Landfill site to become nature reserve

Essex's Pitsea landfill site has been sought after by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) to become an area "rich in wildlife".

The bird charity is looking to buy the site as part of its Futurescapes Programme, which will see the charity transform neglected land into nature reserves to "restore disappearing species".

Aidan Lonergan, RSPB's Futurescapes manager, said: "We need to move beyond the nature reserve and create really big areas of land, whole landscapes, where wildlife has space to move and thrive."

The charity hopes to buy Pitsea, one of the UK's largest landfill sites handling over 800,000 tonnes of waste per year, after the site is sealed at the start of the next decade.

It will team up with waste management firm Veolia ES Limited to regenerate the 240-hectare landfill by creating huge meadows, wetlands and picnic areas.

Mr Lonergan added that the Futurescapes programme, which includes projects stretching from Wiltshire to Wales, will make large areas of the country rich in wildlife.

Working with local organisations, the RSPB has already spent £50 million regenerating land.

Posted by Claire Manning