CIVIC chiefs cut the ribbon at a ceremony to mark a Southampton park receiving local nature reserve status.

City council leader Simon Letts and Southampton and Itchen MP Royston Smith did the honours at the special celebration day to mark Peartree Green in Woolston’s new protected status on April 7.

Both Cllr Letts and Mr Smith praised the hard work and dedication of volunteers from The Friends of Pear Tree Green who maintain the park and secured its new status.

Paul Lewzey, chair of the Friends of Peartree Green and city councillor for Peartree, said: “This is a really important milestone in the development of Peartree Green.

"We have been working with the city council and groups around Southampton and we have finally reached the point where we can finally look to the future and develop the green,

“The first thing we are aiming to do is improve the pathways so that they can be used by people with disabilities and put up more notice boards around the green.”

Cllr Letts said: “The real applause should go to Paul and his team that brought this to fruition. It is vital that we support groups that help maintain green spaces as they are vital to the city’s wellbeing.””

Royston Smith said: “I’m really grateful for the hard work that the Friends of Peartree Green have put in. We should celebrate the hard work of volunteers that work to make these spaces better.”

The new status gives the 20-hectare park extra protection against future development.

Work began on acquiring the nature reserve status for Peartree Green early last year.

As part of the project, which involved writing an extensive report on the site, the group invited city school children to map the area’s wildlife.

Alongside a butterfly hunt, the group also used humane traps to record the number of mammals living in the green which included field mice and voles.

Felicity Iron-Smith, secretary for the friends said: “ We want children to have a green space because a lot don’t have gardens.