Wildlife lovers fear for nature reserve threatened by Cambridge university building

Plans to construct accommodation for students near wildlife oasis have sparked a row between conservationists and the college

Dusk is falling over Paradise nature reserve on the banks of the river Cam. Half a dozen bats burst out from their hiding places in the rare wet woodland, dipping and diving merrily through the darkening evening sky.

With impeccable timing, a punt full of tourists on a bat safari" glides into view. The tiny 2.2 hectare reserve protects the river corridor between Cambridge city centre and Grantchester Meadows and boasts eight species of bat, including the rare and endangered barbastelle, along with voles, herons, kingfishers and otters. Renowned locally for its muddy paths past canopies of mature willow and alder trees, rich marshland and unique riparian habitats, it has been popular with Cambridge students, college dons and the town's nature-lovers for centuries.