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Woodland Trust rebuffs leader of Eastleigh council on claim that plans for 5,200 houses adequately protects ancient woodland

ADD UPDATE, 19 September 2017: The Woodland Trust has rubbished a claim by Keith House, leader of Eastleigh Borough Council (EBC), that latest plans for 5,200 houses and a major new road north of Bishopstoke and Fair Oak, options B and C of Eastleigh’s emerging Local Plan, include sufficient measures to protect ancient woodland.

House made the claim in this interview with BBC Radio Solent on 21 July, the morning after EBC voted to continue to pursue options B and C as its preferred ‘strategic growth option’ for the borough. Speaking about ancient woodland in the area (minutes 4.38 – 5.24), House said he believed that the Woodland Trust “haven’t actually looked at the most recent proposals because we have now got massive buffers between development and the [Woodland Trust’s ancient] woods”, implying that, if they had, they would be content. 

Given ADD’s aim for transparency in Eastleigh’s Local Plan process, we questioned this (and other assertions made by House in the BBC interview) in an article on 27 July, saying: “The fact is that the narrow gap between Upper Barn Copse and Crowdhill Copse [ancient woods owned by the Woodland Trust], through which the proposed new road would travel, is approximately 175 metres and the Woodland Trust says that 100-200 metres is necessary as a buffer ‘to protect plant species from the effects of vehicle emissions from roads’ (click here for more detail).” That said, we noted we would ask the Woodland Trust to confirm it has indeed looked at the most recent proposals and to give its opinion on them.

We have now received a response from Jack Taylor of the Woodland Trust. He told us:

“We have seen the most recent proposals Keith House alluded to. While we welcome the road being moved away from being hard up against our Upper Barn Copse site, it is still clearly inappropriate.

“The severance of this area of natural habitat between our two ancient woodland sites, and Stoke Park Wood, will result in severe fragmentation. When coupled with the additional housing proposed for the area these precious ancient woods will be surrounded by urban development and cut off from the natural environment. These proposals could be devastating for local wildlife populations.”

He went on: 

“Although ADD has measured a distance of approximately 175 metres between the two woods, this would have been along the path connecting the woods [which it was]. In fact, the narrowest point between these woods is approximately 120 metres [see map above]. As such the buffers between the ancient woods either side of the road would still be unacceptable. As we have stated before – there just isn’t the space for this road to be feasible. We maintain a full objection to these proposals.”

The Woodland Trust’s reply speaks for itself: it has seen the latest proposals and firmly rejects them. 

As we have requested before, Keith House and his council should stop playing games and make decisions on its emerging Local Plan based on the evidence, and the evidence alone. We shall continue this fight until it is won. 

OTHER READING

Stop the spin – Bishopstoke deserves better! ADD Update, 18 June 2017

Threat to Stoke Park Woods: Can the Lib Dem ‘Focus’ newsletter be believed anymore? ADD Update, 16 March 2017

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Woodland Trust urges Eastleigh Borough Council to reject plans for 5,200 houses in north of borough

MAKING THE CASE AGAINST OPTIONS B AND C: THE WOODLAND TRUST…

ADD UPDATE, 11 September 2017: At Eastleigh Borough Council’s full council meeting on 20 July, representatives from environmental groups, local community groups and elected bodies all spoke AGAINST the council’s preferred proposal for its emerging Local Plan, namely a monster housing sprawl (5,200 new homes) and a major new road north of Bishopstoke and Fair Oak and south of Colden Common, Owslebury and Upham (its options B and C).

As we return from our summer break, ADD is publishing what these representatives said about options B and C, so that everyone can clearly understand the arguments against them. As we have stated all along, we are fighting for an evidence-based Local Plan for Eastleigh and will continue this struggle until we have won. 

In this third post of the series, we publish the statement made by Jack Taylor of the Woodland TrustHe said:

“Good evening councillors / everyone,

Introduction

“My name is Jack Taylor and I campaign for the protection of ancient woods and trees as an employee of the Woodland Trust.

“I’m here to speak today on behalf of Eastleigh’s ancient woodland. To some, ancient woodland may not be a well-known concept so I thought I’d start off with an overview of what ancient woodland is.

What is ancient woodland?

“Ancient woodland is defined as an area that has been continuously wooded since at least 1600AD, though most ancient woods have been around for a lot longer than this, some since the last ice age.

“Ancient woods take centuries, even millennia, to develop and evolve into the precious habitat that you see today. Over time vital links have been created between the plants, animals and soils. Ancient woodland provides varied and unique habitats for many of the UK’s most important and threatened species, whether that’s English bluebells, Wild Garlic, or Bechstein’s bats.

“These species are sensitive. They don’t respond well to environmental change and they need the specific conditions that ancient woodland provides.

“Ancient woodland cannot be re-created. There is no gain in ancient woodland in this day, only loss. At present ancient woods cover only 2% of the UK so it is vitally important that we prevent any further damage, loss or fragmentation of these habitats.

Ancient woodland impacts and buffers

“Where development is built near to ancient woodland, the populations of plants and animals that call the woods home can be heavily impacted. In this case, the proposals within Option B and C would result in 5,200 houses being built in very close proximity to a number of areas of ancient woodland, including Crowdhill Copse, Upper Barn Copse and Stoke Park Wood.

“This change to neighbouring land allows harmful outside influences, or as we call them ‘edge effects’, to take hold and adversely affect the woodland. These edge effects may include:

  • The intensification of human activity… so littering, vegetation damage, fire damage and disturbance to breeding birds.
  • Noise and light pollution from adjacent housing, as well as dust and vibration during the construction phases.
  • Changes to the quality and quantity of ground water and surface water, with the added effect of introducing pollutants into the woods.
  • Harmful invasive species into the woods, such as rhododendron which takes a stranglehold on the rest of the wood’s diversity.

“When these edge effects penetrate ancient woodland they affect the woods’ typically stable conditions. By creating new areas of woodland around ancient woodland we can shield them from the harmful edge effects. We call these areas ‘buffer zones’. The size of the buffer zone is dependent on the intensity of land use adjacent to ancient woodland. In other cases with 1000s of houses we typically call on developers to provide buffers of at least 100 metres.

What impacts the proposals will have?

“One of the biggest concerns, particularly in the case of this development, is the issue of fragmentation. Introducing urban areas and a whole new stretch of road into the natural environment can be highly damaging to the connectivity of all the different habitats. In this case the impacts of fragmentation would be severe.

“Building the road here would completely sever two of the Trust’s ancient woods, Crowdhill Copse and Upper Barn Copse. The road, coupled with the houses, will result in disruption and loss of natural habitats and will heavily impact on the area’s wildlife, think flight lines disrupted, wildlife corridors cut, and so on…

“Councils and local authorities around the UK need to be looking at building more resilient landscapes, not less. They need to increase woodland and tree cover, strengthen existing connections between habitats and start creating a network of green infrastructure. And they need to do this in line with future development. We are concerned that Options B and C would be a clear step back from these sustainable development principles.

Conclusion

“At the Woodland Trust we have over 700 ancient woods currently under threat from development. I’m here today because Options B and C are of such concern to us. Hundreds of our local supporters have already urged you to reject development next to these woods. I’d hope you will now join them and protect them for future generations to enjoy.

“Thank you for the opportunity to speak today.”

OTHER READING / MEDIA

Listen NOW to Chris Packham and the Woodland Trust criticise options B and C on BBC Radio Solent, ADD Update, 30 April 2017

Threat to Stoke Park Woods: Can the Lib Dem ‘Focus’ newsletter be believed anymore?, ADD Update, 16 March 2017

Mind the gap: Woodland Trust delivers blow to Eastleigh Council’s options B and C, ADD Update, 10 March 2017

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Allbrook and North Boyatt PC: Options B and C “direct attack” on wildlife, with “increased” traffic risk

MAKING THE CASE AGAINST OPTIONS B AND C: ALLBROOK AND NORTH BOYATT PARISH COUNCIL…

ADD UPDATE, 5 September 2017: At Eastleigh Borough Council’s full council meeting on 20 July, representatives from environmental groups, local community groups and elected bodies all spoke AGAINST the council’s preferred proposal for its emerging Local Plan, namely a monster housing sprawl (5,200 new homes) and a major new road north of Bishopstoke and Fair Oak and south of Colden Common, Owslebury and Upham (its options B and C).

As we return from our summer break, ADD is publishing what these representatives said about options B and C, so that everyone can clearly understand the arguments against them. As we have stated all along, we are fighting for an evidence-based Local Plan for Eastleigh and will continue this struggle until we have won. 

In this post, we publish the statement made by David Betts, councillor for Allbrook and North Boyatt Parish Council. He said:

“Your Worship, Council Members, Ladies & Gentlemen,

“It is evident that the proposed North Bishopstoke route and development poses great threats to highly sensitive environmentally protected areas: the Itchen Valley is such an area.

“The proposed link road, by definition, will carry vastly increased volumes of traffic across the Itchen Valley Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

“The Itchen Valley SAC is already under threat from development and degradation of water quality in the chalk stream with consequent impact on wildlife. Water abstraction from the Itchen and Test is at an unsustainable level and the Environmental Agency has requested Southern Water to reduce its water take-up by some 40%. With proposed further major development in the Itchen Valley area, I fail to see how such an endeavour is possible.

“The Southern Damselfly [see image above] is under great threat from impacts on its environment in the Itchen Valley. Some 25% of the global population exists in the UK: the New Forest in Hampshire and the Preseli Hills in Pembrokeshire, with scattered populations in Devon, Dorset and the Gower Peninsula, and single populations in Anglesey and Oxfordshire. There are also large centres of population in water meadow ditch systems surrounding the River Itchen and, to a lesser extent, the River Test, in Hampshire.

“This area is listed in Annex II of the European Community Habitat and Species Directive (1992), which requires the designation of SACs for animal and plant species of community interest.

“The species has suffered a 30% decline in UK distribution since 1960. It has disappeared from Cornwall, has declined in Devon and Dorset, and has been lost from St David’s Peninsula in Pembrokeshire. The main factors influencing the decline are changes in grazing regimes, increasing habitat fragmentation, land drainage and water abstraction. Further degrading of its habitats can only serve to continue the decline.

“Time is of the essence in now taking a serious stance in protecting sensitive areas. There must be red lines in permitted development.

“Further exacerbating the impact of the planned new road, as part of Local Plan options B and C, is its proposed route through the existing Allbrook Railway Arch which is of restricted height (3.7 metres) making it unsuitable for HGV traffic and a flexible bus service using double-decker equipment. There have been 18 ‘strikes’ on the arch since 2008 – 32 since 2000 along with two fatalities due to over-height traffic. An increase in road use will only increase this risk.

“Establishment of the North Bishopstoke route will be a direct attack on highly sensitive areas of conservation that cannot be replaced, along with the fact that the road will be of questionable benefit in traffic congestion.

“The elephant in the room is the apparent need for an extra 5000+ homes. IF this is substantiated, then there are better ways of achieving it than the destruction of irreplaceable habitat and, by definition, wildlife.

“Thank you for the opportunity to present the position of Allbrook and North Boyatt Parish Council.”

OTHER READING:

Eastleigh’s monster housing plan hit by rail and water double whammy, ADD Update, 9 July 2017

MEP Keith Taylor urges rethink of Eastleigh housing plans, Hampshire Chronicle, 7 March 2017

Councillors raise questions about Allbrook bridge, answers unclear, ADD update, 29 October 2016

 

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Councillors say they will rebel against Eastleigh borough council’s local plan

Daily Echo, 1 September 2017: TWO former Liberal Democrat councillors have sworn allegiance to support a campaign to scrap building thousands of homes in a Hampshire borough. Independent councillors Steve Sollitt and Sarah Bain have given their formal support to Action Against Destructive Development (ADD) – the group set up to fight options B and C of Eastleigh’s emerging Local Plan which involves plans to build 5,200 houses and a major new road north and east of Bishopstoke and Fair Oak, through some of the borough’s finest ancient woodland. Cllr Sollitt has been a councillor in Eastleigh for 19 years and Cllr Bain has lived in Eastleigh for the last 30 years including spending eight years in Boyatt Wood, which would be affected by the development.

More

Campaign to Protect Rural England: Options B and C “are SO unsuitable for development”

MAKING THE CASE AGAINST OPTIONS B AND C: CPRE (HAMPSHIRE)…

ADD UPDATE, 1 September 2017: At Eastleigh Borough Council’s full council meeting on 20 July, representatives from environmental groups, local community groups and elected bodies all spoke AGAINST the council’s preferred proposal for its emerging Local Plan, namely a monster housing sprawl (5,200 new homes) and a major new road north of Bishopstoke and Fair Oak and south of Colden Common, Owslebury and Upham (its options B and C).

As we return from our summer break, ADD is publishing what these representatives said about options B and C, so that everyone can clearly understand the arguments against them. As we have stated all along, we are fighting for an evidence-based Local Plan for Eastleigh and will continue this struggle until we have won. 

In this post, we publish the statement made by Caroline Dibden, vice chairman of Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE)’s Hampshire branch. As Caroline said, the council’s favoured proposal is on “an area which is SO unsuitable for development. Of all the options, it is:

  • the least sustainable
  • it will require a new road upon which to hang the housing
  • it will damage a world class highly protected chalk river
  • it has the lowest light pollution
  • it is the furthest from the rail network
  • it is the furthest from access to employment
  • it is furthest from Southampton – for which it is purported to be needed to provide housing
  • and it is quite simply the most unspoilt and attractive landscape in the borough.”

To read the full statement (two pages), click here.  

Other reading:

Council notes way forward for Emerging Local Plan – 21 July 2017

‘Grotesque act of eco-vandalism’, Chris Packham attacks plans, Daily Mail – 24 July 2017

Eastleigh councillors quit over plans to build thousands of homes near ancient woodland in Fair Oak, Hampshire Chronicle – 16 August 2017

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Independent councillors give their support to Action against Destructive Development

ADD UPDATE, 24 August 2017: Eastleigh’s two newly independent councillors, Steve Sollitt and Sarah Bain, have given their formal support to Action against Destructive Development (ADD) – the group set up to fight Options B and C of the emerging Local Plan.

In a statement the two councillors said: “We share and understand the concerns felt by ADD about the extreme and disproportionate damage that the local plan would cause the environment – especially the impact of the proposed new link road on the village of Allbrook, the River Itchen and on ancient woodland. We intend to work with ADD to promote more sustainable and acceptable ways to provide housing in Eastleigh.”

Cllrs Bain and Sollitt resigned from the ruling Liberal Democrat group on Eastleigh Borough Council earlier this month because of their opposition to the proposed Options B and C, which would involve building around 5,300 homes in the Fair Oak and Bishopstoke areas plus a new road running between five pieces of ancient woodland and across the River Itchen. They remain members of the Liberal Democrat party nationally.

“We are naturally delighted to see that some politicians still have the courage of their convictions and are willing to stand up for their beliefs and the interests of the borough,” said Gin Tidridge of ADD. “We whole-heartedly welcome their support and look forward to working with Steve and Sarah.”

Their move was backed also by Liberal Democrats in neighbouring Winchester. “I know Sarah and Steve to be passionate about their area. Their brave decision to take a stand on this issue, which affects people well beyond the boundaries of Eastleigh, bodes well for our efforts to get the best possible outcome. We applaud them,” said Richard Izard, a former city mayor and long standing Lib Dem ward councillor for Colden Common and Twyford.

Steve Sollitt, a councillor for nearly nineteen years on Eastleigh Borough Council, was brought up in Boyatt Wood and knows Allbrook and the surrounding area well. 

Sarah Bain has lived in Eastleigh for the last thirty years including eight years in Boyatt Wood. She is a member of Allbrook and North Boyatt Parish Council.

The councillors fear the plan would have a detrimental effect on the village and those living there.  They believe strongly that the administration on the Borough Council should be doing its utmost to protect ancient woodland and the areas around them and that the proposed road would cause irreversible damage to the protected habitats and biodiversity along the route.

 

More

Eastleigh councillors quit over plans to build thousands of homes near ancient woodland in Fair Oak

Hampshire Chronicle, 16 August 2017: TWO Lib Dem councillors have quit their party over plans to build thousands of homes near ancient woodland. Cllr Steve Sollitt and Cllr Sarah Bain have resigned from the ruling Liberal Democrats group on Eastleigh Borough Council following their concerns about the deliverability and viability of the scheme. They are now sitting as independents, but council leader Keith House has hit back and said the rebels had taken a decision on the Local Plan before all the evidence was made available. During a full council meeting on July 20, borough councillors indicated land north of Bishopstoke and Fair Oak as the preferred location for a new development of 5,200 new houses and a major new road.

More

Lib Dems quit over housing plan ‘soundness’

Eastleigh News, 4 August 2017: Two members of Eastleigh’s ruling Liberal Democrat group have resigned from the party citing concerns over the ‘soundness’ of Eastleigh’s emerging Local Plan. But Cllr Sarah Bain and Cllr Steve Sollitt say they will continue to represent their wards as ‘Independent Liberal Democrats’. Both councillors had joined fellow Lib Dem Cllr Mark Balaam and Conservative opposition members in voting against a cabinet recommendation at last month’s council meeting which identified land north of Bishopstoke and Fair Oak (options B and C) as the preferred sites for thousands of new homes in the borough. During the meeting on 20 July, representatives from environmental groups, local community groups, parish councillors and Eastleigh’s MP Mims Davies all spoke against the development.

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EBC publishes record of vote at key 20 July meeting on its emerging Local Plan

ADD UPDATE, 2 August 2017: Draft minutes from Eastleigh Borough Council (EBC)’s crucial meeting on its emerging Local Plan on 20 July, at which a clear preference was voiced for options B and C (namely the plan for 5,200 new houses and a major new road north of Bishopstoke and Fair Oak), are now available on the council’s website.

These minutes include a record of which councillors voted for, against or abstained in the vote to “note the emerging approach” on the Local Plan. Two Liberal Democrat councillors declared pecuniary interest, one of whom was Fair Oak’s Nicholas Couldrey, and neither took part in the debate or vote.

Voting against were Liberal Democrats Steve Sollitt, Sarah Bain, Mark Balaam, as well as Conservatives Judith Grajewski, Jerry Hall, Margaret Atkinson, Daniel Hatfield and Elizabeth Lear.  The abstaining councillors were the mayor, Maureen Sollitt, and Fair Oak’s Des Scott (both Liberal Democrats).  All other councillors present voted for the motion. Attendance at the meeting can be found here

Separately, ADD received confirmation from the council yesterday that the timetable for the Local Plan on its website was now out of date and that the timings have been delayed again. Rather than starting a second public consultation in “the autumn”, the council expects to make a decision on the definitive ‘proposed submission’ by “mid December”, provided that it has received the necessary evidence by then, and start the second public consultation in “January / February 2017”. It hopes to submit its Local Plan to the Secretary of State in June 2018, after the local council elections the month before. EBC’s updated timetable is now correctly posted on its website.

This new delay will in turn put back the date by which EBC can submit its draft Local Plan to Planning Inspector – leaving Eastleigh even longer without a Local Plan.  

Thank you again to the hundreds of local residents and the 20+ speakers, including from the Woodland Trust, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, the Angling Trust, the Test and Itchen Association, Stokewood Surgery, 4th Bishopstoke Brownies and 12th Eastleigh Scout Group, who opposed the “direction of travel” being taken by EBC for its emerging Local Plan.

We are making a difference, and together with thousands of others who were unable to attend the meeting, we will continue our fight for Eastleigh’s Local Plan to be properly evidence based until the bitter end.

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Angling Trust CEO urges Eastleigh Borough Council to re-write Local Plan for sake of River Itchen

Angling Trust & Fish Legal, 28 July 2017. This article was published in this week’s Angling Trust & Fish Legal ‘Member News’ update: “Last week, Angling Trust Chief Executive Mark Lloyd gave a speech at a meeting of Eastleigh Borough Council attended by around 500 local residents opposed to plans to build 5,000 new homes and a link road near the River Itchen, one of the country’s finest chalkstreams. Mark stressed that the river is already over-abstracted and polluted with phosphates and called for a re-writing of the Local Plan to focus on water sustainability. Earlier in the summer, the Angling Trust and WWF-UK hosted an event attended by cross party MPs, the Sports Minister Tracey Crouch and the Water Minister Therese Coffey to highlight the plight of the river.”

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