Brook Meadow is a haven for wildlife right in the centre of Emsworth, a small town on the Hampshire/West Sussex border. This lovely open space is owned by Havant Borough Council and managed on their behalf by the Brook Meadow Conservation Group (BMCG). The site covers about 3.7 hectares and consists of a large area of unimproved neutral grassland flanked by a chalk river (River Ems and Lumley Stream), as well as Willow scrub and wooded areas.
There are plenty of good footpaths through the meadow and a seat on the central raised path. Information boards with up-to-date news and photos are sited at three entrances plus two interpretation boards. A dedicated Water Vole information board describes the importance of Brook Meadow as a major habitat for Water Voles, the most endangered mammal in Britain.
Brook Meadow has been designated a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation in recognition of its ecological value.
The site is an important link in a narrow but vital wildlife corridor connecting the open countryside to the north with Chichester Harbour Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to the south. The location of the site with respect to its surroundings is clearly shown on the aerial photograph on see index web page.
This document describes the value of Brook Meadow for wildlife as well as an educational resource within an urban area.
Information on the wildlife of Brook Meadow including photos and full reports of wildlife surveys as well as conservation work, public events and educational activities can be found on the BMCG website: www.hants.org.uk/brook-meadow/

1.    Vision Statement

The first object in the constitution of the Brook Meadow Conservation Group is to promote the conservation and protection of the wildlife and natural environment within the Emsworth Area, especially the area known as Brook Meadow, situated between the River Ems in the west and Lumley Stream in the east.
The second object is to encourage public access to Brook Meadow and raise public awareness of the need for biodiversity conservation within the Emsworth area as a whole.

2.    Policy statements

Havant Borough Council has a number of policy statements taken from the Havant Borough District-Wide Local Plan 1996 -2011 that relate to the site in its Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) status and as a potential Local Nature Reserve (LNR). These are likely to include at least the following:
UF1(iv), C1, NC1, NC4, PC3, D11, L3, L6, L9, R1, R16, R24, T7 and F1.