Derby City Council received over 700 objections to its ill-judged plans to wreck the Sanctuary Local Nature reserve (and c630 in favour).
Cyclists are accustomed to sprinting for the line and know that losing can be a matter of fractions of an inch and a second. But second is second.
Despite enlisting the help of the wonderful Sir Chris Hoy the cyclists have to get on their bike as far as totting up pros and cons are concerned. Another Chris, yet-to-be-sanctified Chris Packham, spoke out in favour of saving wildlife:
‘The Sanctuary needs to remain secure as an invaluable and important refuge for nature. And not ‘any old nature’ but a unique assemblage of plants and animals many of which are nationally endangered. It is an oasis rich in life and accessible to many, it cannot be moved or replaced . It is a treasure and short sighted short termism should not be allowed to destroy it .
It’s a nature reserve, a designated scrap of England which has been recognised as worthy of conservation. That doesn’t suddenly evaporate just because someone has a ‘new idea’ !
I urge you to protect and conserve this place for our and future generations. It’s loss would mark a vile act of wanton vandalism and who wants that on their conscience?’ .
On Wednesday, on BBC Radio Derby, Chris referred again to the proposal as ‘A vile act of wanton vandalism‘.
Chris – please take a Gold Medal for nature conservation!
Now let’s hope that the planners take that weight of objection seriously. We are not over the line until the planning application is determined. It would be deeply demoralising if this development does go ahead – a real two fingers up to nature conservation.
And just two things to add: we are sad that this has become a conservation vs. cyclists battle – oh that it had been a Tesco’s they wanted to put there! Chris P was really very eloquent on the radio about this saying cycling was a healthy, green way of getting about and we were all proud of Wiggins, Hoy et al.
Second: it is still possible to submit an objection up to 3rd Feb by emailing [email protected] quoting the ref number and name: DER12/13/01465 Erection of Closed Circuit Cycle Track and Mountain Bike Skills area. and stating that you are formally objecting to it….and then writing a short comment as to why you object…
Many thanks to everyone who has already objected – there have been many readers of this blog doing so….but there are more of you out there who just might yet?
Be nice to get to 1000 wouldn’t it……
Nick
Can you have a bar to go with a gold medal? Anyway I’d give Chris and the rest of the Winterwatch team one for their item on hen harriers and shooting estates last night!
Richard – I missed that. Sounds good.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03rs1bb/Winterwatch_Series_2_Episode_4/
‘It’s (sic) loss would mark a vile act of wanton vandalism and who wants that on their conscience?’
If St. Packham of Telly says this about the loss of a former landfill site what would he venture about the loss of a greenfield site at the gateway to an historic town, the oldest borough in England?
I’m wondering what Chris P would say about the EA announcement that they have appointed Halcrow’s to assess the damage to the sea defences between Brancaster and Salthouse on the N Norfolk coast because they may not reinstate those defences. Just like the poison dart from the jungle you don’t see coming – in a flash an OANB, SPA and Ramsar Site is likely to be ‘abandoned’ to the sea.
I think to even consider this option is extraordinary and shocking – what price wildlife?
Filbert: as you will know, brownfield sites are nearly always far richer in biodiversity than ‘green belt’ land. Derby has lost nearly all its brownfield land in the last 20 years. Some of those sites I remember from the 1980s had breeding yellow wagtails, lapwings, grey partridges and brown hares…and skylarks as well. As the economy ‘picks up’ and new development gets going, The Sanctuary will before too long be the last remaining patch (and a tiny one at that) of brownfield/ex-landfill ground in the whole of the river corridor running SE out of Derby city…so, in context, this LNR becomes even more important.
Sadly we need to fight on all fronts and at all levels from local to global….we are surrounded by philistines and need eyes in the back of our heads.
We may well yet lose this Derby battle but what it is showing is that, working together, showing courage and a determination not to let the b*stards get you down (and now supported by folk who have never been to Derby in their lives) we can put up an impressive fight.
Derby City council will think hard now about threatening one of the other LNRs in the city and us local conservationists, backs to the wall, have found new energy and comradeship to show what we are made of.
Nick
Ps. Latest ‘score’ this evening – Objections 779 and support 637…a ‘lead’ now of well over 100!
Filbert, as Nick Bee says brownfield sites can be invaluable. In fact if I am not mistaken hidden somewhere in the governments latest planning rules it states, brownfield sites that have reverted to nature should be classed as green field sites.
Sadly much green field land is just that green field, or more aptly green desert, anything but grass obliterated by herbicides, insecticides etc. Nature is colonising what might seem unlikely/unsuitable sites out of desperation.
If, as it sounds, you have a battle on your hands in your own area – we wish you the best of luck.
Steve
Whether or not the Derby field is green or brown it is designated as a nature reserve and that should be the end of it.
The former farmland at Malmesbury (see blog @ 23 January) lies at the gateway to this historic and attractive town and the crass development by Waitrose offends the sense of place – and that should have been the end of that. But it wasn’t.
Sweet, fragrant Mrs Cobb – a devout Waitrophile – had one word for the developers, which decency prevents me from quoting.
A friendly drone owner (no, not the US military!) has made a great video by flying over the LNR and putting the film it took on You Tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_v9zXR7Hvk
You can clearly see the extent of the ‘skylark grassland’ with its small pools which snipe favour…….
The latest twist in this story is that the council have just ‘offered’ a piece of land some way down river from The Sanctuary by way of compensation for that which will be lost if the track goes ahead……..and to allow consideration of this (and further comments) the online consultation has been re-opened until 4th February, two days before the planning committee meeting at which this will be decided.
Nick
Latest score (1st Feb) – an amazing 896 objections but just 640 ‘supports’. The online consultation doesn’t close until 4th Feb. so if you haven’t objected yet – please do! Be good to reach 1000 wouldn’t it?
See Richard Winspear’s guest blog of 7th Jan. to learn how to object and how quick it is! Long comments are not worth bothering with at this stage (the report for the Planning Committee on 6th Feb. has already been written!) –
Nick