Life in the Cobblers Hall area of town has been enlivened recently by the appearance, then removal, then reappearance of a horse (or horses – opinion is split) in the Nature Reserve area surrounding the SUDS pond.
Especially the first horse – which people thought had been abandoned – became a celebrity, visited by families almost as a tourist attraction, and fed endless apples and carrots. On the second occasion, when the horse appeared complete with trough and bale of hay, public opinion was more hostile, as people realised that a valued public facility was being wilfully misused.
I have been of the opinion that we MUST establish very firmly that this is a Nature Reserve. A great deal has been spent on landscaping and seeding. It is our hope that, as it grows and develops, it will become a small water fowl sanctuary, and that birds will nest there as well as visit. That is why it is fenced off – it needs to be closed and protected to achieve its potential, and it is most certainly *not* for illegal grazing.
I was therefore glad to see that the latest horse’s owner removed it last Saturday, responding responsibly to public demand and resolute council action. We have to be determined about this, or we may find our long-sought Nature Reserve is continually being wrecked by unscrupulous horse-owners who see it as an easy touch.
And I have to applaud the residents of Cobblers Hall, who have shared heart-warming care for the horse(s) with concern about their Nature Reserve.
Cllr John D Clare