NEW parks designed to delight dog walkers are doing a valuable job in protecting some of Devon’s most precious wildlife havens, it’s been claimed.

The newly-created Ridgetop Park at Matford on the outskirts of Exeter, along with the new Dawlish Countryside Park, are giving pet owners more options, and keeping them off sensitive areas.

‘Mitigation is a key part of our plans,’ Cllr Jackie Hook (Lib Dem, Bushell) told Teignbridge Council’s executive committee.

Cllr Hook has been the council’s representative on a working group creating the ‘mitigation’ strategy.

The aim is to reduce the pressure on three internationally designated wildlife areas in south east Devon including Dawlish Warren and the Exe estuary.

All are protected wildlife sites of international importance, but all three have been showing signs of wear and tear.

Teignbridge has been working with East Devon District Council and Exeter City Council to protect them.

Cllr Hook said the increase in footfall created by new housing developments and booming local tourism had put pressure on the three sites.

The ‘mitigation’ parks at Matford and Dawlish had been funded by contributions from developers building homes in the area.

Other measures include better signage directing people to walking areas and warnings not to light barbecues and fires.

Officers and wardens are also helping to educate would-be walkers about the sensitive nature of the three sites.