Deviock Parish Council says that it now has an extra week to raise funds and prepare its bid for the wetland wildlife haven at the mouth of the River Seaton reported on the front page of this week’s Cornish Times.

The parish council’s Crowdfunder appeal in support of the bid has now reached a total of more than £18,000 – and now there are eight days left before the new date of the auction of Thursday, November 4.

The parish council’s bid, supported by Cornwall Wildlife Trust and Cornwall Council, will be aiming to secure the woodland adjacent to the Countryside Park at the mouth of the River Seaton on behalf of the public. If it’s successful, the land will be brought into public ownership and protected from inappropriate development for the benefit of both the local community and visitors alike.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust says it endorses this campaign and will work with the Parish

The two plots total 4.77 acres and are being publicly auctioned by Stags next Thursday. The land is subject to planning designations that include a Tree Preservation Order Area, Area of Great Landscape Value and County Wildlife Site.

It is directly adjacent to Seaton Countryside Park and the Forestry Commission confirms the presence of numerous Priority Species including Protected Species such as Brown long-eared Daubenton’s bats, dormice, and otters.

The parish council warns that despite the designations on these plots, it is possible that commercial concerns may seek to exploit them.

The council says: “As well as its status as a wildlife woodland, this land also plays a role in flood mitigation, and we are concerned that any attempts to develop it may exasperate existing flood issues in the area and pose a threat to the quality of water entering the sea from the River Seaton.

“It is our intention to enter this auction and to protect this land in the public interest.

“We have allocated a budget from our land acquisition fund and we have reached out to partners including Cornwall Council and Cornwall Wildlife Trust.

“However, as a result of the very short notice and significant interest, we are unlikely to succeed without community support and have launched this Crowdfunder campaign to allow the public to contribute.

“Given the guideline prices (£45k and £35k respectively for the two plots) efforts will be initially focused on a single plot, but bids will also be entered on the second plot if sufficient donations are received.”

The parish council adds: “If we are unsuccessful, all donations will be refunded IN FULL through Crowdfunder.”

For further information contact the Parish Clerk by emailing [email protected] and see the Crowdfunder page at https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/seaton-land-auction-fundNote that in our Cornish Times article this week we incorrectly stated that Jim Candy is Deviock Parish Clerk - he is in fact a Deviock Parish Councillor while being clerk to another South East Cornwall council. We apologise for the error.