Local Wildlife Site

[Bruce Almighty]

We've applied for an Ag building recently on the edge of our wood and the council ecology dept has objected as it is a potential "Local Wildlife Site"

They say a "Local Wildlife Survey" must be carried out.

It is only a "potential" Site, what powers do they have ?

 

[Bald Rick]

You're doomed.

IIRC every Council (certainly in Wales & therefore most likely England too) had to draw up Biodiversity Action Plans (BAPs) detailing flora & fauna of "interest" and potentially "at risk" within their boundaries. The Council Biodiversity Officer (eg an ecologist) was actioned to attempt to maintain the interest or better, increase it.
Therefore they will comment on any application that may impinge on areas of interest. They will often be backed up by the local Wildlife Trust. The latter may be able to raise letters of objection from their members if they feel strongly about it.

My best guess is that this is a bit of sabre rattling in the hope that you'll offer some mitigation such as erecting an owl box.
If you still have an existing FWAG office, perhaps contact them?

 

[Sussex Martin]

I have an acquaintance who is an ecologist and does wildlife/bat surveys and he said the best thing you can do if you require planning is to ensure the site is as clean as a whistle. Grass mowed as low as possible hedges trimmed back as far as possible, in fact make it as wildlife unfriendly as you can. He does some work for a developer and is always complaining as they buy a site and leave it to go wild for a couple of years then complain because the council ecologist finds it teaming with wildlife when if the hedges were thrashed and the grass cut topped regularly there would be less shelter for wildlife to gain a foothold.

 

[upnortheast]

I have an acquaintance who is an ecologist and does wildlife/bat surveys and he said the best thing you can do if you require planning is to ensure the site is as clean as a whistle.

Site near here was turned down for wind turbines because there were newts on site. Next year site next door gets permission. Asked the bloke about newts. No we don`t have those any more !!

 

[phillipe]

We've applied for an Ag building recently on the edge of our wood and the council ecology dept has objected as it is a potential "Local Wildlife Site"

They say a "Local Wildlife Survey" must be carried out.

It is only a "potential" Site, what powers do they have ?

You have a 5 grand bill coming

 

[phillipe]

Clear the site to bare earth ,leave nothing

 

[Bruce Almighty]

Good news
Permission granted
Case officer has stated that this rubbish is not required for 28 day notice decisions
f**k the council ecologists & the stress they gave me !

Other Matters
Ecology
The Ecologist has stated that the site lies within a LWS and adjacent to various ponds and has recommended that survey work is undertaken prior to the decision being issued. However, this is outside of the remit of a Prior Notification application and as such, it is not appropriate to require these works to be carried out.

 

[Pond digger]

Good news
Permission granted
Case officer has stated that this rubbish is not required for 28 day notice decisions
fudge the council ecologists & the stress they gave me !

Other Matters
Ecology
The Ecologist has stated that the site lies within a LWS and adjacent to various ponds and has recommended that survey work is undertaken prior to the decision being issued. However, this is outside of the remit of a Prior Notification application and as such, it is not appropriate to require these works to be carried out.

Sounds a bit like misuse of public money.

 

[Philip Watkins]

Sounds like some jobsworth was tying to justify his position.

 

[Bruce Almighty]

As a Parish Councillor I regularly look at quite a few applications.

I am regularly annoyed by ecologists ridiculous comments & demands, last month we discussed an application for a barn conversion & the bat survey had clearly been done, yet a later date the ecologist objected & said nothing should happen until bat survey was done, arrogant bitch hadn't even read the correspondence

 

[Nearly]

As a Parish Councillor I regularly look at quite a few applications.

I am regularly annoyed by ecologists ridiculous comments & demands, last month we discussed an application for a barn conversion & the bat survey had clearly been done, yet a later date the ecologist objected & said nothing should happen until bat survey was done, arrogant bitch hadn't even read the correspondence

Busted!

 

[George from SJM Planning]

As a Parish Councillor I regularly look at quite a few applications.

I am regularly annoyed by ecologists ridiculous comments & demands, last month we discussed an application for a barn conversion & the bat survey had clearly been done, yet a later date the ecologist objected & said nothing should happen until bat survey was done, arrogant bitch hadn't even read the correspondence

As a Planning Consultant it is refreshing to hear such views from a Parish Councillor as many just take what those in town hall say for granted.
We are forever battling do-gooding landscape/heritage/ecology officers who just say something to make themselves feel important

 

[Bruce Almighty]

As a Planning Consultant it is refreshing to hear such views from a Parish Councillor as many just take what those in town hall say for granted.
We are forever battling do-gooding landscape/heritage/ecology officers who just say something to make themselves feel important

I'm tempted to contact the ecologist & point out that the construction of a grain store will be good for birds as there will always be spilled grain.

On our PC, there are 3 of us under 50 who want people to be able to get on with their lives. Then there's the other 3 who are retired & a bloody nuisance to everyone - too much time on their hands !

 

[Bill the Bass]

I'm tempted to contact the ecologist & point out that the construction of a grain store will be good for birds as there will always be spilled grain.

On our PC, there are 3 of us under 50 who want people to be able to get on with their lives. Then there's the other 3 who are retired & a bloody nuisance to everyone - too much time on their hands !

Same on our PC. Two decent blokes who run local businesses and are generally supportive and three retired or nearly retired 'professionals', moved into village in the last few years and treat locals like peasants and object to absolutely everything especially if they think it affects the value of their retirement pad. Twunts.

 

[Bruce Almighty]

Same on our PC. Two decent blokes who run local businesses and are generally supportive and three retired or nearly retired 'professionals', moved into village in the last few years and treat locals like peasants and object to absolutely everything especially if they think it affects the value of their retirement pad. Twunts.

This is one of the reasons why I stood for PC, few things more satisfying than referring to events before "they" moved into the village !

 

[Doing it for the kids]

When I did my stint (youngest by 20 yrs) I got peeved. They all seemed to like me though because I was fresh, whatever that means!

Half the time when looking at plans they had them up the wrong way and couldn't relate to scale, "ooh it looks close the neighbour" sort of comments!

 

[George from SJM Planning]

When I did my stint (youngest by 20 yrs) I got peeved. They all seemed to like me though because I was fresh, whatever that means!

Half the time when looking at plans they had them up the wrong way and couldn't relate to scale, "ooh it looks close the neighbour" sort of comments!

We used to get invited by PC's to come and discuss our applications so they weren't misinterpreted but the latest incarnation on councillors rarely even respond to a request to present to the PC.

 

[upnortheast]

. Then there's the other 3 who are retired & a bloody nuisance to everyone - too much time on their hands !

It`s a national epidemic !!

 

[George from SJM Planning]

It`s a national epidemic !!

A lot of our Local Authorities are changing their constitution to remove PC's right to call planning applications to committee because they were just flooding the committee schedule with nonsense.

 

[Bill the Bass]

A lot of our Local Authorities are changing their constitution to remove PC's right to call planning applications to committee because they were just flooding the committee schedule with nonsense.

Wish they would do it round here, it's getting silly at present.