Cufaude Lane – Nature Protection & Enhancement Proposal
The background
Just north of Chineham, you will find Cufaude Lane, an ancient byway that was once a haven for nature. Known locally as the home of a nationally significant population of Common Toads, the area also supports a rich variety of other species including Barn Owls, Skylarks, Brown Hares, and Hazel Dormice.
The future of this landscape is increasingly under threat as housing development continues to encroach on the remaining open countryside. Two new major developments are in progress, together impacting approximately 42 hectares (103 acres) of countryside.
The solution
Natural Basingstoke has produced a proposal setting out how the environment could be protected, linking MOD owned Bramley Camp to the east of Cufaude Lane with land owned by the National Trust, to the west. The proposal also includes creation of a new Local Nature Reserve, on land currently owned by Hampshire County Council, to compensate for the loss of open countryside habitat as a result of development.
This proposal enables houses to be built in the area, whilst safeguarding wildlife and enhancing the local environment and requires minimal change to the existing design produced by the two developers who have planning applications in progress.
The diagram below illustrates the key features of our proposal:
‘Proposed Nature Reserve’ – located on land owned by Hampshire County Council, which has been rejected as a site for development. This field would be designated as a nature reserve, providing offsite compensation for loss of habitat for open countryside species due to development. The reserve would comprise of a mosaic of locally-relevant habitats, including seasonally-cut meadows framed by native species hedgerows and scrub. Amphibian breeding ponds would be created in the low-lying northern corner of the field leading, over time, to the establishment of new breeding colonies of amphibians.
‘Proposed Nature Only Spaces’ – land that we propose is separated from the reminder of the multi-user green spaces, within the two developments, to become part of a dedicated wildlife corridor. This would enhance biodiversity by mirroring the habitat provision in the Proposed Nature Reserve as well as providing additional safeguarding for amphibian migration.
‘Amphibian Spring Migration Route’ – indicates the general direction of migration route for Common Toads and other amphibians; migration occurs in the reverse direction in autumn. Amphibians would access the wildlife corridor via toad tunnels from the new nature reserve to the east.
Other relevant features in the landscape include:
- Cufaude Green Lane, bordering the northwest side of the Taylor Wimpey site, which is currently in the process of being assessed for designation as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation.
- Pightle Copse, an existing Site of Importance for Nature Conservation to the west of the Taylor Wimpey site.
Together, the various landscape elements result in creation of a corridor connecting land owned by MOD (Bramley Camp), an established amphibian hibernation area, with the current ‘Amphibian Breeding Lake’, via a combination of toad tunnels and spaces dedicated to nature. In addition to supporting amphibians this corridor would also provide a refuge for displaced open countryside species, linking up existing natural green spaces.
It is envisaged that this could form part of a wider green corridor in north Basingstoke linking up important tracts of land owned by sympathetic land-owners such s the Forestry Commission, National Trust and MOD.
Our detailed proposal
More information about our proposal can be found in the following document.
Our proposal has the endorsement of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, as set out in their letter attached below.
Next steps
Natural Basingstoke is currently in discussion with the various land-owners and other stakeholder to explore how to make this vision a reality. Further updates will be provided early 2026.