Urgent engineering work will begin at Lindow Moss on Monday, January 25th, as part of the restoration programme.
In 2018 Croghan Peat were given planning consent to build 14 houses on the peat processing site conditional upon them restoring the rest of the area to a raised bog habitat - as it was before peat extraction commenced.
Martin Cooper, the site manager for Croghan Peat, confirmed to Transition Wilmslow that they had completed a survey, with the use of drones, to enable them to put together the detailed design for the restoration of the area.
The section on the south side of the central access track (identified as compartment 5) could not be surveyed because of the large volume of surface water due to a blocked drain. The water in Compartment 5 will need to be reduced in order to protect the main access track.
Therefore, starting on Monday, January 25th, engineering work will begin to construct new (East to West) drains to connect Compartment 5 to Compartment 4. The drains will be cut through the access track to the former Peat Farm (peat processing site). This will allow water to drain from Compartment 5 to Compartment 4, as shown in the drainage plan for the approved restoration scheme.
As spokesperson for Transition Wilmslow, commented "In the summer of 2020, a peat bund was installed in the main drain with a connecting pipe to set the water level in the SW corner of Compartment 6B. This is the principal Water Vole habitat on the site. This drain has been deliberately blocked, raising the water levels in Compartment 6B and threatening the Water Vole habitat.
"The drain through the peat bund has now been cleared and Jeff Clarke the consultant ecologist is concerned that this remains clear to safeguard the habitat of this protected species."
