THE GREENING OF HEADINGTON
The aim is the greening of Headington through spatial planning policies and community projects designed to protect and enhance green space and biodiversity.
The policies and projects were established as part of the Headington Neighbourhood Plan and provide for the protection and extension of green spaces including parks, trees and allotments, the protection and enhancement of the green setting including verges and non-designated publicly accessible green space and the protection and enhancement of biodiversity and conservation sites.

​Live in Headington? Your Garden Can Help the Lye Valley Rare Wetland!


  • The Lye Valley rare fen wetland is fed by spring-water that originates as rain falling in Headington in green areas and gardens.
  • Rain enters the soil, goes through porous limestone underground and comes out in the fen springs (months later) to keep all the fen rare flowers and insects happily wet.
  • The fen springs are not getting enough water due to hard-surfacing (roads, houses) stopping rain entering soil.
  • This is worse because Climate Change is making hotter and drier summers; there is less rain as droughts become commoner.
  • Water from your roof/paving MAY go to a soakaway (excellent!). If not, it may connect to a big surface drain pipe which (after a storm) pours into Lye Brook and gives flash-flooding, scouring the bottom of the brook, eroding the fen and causing flooding to properties down in Cowley Marsh.  
  • If you don’t have a soakaway, you could help get more rainwater into the soil and underground rocks by interrupting your roof downpipe to collect water into a water butt and then use this to water your garden. This means more water for the fen springs…every little bit helps.
  • This would also mean less water goes to the destructive road drain which spews  storm water into Lye Brook, causing a flash-flood, damaging the fen and flooding homes down in Cowley Marsh.
  • Please consider alternatives to concrete/tarmac areas of your front or back garden or using plastic grass – all these stop rain naturally entering the soil and feeding water to the fen springs. Limestone gravel will allow rain into the ground – provided it doesn’t have a weed-proof and waterproof underlay.
 
By Friends of Lye Valley (FoLV). See http://www.friendsoflyevalley.org.uk/