The Green Lungs of South Colchester
Welcome to the campaign to save the middlewick ranges.
Protect Our Nightingales Today
Home to a premier UK nightingale population, with 59 singing males.
Conserve Our Rare Acid Grassland
Essex's largest rare acid grassland, hosting 1,480+ invertebrates, 150+ rare.
Champion Colchesters' Biodiversity
A biodiversity hotspot near Colchester, where skylarks and nightingales thrive.
Act Against Irreversible Damage
1000 homes threaten this irreplaceable site. Flawed science and development bias cannot win.
Welcome.
The Save the Middlewick campaign group was set up in 2016 in response to Colchester Borough Council’s decision to include the site within the Local Plan.
This important Local Wildlife site and much loved green space is a safe haven for our depleting wildlife and a green lung for residents in our otherwise heavily congested air.
Act Now: Sign the Petition to Save Middlewick Ranges
Sitting on the southern edge of Colchester, Middlewick Ranges—locally known as ‘the Wick’—is home to a rich diversity of animals, including the UK’s second-best population of Red Listed Nightingales, nesting Skylarks, Vulnerable Barbastelle Bats, and almost 1,500 invertebrate species. Despite its huge value, the site has been earmarked for development.
This petition calls for Colchester City Council to recognise the unique importance of Middlewick Ranges and remove it from the Local Plan. Help us protect this precious ecosystem.
How you
can help
- As a movement, we rely on people joining and supporting the cause. You can help by signing our petition, writing to your MP, the council and newspapers.
- We would also love to hear from you if you have a special skill, but if not you can still make a huge difference just by lending your voice and making as much noise as possible to help raise more awareness of the importance of this site, in the hope that we can get it the protection it so rightly deserves.
Please help us protect nature, wildlife, clean air and the health and wellbeing of the residents of Colchester.
#savethemiddlewick and click the link below
Be part of it.
You can also help by sharing your story!
Middlewick Ranges isn’t just a place; it’s a part of our lives. Whether you’ve grown up playing on the Wick, enjoyed peaceful jogs along its perimeters, or found solace in its tranquil spaces during tough times, your experiences are powerful testimonies to the importance of preserving this beautiful area.
Have you experienced moments of joy walking your dog through the vibrant trails? Perhaps you’ve cherished the fresh air and quiet moments of reflection amidst nature? Or found community with others?
Your stories inspire others and highlight the crucial role that Middlewick Ranges plays in our well-being. Share how the Wick has touched your life: your adventures, your reflections, and your connections. By telling your tale, you help raise awareness and foster a stronger community bond to protect the place we all love.
Share your story
Middlewick on TV
Back in 2020, Channel 4 News found out about our Fight and wanted to feature us on their program.
The speakers on the program are Annie Gordon (Essex Wildlife Trust), and Dr Chris Gibson local Ecologist and formerly of Natural England.
The Cost of Development
1000 Homes
Houses proposed on Middlewick
1300 cars
Number of new cars (at least)
390 cats
on average new cats (bird predation)
Download & print the poster at home
to protest it today!
Buglife
“Buglife is part of a coalition to get Middlewick Ranges removed from the Local Plan and develop a vision for its long-term future that protects it for wildlife and people”
Essex Wildlife Trust
“Essex Wildlife Trust remains fundamentally opposed to the proposals for Middlewick Ranges for housing”
The Countryside Charity
“A wonderful site for wildlife we must not lose”
Community Planning Alliance
“From a biodiversity perspective, this should be ringing a jumbo alarm bell. The developers couldn’t do what they wanted using the official metric, so they made one up”
Colchester Natural History Society
“We’ve been amazed that the Ranges have been found to support 1480 species of invertebrate, including 167 species with a conservation status proving the site is far richer than Stantec stated”
The Essex Field CLub
“Habitat creation cannot replace an irreplaceable never-ploughed nature conservation resource, and should not be used as justification for the site’s inclusion in the Local Plan housing allocation”
Create an Account & Join in!
Your generous act will be commemorated in our digital public archive.
The Middlewick Ranges needs to be a protected Greenspace and Nature reserve.
We urge you to complete these open letters to our MP, councillors and the MOD.
Link to crowdfund
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COMING SOON
Call upon celebrity support
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COMING SOON
Notable/Protected Species and Habitats
Nightingales
59 singing males (at least), part of an even larger Colchester Barracks population
(A top 2 UK site!)
BARBASTELLE BATS
Breeding in neighbouring SSSI woodland and confirmed commuting and feeding on Middlewick Ranges
ACID GRASSLANDS
Middlewick Ranges is the largest intact area of acid grassland in Essex, 1/10th of the county’s habitat
INVERTEBRATES
An astonishing 1,480 invertebrate species recorded! 167 have conservation designations
Middlewick Ranges has been called a ‘wildlife haven’ by Channel 4 News, a ‘beauty spot’ by the Gazette, an ‘ecological marvel’ by the Guardian and a ‘jewel in Colchester’s ecological crown’ by the BBC.
3168
Facebook group members
1100
Objections to Local Plan consultation
325
Attended protests and guided walks (spring 2024)