In a bit of a coup, Rob Yorke got an exclusive interview with Michael Gove – I’m almost jealous. There are some interesting things in the interview – all words dropping out of the mouths of senior politicians are somewhat interesting, as much in what they don’t say as what they do. But Rob Yorke…
Tag: Natural England
Bowland Gull Cull 8 – smidgeons of information from NE
In response to this: Sent: 06 February 2018 07:39 To: FOI (NE) <foi@naturalengland.org.uk> Subject: RE: Bowland gull cull Nearly three months ago you told me that the NE investigation into the Bowland Gull Cull was moving to its final stages and that I would be informed of its outcome. I have not heard from…
Dear Mr Gove! Wake up to this mess!
Dear Mr Gove You have a mess on your hands and despite the fact that you inherited much of it, you have let Natural England dig you into an even deeper hole. But in any case, it’s now your mess because you are sitting at the desk at which the buck stops. Why would you…
Wuthering Moors (58) – NE fails to regulate burning on blanket bogs
The Moorland Management Plans (MMPs) for places such as Walshaw Moor are largely a response to the complaints to the EU Commission by the RSPB and the Hebden Bridge ‘Ban the Burn‘ campaigners (Hebden Bridge sits below Walshaw Moor in the Calder Valley) over the nature and scale of burning of moorland on grouse moors….
Wuthering Moors (57) – NE paving the way
Walshaw Moor Estate is applying for planning permission to build a big new track through an area of moorland protected for its wildlife interest. Track building has been highly contentious on this site for many years (see here, here) and the statutory nature conservation agency, Natural England, is well aware of that. However, NE is…
Guest blog – Flood and Blanket Bog Management in the Peak by Bob Berzins
Bob writes: I have a life long passion for the outdoors through rock climbing and fell running. A cancer scare in my thirties made me appreciate many things I simply hadn’t noticed before, from the smallest plants to the gap in the sky from a missing raptor. It’s all worth fighting for and that’s what…
EDM 915
This is interesting. Early Day Motions are a bit like e-petitions for MPs! They have no necessary influence on anything and yet can raise the profile of an issue. And there is one entitled Action Plan for Hen Harriers which has the following text; ‘That this House welcomes the DEFRA plan for brood management trials…
Bowland gull cull 7 – licensing facts still kept secret by NE
I have reminded NE that they owe us all an explanation of the culling of gulls in an SPA which was set up partly to protect its colony of nesting gulls. ‘Nearly three months ago (see below) you told me that the NE investigation into the Bowland Gull Cull was moving to its final stages…
Wuthering Moors (55)
Rumour has it that Natural England has agreed a highly contentious Moorland Plan with the Walshaw Estate – the famous grouse moor, owned by millionaire businessman Richard Bannister, which sits above Hebden Bridge. I wrote in this blog on 2 October 2017 ‘It remains to be seen whether NE will really dig their heels…
YFTB attacks the RSPB again
Presumably as a result of the RSPB’s strong criticism of Natural England’s decision to license a trial of brood meddling and the RSPB’s support for Ed Hutchings’s e-petition in favour of licensing of driven grouse shooting (other e-petitions are available) YFTB has dusted off its attacks on the RSPB. In a press release issued by…