AN area of York held up as a haven for nature could be granted protected status.
An application to designate the Hempland Lane Allotments Community Wildlife Area as an Asset of Community Value (ACV) is set for a City of York Council ruling.
The Hempland Lane Allotment Association’s bid for the status said the quiet spaces have been enjoyed by plot holders, local residents and the general public for more than 25 years.
A council report stated the land appeared to have been used in a way that had strengthened community bonds.
It comes as the application is set to go before a council decision session for a ruling on Tuesday, October 6.
ACV status is granted to buildings or sites which are deemed to further social interests and wellbeing in a community, or has recently done or would in the future.
Those deemed to qualify can include cultural and sporting venues or those found to contribute to social wellbeing in a local community.
If ACV status is granted to a site and its owner then decides to sell it, they will be made to wait for six weeks to give eligible local groups the chance to come forward with bids.
A full six-month moratorium is then triggered if a potential bidder comes forward, otherwise the building can then be sold on the open market.
Heworth’s Hempland Lane Allotments Community Wildlife Area is currently owned by the council.
The Allotments Association’s application stated the area had been created in a derelict former paddock in 2000 with council approval.
It added its two seasonal ponds helped to drain the surrounding land.
The group stated: “It was converted into a quiet space where nature could thrive.
“The area provides peace and tranquillity, offering a serene escape for its visitors, including nature enthusiasts and wildlife lovers.
“It is a haven for a rich variety of flora and fauna, and is a crucial habitat for many species, including bats, owls, goldfinches, great tits, blue tits, woodpeckers, willow warblers, frogs and newts.
“It is regularly visited and used by allotment holders, local schoolchildren, and nearby residents as a quiet place to rest, contemplate, and be at one with nature.
“Recently the pond was redesigned to aid frogs and newts to flourish.
“The clearing in the woodland houses three memorial benches, paid for and placed there by people who have lost loved ones who enjoyed this quiet place.
“Listing this area as an ACV would formally recognise its value to the local community.”