It made my heart miss a beat when I first read Pete's post, Moore reserve does face great uncertainty when the adjacent landfill ends.

The reserve came into being as a concession to the landfill development in the late 1980s, and as been managed well by the waste company ever since.

Originally the whole area was to be filled with imported New York waste, a concept stopped by the farming community as they feared alien threats like the Colorado Beetle.

God bless our farmers.

I have recently checked Peel Ports plans for the proposed Warrington development by the ship canal, they are viewable online, from what I could see no encroachment onto the reserve is planned.

The boundary will be Birchwood Lane and the cinder track that leads from to meet Eastford Road by the railway arches.

Looking at the proposed housing development mentioned in Pete's post, on the council's website, the reserve escapes unscathed.

The land to be built on is the former sheep pasture to the North West, existing access roads are to be upgraded and the new ones do not touch the reserve.

The planted areas on the South side of the landfill will become a wooded park, screening the housing no only from the reserve lagoons, but from the 24/7 operation of the port.

There will no doubt be more disturbance in places like the Eastern Reedbed, impacting it's winter Bitterns, as the site will no doubt become a popular amenity to the new residents.

What worries me most about Moore's future is what plans are in store for it's Western end, Norton Marsh and Mosside. Much of this land is owned by the Forestry Commision,

and as we all know would have "flogged off" had the government got their way recently. There's enough prime building land here to make a developers mouth water.

With the economic climate in the country being what it is at the moment, developers and authorities can get away with selling granny to the glue works if it creates jobs, even short term ones.

Of course to birders and wildlife lovers this area means Barn Owl and Yellowhammer habitat, but they are seen as none earners in commercial circles.

If you love wildlife and open space you should be prepared for battle in the near future.