Photo: Anna Cervova

People in Plymouth are offered an unusual opportunity to help shape the countryside on their doorstep.

A master plan is being drawn up for the Saltram Countryside Park, which will cover 640 acres of land to the east of Plymouth, bringing the best of the countryside to the city.

The idea for a park was first developed in 2005 and discussed as part of the North Plymstock Area Action Plan. It also features in the Plymouth Green Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2010 which sets out how the natural environment will be protected and improved as the city grows over the coming years.

Now a team from Land Use Consultants are starting to put together ideas for the Saltram Countryside Park which they want people to comment on. They include:

• New opportunities for different types of recreation and enjoyment of the countryside to reduce the pressure on Saltram House and its park
• Making it easier for people to get out into the countryside without using a car
• Developing a network of footpaths, bridleways and cycle routes that connect to where people live and to other popular places
• Conserving the area's natural habitats and making new havens for wild plants and animals
• Providing the foundation for productive and profitable land uses that employ local people and provide products for local consumption
• Dramatically transforming and landscaping the Chelson Meadow landfill site. The area already has a wide range of habitats including ancient woodland, flower-rich grasslands, mud flats and a network of hedgerows. A number of businesses, including farms and quarries, operate in the area and it is hoped they will continue to flourish in the park.

The park would include the existing National Trust-owned Saltram Estate, which has the Grade I listed house, as well as a registered park and garden. The Woodland Trust’s Hardwick Wood would also fall within its boundaries as well as privately-owned land.

Natural England, the National Trust and Plymouth City Council have been working closely together along with other partners at South Hams District Council,the Forestry Commission and the Woodland Trust to ensure the city nurtures its vital natural spaces in a coordinated way.

Councillor Ted Fry, Cabinet Member for Planning, Regeneration and Economic Growth said: "Establishing new uses for such a large area of countryside on Plymouth's doorstep is not something that happens every day or something that happens overnight, but getting a plan together shows all the organisations involved are very keen to take this idea forward.

Saltram Estate is hugely popular with people in Plymouth and is one of the few National Trust properties that is right on the boundaries of a major city. This offers a rare opportunity for people to say what they would like to see in a large area of countryside, not just for themselves, but for their children and grandchildren.

With Love Plymouth’s Parks Week happening next week, we could think of no better time to ask for comments on this exciting idea.”

There will be a number of consultation opportunities over the next six months and details will be posted on the Saltram Master Plan web page.

Visitors to Saltram can learn more at a consultation event which will run from Thursday 29 July until Sunday 1 August. There will also be an opportunity to learn more at the Plymstock Quarry event on Friday 30 July from 2 to 6pm at Plymstock Library.

Plymouth City Council Press Releases, 23 July 2010