Wildlife haven being created in Horsham town centre

Hedgehogs, stag beetles and rare butterflies are not what most people expect to see on visits to the town – but they are there within 30 yards of the main bus station.

Horsham Unitarian Church in Worthing Road has decided to dedicate an area of its land to provide a safe habitat for rare plant, insect and animal species.

Work has already begun on transforming the church’s northern grounds with bramble clearing and new access paths being laid.

The church’s head gardener Teresa Ramsden is co-ordinating work with Alison Marshall from the climate group Transition Horsham.

Eventual plans include caterpillar and bird-friendly shrubs and flowering plants, and elements such as woodpiles and ‘bughouses’ to support the life-cycles of beetles and insects.

The ultimate aim is to ensure that the gardens – which by chance previously protected rare and fragile wildlife – will in future provide a safe haven for such species.