Improving Broomhill Flash, part of Dearne Valley NIA

Dearne Valley Green Heart Nature Improvement Area (NIA) – in the centre of the former South Yorkshire coalfield – is one of 12 landscape-scale partnership projects, created by Defra and Natural England, to improve landscapes for people and nature through restoring, expanding and joining up wildlife-rich areas. Broomhill Flash is one of the local wildlife havens (meadows and wetland) contributing to the importance of the Dearne Valley as a whole. A former Wildlife Trust site, the reserve is now operated by The Garganey Trust who provide a hide, interpretation boards, car park and leaflets to help local people and visitors access and learn about the site and its wildlife. The existing hide is a basic concrete block structure of utilitarian design not in keeping with the NIA. Through refurbishment, provision of an improved outlook over the wetland area and associated landscaping works, all within the existing footprint, a revamped hide will raise the ambition in design terms and increase recreation value.