee banks…. shovelled and barrowed across the playing field in January 2023 by these willing souls!! 

There was great excitement when the new lectern was unveiled October 2009

The meadow near Cokers Close was once home to a sewage works for houses in Black Notley. It was then bought, in the hope it could be built on, however, planning permission was not granted. In 2004 the Parish Council were able to purchase the land with the help of a very generous grant from the Essex Environmental Trust, an organisation set up to award grants to deserving conservation projects with money levied from landfill sites in the area.

With advice from Roger Tabor and Alan Purdy, and using the help of contractors and other volunteers, the Parish Council have now fenced the piece of land. We have cleared the undergrowth, dug out the ever flowing ditch and have removed many tonnes of rubble, iron and plastic.  The land has now been seeded with grass and cut three times.  Two footpaths have also been established. This autumn it will be planted with various indigenous shrubs and trees, kindly supplied by Braintree District Council who are helping us with the planting with their Mencap team. It is intended to be kept as a pleasant wildlife area, encouraging plants and animals to flourish. We hope the people of Black Notley will enjoy this additional 3 acres of village countryside. The planting of trees and shrubs was carried out in 2010.

We are hoping for additional volunteers to assist us with this work. Please contact Helen Waterfield on 550309 if you would like to help.

The Parish Council have 14 allotments plots in the village we currently have a waiting list, if you are interested in going onto the waiting list please, contact the clerk info@blacknotley-pc.gov.uk Giving you name address and telephone number.

Coming soon.