WELLINGTON Town Council is set to take on a piece of land known as Dormouse Wood on the Jurston Farm development.

Councillors were told on Monday (September 2) that developers C. G. Fry were now in a position to consider transferring over the land.

This has always been planned, but had been held up while there were issues around the potential need for phosphate mitigation.

Town clerk Dave Farrow and the council's open spaces manager, Darren Hill, were due to meet with David Lohfink, of C. G. Fry, on Thursday (September 5) as the Wellington Weekly News went to press.

It was back in February 2021 when councillors agreed to take on the dormouse woodland which is the same size as six international rugby pitches.

The council’s environment and open spaces committee were told that developers C. G. Fry had proposed transferring the woodland area at the Jurston Farm development over to the authority subject to legal agreements.

But it was back in May 2019 when the council originally said it was keen on taking on the six-hectare woodland, while Wellington Scout Group had also shown an interest in using the area for activities and discussions about forming a Friends’ of the Dormouse Woodland Group had been held.

Dormice are given full protection under the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act.

Initially councillors were under the impression that the dormouse woodland was just 0.6 hectares in size, so they were squeaking with excitement when they told it was actually six hectares – the equivalent of a whopping 15 acres.

Kathryn Hemensley, the council’s clerk at the time, speaking about the issue in May 2019, said: “This is a considerable plot of woodland.”

Cllr Mark Lithgow said: “Fifteen acres of land – there’ll be plenty of space for everybody.”

And Cllr Andrew Govier quipped: “These dormice have got it good!”

It is not known for sure whether the woodland set to be transferred to the council is still the 15 acres first talked about, but the council’s current clerk, Dave Farrow, told the WWN that they would find out in their meeting this week with C. G. Fry.