Where - within five minutes' walk of the Bradbourne Lakes Park - can you find another idyllic area, no sound of the traffic which so pervades our lives, where the only noise is that of the birds, and the views are quite stunning? It took me thirteen years of living in the area to finally pay my first visit, yet it is only just across the fields from where I live. One of our members - indeed a local Councillor (who has lived in the area longer than I have) only recently visited for the first time.
Any ideas? It is the Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve (formerly the Jeffery Harrison Reserve), located on the Bradbourne Vale Road adjacent to the riding school and opposite the end of Lambarde Road.
For those of you who have not yet made the time to visit this tranquil location, I can only say - do. You will be well rewarded for your effort. There is an excellent Visitors' Centre at the start, which contains a superb exhibition of many of the birds and other wildlife that may been seen on the Reserve, and also a quite amazing collection of items that were recovered from the area whilst it was still a gravel quarry. For example, how many of us were aware that there was probably human habitation on the site going back to the Stone Age?
Opening times for non-members are 10.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m. (or dusk if earlier) on Wednesdays, weekends, and Bank Holidays (excluding Christmas through to New Year), and there is a small charge. Dogs (other than guide dogs) and picnics are not allowed on the Reserve. Do also wear stout footwear.
The BPRA Committee feels that it would be to the mutual benefit of both the BPRA members and also the Jeffery Harrison Reserve if we were to foster closer ties. As a start the JHR have very kindly offered to host a BPRA Members' Day in May; full details of this will be in our next Newsletter.
However, there is a possible "black cloud" on the horizon for the Reserve. Members may recall that a development application was submitted to Sevenoaks District Council in 2002 for the building of a Close Care Home for the elderly on part of the Reserve. This was eventually rejected by Sevenoaks District Council in July 2004, however, it is not yet known if Lafarge Aggregates and the developers will Appeal against the decision. Should they do so and win, I believe that it would be very bad news indeed for the future of the Reserve and the wildlife that currently inhabits the locality. Building works would extend over 3-5 years, with all the noise, dust and other pollution that such activities produce. The main buildings will be located just a few yards from the Visitors' Centre, extending towards the shore of the main lake and necessitating the repositioning of local paths and obstructing accesses. It would be very visible from around the lake, and of course the light emitted at night would be bound to affect the local wildlife, very probably driving away some species. General day-to-day noise from the complex - even after the building works were finished - would most likely also cause considerable disturbance to the wildlife. Some 70 residential units are proposed: add together the staff required to run the place, vehicles accessing the site for both residents, staff and ancillary services - and this will add up to what I feel will be a major disruption to the overall peace and tranquillity of the site, doubtless driving away a significant number of the species of birds and other animals which have come to regard this as their home over the almost half-century since the Reserve was established in 1958 by Jeffery Harrison.
If you wish to register your comments with the local Planning Authority, you should write to:
The Planning Director
Sevenoaks District Council
Argyle Road
Sevenoaks
Kent
TN13 1HGand quoting the Planning Application reference SE/02/01272/FUL.
Any further news will be put up on this Site.
Kevin M. Saggers
Webmaster
Associated Links
Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve - SWR's Page on the Kent Wildlife Trust Site
- A view on the proposed development
The views expressed on linked Sites are not necessarily those of the BPRA, or endorsed by them. These links are provided purely for the benefit of members, who may wish to see a wider range of views.