New plans sheep grazing plans to make Peterborough's Flag Fen Archaeology Park dog friendly and increase car parking space

The park is set to introduce this on initially on a trial basis.

Currently, visitors are prevented from bringing their dogs due to the presence of the site’s flock of Soay Sheep. The breed dates back thousands of years- all the way back to the Bronze Age- and is classified as ‘at risk’ by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.

Peterborough City Council is now considering plans for its limited company – Peterborough Limited- to enter into a licencing agreement to allow the use of land adjacent to Flag Fen for sheep grazing.

The cost of the leasing of the land would be £400 a month, which Peterborough Limited expects will be made back through the increased parking revenue.

This would allow the sheep to be removed from the main visitor site for periods of time.

This would allow visitors to bring dogs to the site and allow space for extra land to be designated for parking.

When moved from what is currently classified as Flag Fen land, the sheep will still be visible to all visitors, only in a separate location at the front of the site.

The plans have also been designed to prevent overgrazing of certain areas, reduce supplementary feeding costs and would be cheaper than building additional fencing.

Documents state that: “The proposal to use the field for sheep grazing would mean that extra parking could be designated on the existing Flag Fen land.

" When required, this will allow Peterborough Limited to move the sheep off the main site so visitors can see them at the front of the site.

" Once the sheep are removed from the main site, this will allow visitors with dogs on site, which will open up a new visitor market for Flag Fen.”

The council’s cabinet will make the final decision on plans at its meeting on Tuesday (December 2).