Our fraying Green Ribbons

The truism “all politicians lie” perhaps is not universal, neither is the ‘Yes Minister’ truism “all civil servants obfuscate”. Then we have Hastings.

Over decades HBC declared protections for its woodland ‘Green Ribbons’, but visit Gillsmans Hill to see the hollowness of those guarantees.

Gillsmans Hill’s visual amenity, its ancient woodlands lining and overhanging, its birdsong now drowned by chainsaws. Centuries old Pines and Oaks, that any other council unilaterally would have protected, have been felled on both sides. Even new incursions into former ‘Ancient Woordland’.

Recently, Gillsmans Hill’s ancient ‘Green Ribbon’ seems destined to be a canyon of developments, like HBC ‘quirky’ excrescence ‘Sartori’ that replaced a magnificent healthy Copper Beach - sadly also unprotected by TPO.

Naturally, (no pun intended), developers’ reports assert no threats to wildlife or ecology. It seems our badgers, bats, birds, reptiles, slow-worms, never made acquaintance with their ecologists. And our council bought into that mythology; while recorded bat-roosts unlawfully were demolished; while badger setts unlawfully were dug out, unlawfully killed for sport; while nesting birds unlawfully were felled; while significant woodland and trees were felled.

Will this supine electorate never stand against a council letting developers ravage our protected ecologies, our ‘Green Ribbon’ amenities?

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