Bosses are wild about a £1m boost to Sutton Park

Oct 17 2009 by Neil Elkes, Birmingham Mail

BIRMINGHAM’S largest park has scooped a £1 million windfall to boost wildlife and heritage and make it more attractive for visitors and help it to keep its free roaming cattle.

The Government high-level stewardship grant has confirmed historic Sutton Park’s status as one of the UK’s most important parks and will see £954,240 invested in the 2,400 acre park over the next ten years.

It will pay for heathland restoration work, woodland management, scientific research, archeology and improving the park for visitors as well as creating several new jobs.

And the cattle, which are allowed to graze freely in the park between April and September, will continue to be brought in.

Park bosses say the visitor enhancements could include better signs and information boards highlighting areas of interest.

The cash comes from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and could be increased with further funding from Forestry Commission Woodland Grants.

Coun David Pears, chairman of the Sutton Park Committee, said: “We had to do a lot of work to secure this grant, including produce our 50-year vision for the park.

“This grant will help us ensure that the park is restored to how it used to be.

“It also means we can keep the cattle grazing in the park,” he added.

They could be further increased with additional funding for achieving scheduled ancient monument status from English Heritage – in view of the park’s archeology which includes stone age and Roman artefacts.

Birmingham’s Parks chief Coun Martin Mullaney added: “This is a terrific boost for one of our major parks and helps fund our vision for the future of the park.

“We’re now looking to improve the wilder areas of the park in keeping with its status as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a National Nature Reserve.”