Today, I received notification that the Site Specific allocations (ie local plan for the development of certain sites ion Lowestoft) endorsed by Waveney District Council had been passed by the Inspector and sadly the proposed development of the site into a Primary School or even further housing development is getting the go ahead.
The Council has a so called bio-diversity plan for Waveney but this development will knock out two very, very important "bio-diverse species" (using the Council's own terminology).
Clearly here actions speak far louder than words.
What a shame my objection was the only one heard (with some representation at the beginning of the process from Suffolk Wildlife Trust & I wasn't able to be represented in person at the meeting as they took place during the weekdays at the Council chambers when I was at work) and little consideration was given about the future sustainability of the near 2,000 Southern Marsh Orchids and 50 Spotted Orchids (logged just 3 years ago) which have grown on the site over the past few decades.
A death sentence is hanging over the Orchids and the Snakes that reside on this site.
These wonderful plants will be therefore lost from the area. The Grass Snakes will die too (I will miss their occasional forays into the garden during very hot summer days although Jenny and the Frogs in our pond certainly won't!) and will now mean you can only see these Orchids in the future in any numbers at the SWT Carlton Marshes site.
I will miss watching the butterflies and dragonflies seen on the site.
The site has also recently hosted several Woodcock, Bullfinch and Redwing sightings (last winter) and I will also miss the daily visits by the local Green Woodpecker from Parkhill hotel grounds.
Despite the recent weather, the site is drying out and continued erosion of the site (by children) and natural succession (grassland turning to scrub) means there are now very few Orchids left.
Next Spring may well be your last chance to see them at this site.
The south- west corner is now the best area to look for them in June.
Lessons need to be learnt and in future
we must all join together and try and save our last remaining green spaces in Lowestoft.
A very, very, very sad day for Lowestoft and for all wildlife lovers.
2 comments:
Hi Peter, sorry to hear about this orchid site. It's a shame more people don't represent wildlife sites when faced with development. Nice Purple Sand image!
Thanks Terry
Peter
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