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Search the Public Notice PortalPlans to build a new education and visitor centre at a Wiltshire nature reserve after the previous building - opened by King Charles nearly 20 years ago - was demolished on safety grounds have been revealed.
An application to Wiltshire Council seeks permission for a replacement visitor building and toilets at Wiltshire Wildlife Trust's Lower Moor nature reserve in Oaksey.
The former timber-framed facility was removed in November 2024 after becoming structurally unsafe.
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"Sadly the previous timber frame building did not stand the test of time," says the Trust.
The new building would be constructed on the existing concrete pad foundations, avoiding the need for fresh excavation and reducing the project's carbon footprint. The approach is also intended to minimise disruption to wildlife, soil structures and nearby vegetation.
A key feature of the scheme is its flood-resilient design. The building would be raised around half a metre above ground level, with an open void beneath allowing floodwater to flow freely through the site without reducing floodplain capacity.
The single-storey structure would be clad in thermally treated timber designed to weather naturally over time, helping it blend into its rural surroundings. A low-profile roof has also been proposed to limit its visual impact on the landscape.
Developers say the project will provide a modern, sustainable replacement for a facility whose need has already been established through an earlier planning approval. The roof would also host a 3kW solar-panel array to generate renewable energy on site.
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Planning officers will now consider the proposal before deciding whether the new visitor hub can be built at the popular nature reserve.
Lower Moor nature reserve, on the Wiltshire-Gloucestershire border, is one of the county's flagship wildlife sites.
Opened by then Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, on behalf of Wiltshire Wildlife Trust in May 2007, the reserve serves as the gateway to the wider Lower Moor Farm complex, linking Clattinger Farm, Oaksey Moor Farm Meadow and Sandpool nature reserves.
Before becoming a nature reserve, much of the site was agricultural land. The lakes which now form the heart of the reserve were created through gravel extraction in the 1970s as part of the development of the Cotswold Water Park.
Today, the 126-hectare reserve is a rich mosaic of lakes, ponds, brooks, wetland scrapes, woodland and species-rich meadows.
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Visitors can spot wildfowl including great crested grebes, teal, shovelers and goosanders, while kingfishers, herons, otters and water voles are among the site's better-known residents.
The reserve is also renowned for its wildflowers, particularly the spectacular displays of rare snakes-head fritillaries each spring.
The visitor centre that is due to be replaced was built when Lower Moor opened in 2007, providing an education and community hub for school groups, volunteers and visitors exploring the reserve.
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