Council ignores Biodiversity in Culcheth & Poulton

[Geoffrey Settle]

I mentioned this in another thread and Pete asked me to claify - hopefully this reads better than my previous effort:

 

For many years Warrington Borough Council has had Service Level Agreements with the Cheshire Wildlife Trust and rECOrd where specific services were provided for an agreed cost. This included surveying and managing our SINC system (Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation) and any data requests.

 

These agreements have been terminated by the Executive Board as part of their recent budget cuts; they amounted to less than ?10,000. Without these partnerships the Council will not be able to monitor these sites and consequently will not be able to actively manage them without the surveys to inform on their condition. This will mean the Council will not be furthering biodiversity on these locally designated sites.

 

One example is the concern over an 11 Acre common (SINC in Culcheth & Glazebury). This ?grassland? site may be under threat from a local organisiation that has already expressed an interest in developing the site. A survey would be needed to assess the designation which without the SLA agreement in place would prove expensive and time consuming. The cost may exceed the SLA fees being cut in the new budget proposals and the time taken to gather data would probably exceed the time for any objections to be lodged.

 

Another is the non SINC site of Peel Hall. I know from inspecting their last application that they supported their case by commissioning a survey at a time of year when many protected species were either hibernating or had temporarily migrated from the area in search of warmer climes.

 

Do we want to base our future on records built up over many years by experts such as Cheshire Wildlife Trust (http://www.cheshirewildlifetrust.co.uk/) and rECOord (http://www.record-lrc.co.uk/) or by the cavalier developers?

[Bazj]

Surely if the council is running out of money Geoff, spending what little it has on birds and grass should be the last thing it does?

[Geoffrey Settle]

I mentioned this in another thread and Pete asked me to claify - hopefully this reads better than my previous effort:

 

For many years Warrington Borough Council has had Service Level Agreements with the Cheshire Wildlife Trust and rECOrd where specific services were provided for an agreed cost. This included surveying and managing our SINC system (Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation) and any data requests.

 

These agreements have been terminated by the Executive Board as part of their recent budget cuts; they amounted to less than ?10,000. Without these partnerships the Council will not be able to monitor these sites and consequently will not be able to actively manage them without the surveys to inform on their condition. This will mean the Council will not be furthering biodiversity on these locally designated sites.

 

One example is the concern over an 11 Acre common (SINC in Culcheth & Glazebury). This ?grassland? site may be under threat from a local organisiation that has already expressed an interest in developing the site. A survey would be needed to assess the designation which without the SLA agreement in place would prove expensive and time consuming. The cost may exceed the SLA fees being cut in the new budget proposals and the time taken to gather data would probably exceed the time for any objections to be lodged.

 

Another is the non SINC site of Peel Hall. I know from inspecting their last application that they supported their case by commissioning a survey at a time of year when many protected species were either hibernating or had temporarily migrated from the area in search of warmer climes.

 

Do we want to base our future on records built up over many years by experts such as Cheshire Wildlife Trust (http://www.cheshirewildlifetrust.co.uk/) and rECOord (http://www.record-lrc.co.uk/) or by the cavalier developers?

[Geoffrey Settle]

Surely if the council is running out of money Geoff, spending what little it has on birds and grass should be the last thing it does?

 

Well you obviously share their viewpoint.

 

I don't as before we know it we will have developers who do have some money left riding rough shot over the Borough. You may not think things like bodiversity are important but I do.

 

Warrington has a number of SINC sites and these should be protected not trashed.

[Bazj]

But no body has any money left Geoff.... least of all any developers. Just look around you and see all the half finished and mothballed building sites, builders going bust etc etc. the banks are not lending to building companies at all.

 

And you are right, I don't think that grass and birds should come before public services. If it comes to saving the lesser crested dweeble bird or having my bins emptied every week..... then bye bye budgie I'm afraid.

[P J]

But no body has any money left Geoff.... least of all any developers. Just look around you and see all the half finished and mothballed building sites, builders going bust etc etc. the banks are not lending to building companies at all.

 

And you are right, I don't think that grass and birds should come before public services. If it comes to saving the lesser crested dweeble bird or having my bins emptied every week..... then bye bye budgie I'm afraid.

 

So why do we have an upcoming public inquiry into the proposed development of Bewsey Old Hall and a large chunk of Sankey Valley Park by Urban Splash. If there is no money to be made from developing sites why would they bother?

[Peter T]

But no body has any money left Geoff.... least of all any developers. Just look around you and see all the half finished and mothballed building sites, builders going bust etc etc. the banks are not lending to building companies at all.

 

And you are right, I don't think that grass and birds should come before public services. If it comes to saving the lesser crested dweeble bird or having my bins emptied every week..... then bye bye budgie I'm afraid.

 

So why do we have an upcoming public inquiry into the proposed development of Bewsey Old Hall and a large chunk of Sankey Valley Park by Urban Splash. If there is no money to be made from developing sites why would they bother?

 

Planning for the future!!!

 

It's happening all over. I went to a 2030 consultation the other week and that is all about what do we want Warrington to look like in 2030.

I suggested that they look to the next 10 years before 2030, as I might not be alive then.

[wahl]

The omega site should be compulsory purchased by WBC and turned into a wildlife park.

This would get rid of the objectionable developers and their cowboy security who stop people from walking on this derelict site.

[Paul Kennedy]

But what could WBC purchase it with....IOU's perhaps....it certainly hasn't got any money for such purchases....it's a 600 acre site.

 

OMEGA, and its original vision has a very uncertain future, which I know worries the local people greatly.

[Paul Kennedy]

 

These agreements have been terminated by the Executive Board as part of their recent budget cuts; they amounted to less than ?10,000.

 

I'll ask WBC's Finance Dept to pop an invoice in the post to you Geoff. I'm sure that they would agree to a plaque being put up, "Paid for by Geoffrey Settle".

 

PS And who knows a year or so on the plaque could be changed to "Paid for by Geoffrey Settle....MBE".

 

 

PS They aren't cuts....they are savings.

[observer]

Simple budgetry economics Geoff; and priorities - unfortunately, that's the real world!

[Geoffrey Settle]

Paul I take it that you are mocking the Executive Board who obviously don't know the difference between a cut and a saving.

 

It's very clear that they don't care a fig about the Fauna, Flora, Wildlife etc that exists in the Borough and are quite happy for it to fade away. After all they have already reduce the Park Wardens from 22 to 9 - oh I forgot they are increasing the count to 10.

 

They started hacking down the bushes and trees of the Borough until conservationists put a stop to their actions - mind you they have managed to destroy the wildlife habitat for some species especially around ponds near me in Peel Hall and Enfield and who knows where else.

 

BazJ may love his bins but I want consideration for our future and a positive Nature Conservationist approach.

[Bazj]

Geoff, I don't particularly love bins, but I really love big cars which need big roads..... maybe tarmacing over all this green stuff would allow me to enjoy my hobbiy and interests even more!!

[Geoffrey Settle]

Sir Jeremy will love you to bits for those remarks. Mind you the IOM populus are hounding him for his action to their rights to roam. Having walked past his place a few weeks ago I actually think that he's doing them a service because he's fenced off a big drop to the sea. I think though that you petrol haeds have sniffed too much octane and it's fuzzled some of your brain cells. Nature will in the end have the last laugh. Dive sfaely whilst you can.

 

 

Banksy captured you

[Bazj]

So you have a go at me for doing something completely legal and then finish off with a picture by that criminal graffiti artist?

 

Typical muddled standards again eh Geoff?

[Geoffrey Settle]

But Banksy also has serios moments to his art and makes a valid point here

 

 

 

 

We need to think about the impact of our actions.

[Bazj]

What is valid about that? It is a picture of an abandoned car on some grass?

 

Banksy; although a talented drawer is also a graffiti artist and is therefore a criminal.

 

If he drew pictures celebrating BMW X5's trawling over bodmin moor, would you be as supportive of his criminal acts?

[Peter T]

Geoff,

You conveniently ignore the financial aspect of these things. nature is a survivor. Perhaps we should stop giving free passes for pensioners to pay for your sincs.

[observer]

Do butterflies have a vote?!

[Geoffrey Settle]

Exactly Obs and after last summer which was a very low point for them they deserve our protection as their numbers were greatly reduced.

 

We need to the databases maintained by the likes of rECOrd to capture the information about where they have been sighted. If this information is not collected by groups such as those who the Council are prepared to ignore than we will end up with fewer species because we will not be able to come up with strategies to protect the many and varied species of the Borough.

 

Hopefully scholl children have a better appreciation of the need to do this because it is their future that I am talking about.

[observer]

Priorities Geoff, priorities: at the end of the day, the majority view the world on the basis of "what's in it for me" and vote accordingly!

[Geoffrey Settle]

Priorities Geoff, priorities: at the end of the day, the majority view the world on the basis of "what's in it for me" and vote accordingly!

 

Almost right obs except that the majority don't often bother to exercise their right to vote.

 

I listened to an very good presentation on the significance of biodiversity at Bennett's Recreational site on Monday evening. The expert who is compiling the report has identified a variety of species and wildlife. Of particular importance being the Water Vole colonies that are present.

 

There was a very interesting talk at Risley Moss before Christmas to the Warrington Nature Conservation Forum by the Cheshire Wildlife Officer. He emphasised the significance of his work to monitor sand conserve the species and the importance of the filed surveys that need to be done in 2009/10.

 

These creatures are examples of Wildlife that Warrington Borough Council simply doesn't care if they live or die.

 

 

This little fella doesn't have a vote so I will vote and campaign for the future him and his chums.

[Paul Kennedy]

Geoff, in light of another new topic that has recently been started, it seems that the money you mentioned is being spent elsewhere in order to support the biodiversity, inclusivity and equality of human species.

[Geoffrey Settle]

Paul, I haven't spotted it but the Biodiversity topic that is using the money that for years has been used for the Service Level Agreements is?

 

Oh just spotted it as and I believe such concerns asked to be factored in by the audience, with a view to protecting the environment. Hopefully there will be sufficient protection against the scramblers, motorcyclists etc who roam free - well not totally free as the PCSO who gave his talk at the start told us that a bike/quad had been confiscated and destroyed. Hope they catch the one I photographed in Peel Hall Park, which had 3 youths on it

 

Peel Hall is another development is one which tried to get approval by doing a biodiversity survey whilst the Greater Crested Newts were hibernating.

 

If surveys are not done correctly and by people who know what they are doing then they are not worth the paper they are written on - they just become a con and a smoke screen.

[observer]

Geoff, ever thought you are flogging a dead horse, or perhaps a dead newt in this case?!