Land transfer to the RSPB

Some of the UK’s rarest species were given a unique home in 2023, as Tarmac transferred ownership of the Langford Lowfields wetland habitat to the RSPB. Situated on the banks of the River Trent, Tarmac, along with Trinity College, Cambridge, signed over 120 hectares of land in Nottinghamshire to the charity, in a historic deal 25 years in the making.

Langford Lowfields is a haven for nature, and at the heart of the thriving wetland site sits the largest reedbed in the East Midlands. The reserve is home to bitterns, once nearly extinct in Britain, and other key species including bearded tits, marsh harriers and otters.

Reedbed habitat has seen massive decline in the UK, predominantly due to land drainage, so in the late 1990s, an agreement involving the RSPB and landowners Tarmac and Trinity College was signed, which meant that quarried land would be passed over to the RSPB to manage for the benefit of wildlife and nature. Early February last year saw the fulfilment of that agreement.

Joe Harris, site manager at RSPB Langford Lowfields, said: “Langford Lowfields is a vital and thriving wetland wonderland, that provides a home for a range of amazing wildlife.

“This recent transfer of land to the RSPB marks a significant milestone in the history of the nature reserve, and also in the ongoing, strong partnership between us and Tarmac.”

This partnership has helped create a home for a diverse range of wildlife, with 215 species of bird being recorded on site and 53 species breeding there in 2022 and in 2023 we had 26 red and amber listed Birds of Conservation concern breed at the site. Joe Harris said: “Key reedbed species, once on the brink of extinction in the UK, now breed here, including the iconic bittern, whose loud booming call can be heard throughout the spring.”

“Looking ahead, as the woodlands, wetland, meadow and reedbed continue to develop and establish, so the variety of wildlife that people can see at Langford will continue to increase.”

Stuart Wykes, director, real estate Europe at CRH, said: “We have built an invaluable relationship with RSPB over the years, and Langford Lowfields perfectly demonstrates how, through working together, conservation on a large scale can be very successful.

“As part of our ongoing relationship, the RSPB work hard to look after the wetland habitat whilst we support with any restoration required. Restoring sites back to nature like this, makes a positive impact on climate change and biodiversity loss.

“We’re looking forward to continuing our relationship with the RSPB and seeing just how the Langford Lowfields site grows and evolves in the future.”