Otters could soon be moving into West Oxford thanks to a new wetland wildlife habitat.

The area, on the site of the old play park behind West Oxford Community Centre, was officially opened this week – children are pictured celebrating the unveiling. And there are now plans to build an artificial otter habitat there.

Kingfisher Corner was created by Low Carbon West Oxford after the play park was moved next to the Community Centre café in 2009.

Lois Muddiman, a trustee of the group, said: “The move created an opportunity to encourage wildlife and diversity into the park.

“Two ‘scrapes’ have been excavated to provide different habitats for plants and animals, and a range of trees, shrubs and flowers have been planted by local volunteers from Low Carbon West Oxford and Forest of Oxford.”

She said the group was hopeful of attracting otters to the area once the habit was complete.

“It is very close to the city centre but it’s also close to the open countryside,” she said.

“It is a lovely, quiet place and it’s an opportunity to see wildlife people usually don’t get to see.”

Low Carbon West Oxford was set up after the summer floods of 2007 by residents concerned about climate change and local flooding.

It is a community-led initiative which aims to help combat climate change by cutting the community’s carbon dioxide emissions by 80 per cent by 2050, and encouraging and supporting residents to live more sustainably.

The wildlife habitat also received funding from the Trust for Oxford Environment, Wiley Blackwell, and the Co-operative.