White storks are set to be reintroduced to London for the first time in centuries, after plans were approved by council leaders in Dagenham.<\/p>\n
Eastbrookend Country Park will become home to the borough’s newest residents, whilst The Chase nature reserve will welcome a new colony of beavers. <\/p>\n
Beavers and white storks were once native to Britain but were both hunted to eradication in the 15th and 16th centuries.<\/p>\n
Barking and Dagenham Council deputy leader Saima Ashraf said their arrival in the borough would be a “bold and historic moment”.<\/p>\n
She said: “This is a once-in-a-generation chance to witness nature’s comeback into your own backyard.”<\/p>\n
The council has teamed up with London Wildlife Trust to handle their reintroduction, and said the two green spaces were “exceptional sites” that could support the species’ return.<\/p>\n
The two bodies have secured funding from City Hall, the government and corporate sponsors to pay for the joint project.<\/p>\n
A purpose-built aviary with grassland areas at Eastbrookend Country Park will house the reintroduced white storks.<\/p>\n
The resulting chicks born there will eventually be released to help establish a new breeding population in the area. <\/p>\n
The beavers will be released into a lakeside enclosure with 16 acres of open water and several small islands at The Chase in March 2027.<\/p>\n