There is a very useful article in The Telegraph on herpetiles and developers with particular reference to the situation in various places in Sussex and Kent.
It is on line here.
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what are your opinions re the proposed development by hastings council who have granted outline consent to build 2 x 5 storey blocks of flats with underground parking in the middle of a local nature reserve and ancient woodland known as robsack meadow?
patrick roper seems reluctanct to reply to the questions asked about the shocking proposals to build 2 x 5 storey flats with undercroft parking in the middle of a local nature reserve and ancient woodland known as robsack meadow. How strange. I thought he was all for protecting wildlife. Silence isn't golden Dr. Rope. Be brave have the courage of your convictions!
Despite numerous objections by local residents, Hastings Council agreed to put Robsack Meadow up for sale at their cabinet meeting on 2 March despite a compelling report for a previous planning application (1998) that was withdrawn due to the acknowledged ecological value of this site...does anyone know of the planning law that states a council cannot sell land they own with their own planning consent? It seems that any planning consents become void once the land is put up for sale??Also, the 1998 surveys were not provided to the planning committee - surely these reports represent #2material considerations" which must be made available BEFORE any application is presented to the planning committee. Another aspect of this worrying case is that the more recent surveys are incomplete with consultants emphasising that further investigation is necessary on all aspects of this site.
Herpetological surveys often involve the placing of artificial refuge traps for the creatures to hide underneath. These are then overturned by the survey and individuals counted. The survey of the reptiles carried out by Canopy Human Habitats Ltd resulted in the deaths of many slow worms. The refuges were placed where they could be easily seen. This breaches the survey guidelines. Local residents whose houses oversee the meadow phoned the council and reported seeing teenagers swinging them by their tails before throwing them at eachother and children carrying them off in buckets. One resident told me that she insisted that the refuge traps be taken away but no action was taken until several days later when she lost her temper and shouted down the phone. The surveys conclusion that the slow worm population on the site is low is flawed. The proper survey methodology was not followed. Please respond to this post if you want further details of why this is true. In this case it would have been better not to survey. Hastings Borough Council have been made aware of this matter but are disinterested. Many think that they show scant regard for wildlife and protected species.
Hastings council are denying that the connecting strip of woodland is in fact ancient woodland - they also deny that the strip connects the two ancient woodlands although it can clearly be seen that there is only a small farm gateway gap between the two woodlands...their own consultant Dr. Patrick Roper stated in his report that this strip of ancient woodland was effectively continuous and submitted a photograph to illustrate his findings - the overhead canopy shows how important this link is. Any break in the link will isolate Robsack Wood entirely, compromise the wild life within the site, destroy the corridor used by bats, badgers and other protected species. Altogether an appalling planning decision by a ruthless council... it has to be halted.
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