Former Carlisle golf course to be transformed into wildlife haven

A former golf course in Cumbria is set to become the very first urban bee and butterfly oasis in the North West.

The Swifts, in Carlisle city centre, will be transformed into a 'wildlife haven', after Cumbria Wildlife Trust was awarded £80,000 in funding from Cumbria Waste Management Environment Trust and £8,000 from the Environment Agency. 

The site, just off Rickerby Park, used to be a popular golf driving range. Since Carlisle City Council took back control of the site in 2018, it has been managed as a green space for the public.

The money will be used to transform fields and fairways into wildflower meadows, species-rich wetland and native woodland, which will help boost populations of bees and butterflies. The area will also will have improved access and be sign-posted.

Nigel Christian, Carlisle City Councillor and portfolio holder for Environment and Transport, said: “These ecological improvements will give the site new purpose with tangible benefits to wildlife and the environment, as well as being a place for people to roam and explore nature right in the heart of Carlisle."