A group raising money to buy the land in order to create a nature reserve is awarded £50,000 from the city council.

A city council has awarded £50,000 to a group planning to buy 35 acres of natural habitat to create a nature reserve.

The popular area in Salisbury, known locally as Broken Bridges, is part of a former farm and is in the River Avon Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Now designated as an asset of community value, a not-for-profit group has agreed a price with the owner and is trying to raise £250,000 to buy the land.

The latest funding means the group has reached more than £200,000, with Jeremy Nettle, chair of the Broken Bridges Community Interest Company, calling it “a tremendous step forward”.