Winged cavalry in the shape of horseshoe bats have joined forces with CRAG in an effort to thwart the building of a new housing estate behind Park Road, Congresbury.
In a review of the developer’s Ecological Impact Survey, the Natural Environment Service office finds that more information is needed to comply with UK wildlife law and both national and local policy. The office states that before determining the outline application for 90 houses on land north of Mulberry Road, developer M7 must show clear proposals for “replacement horseshoe bat foraging habitat to be provided.”
If that was not enough to stop the development in its tracks, the review continues: “Lighting strategy to be provided demonstrating habitats retained as dispersal corridors and foraging habitat for horseshoe bats will remain unlit.”The office also wants to know how the developer will create a wildflower grassland on site; the location of a reptile receptor site, and the location of compensatory hedgerow planting.
The office concludes that: “An application should be refused (or withdrawn) if there is insufficient information to form an evidence-based assessment or if it cannot be demonstrated beyond reasonable scientific doubt that there will be no significant negative impacts on the SAC (Special Area of Conservation).It sounds to CRAG as if the best way to meet all these requirements, is to leave the field exactly as it is.
John Mills