Call to protect Barcombe wildlife corridor from development

A petition calling on Lewes District Council to protect a ‘wildlife corridor’ from a controversial housing development has gathered more than 850 signatures. 
Objectors are particularly concerned about any development's impact on nightingalesObjectors are particularly concerned about any development's impact on nightingales
Objectors are particularly concerned about any development's impact on nightingales

The petition concerns proposals to build six homes on a greenfield site in Barcombe Cross, which is accessed via a private road known as Bridgelands.

While the scheme was granted outline planning approval in November 2018 (meaning the principle of the development has already been agreed), petitioners have raised concerns about its potential impact on local wildlife.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Petitioners are particularly concerned about its potential impact on nightingales, which they say are known to roost at the site during the summer months. 

The petition reads: “Sussex is one of the nightingales’ last relative strongholds, but the detail of a planned housing development in a Sussex village known for its summer-resident nightingales places an important habitat, nesting area and ‘corridor’ at risk of destruction. 

“Nightingales are a sensitive, shy species, vulnerable to disturbance, but are often heard in scrub and undergrowth along the lines of local tracks and field boundaries connecting what are likely to be critically important nesting areas for the nightingales regionally, and maybe nationally.  

“This ‘wildlife corridor’ could be at risk or destroyed by the development that currently has outline planning permission – with potential implications for nesting nightingales at other sites across the area.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

As part of the outline application in 2018, developers commissioned consultants The Ecology Partnership to undertake a preliminary ecological assessment of the site.

Planning papers from the same period say a separate assessment was undertaken for greater crested newts, a protected species, but none were found on the site.

A follow-up report by the same group confirmed the presence of two reptile species, slow worms and grass snakes. Developers have since commissioned an environmental mitigation strategy – this time prepared by NW Environmental – laying out measures intended to protect these reptiles. 

While none of the reports make specific mention of nightingales, they do propose some general mitigations to protect birds nesting on the site and make mention of the scrub 

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Petitioners, however, are unsatisfied with these ecological reports and are calling on Lewes District Council to ensure developers carry out a complete Environmental Impact Assessment. Petitioners say this should be  “conducted by a suitably qualified expert to ensure the needs of nightingales as well as other vulnerable locally-known species including dormice and great crested newts are considered.”

Petitioners are also calling on the council to provide specific protections for the scrub area they believe is home to nightingales.

The petition also calls on the council to ensure the case is heard at a public planning committee meeting.

For further details of the proposals see application reference LW/20/0245 on the Lewes District Council website.

A message from the Editor, Gary Shipton:

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news, I am asking you to please purchase a copy of our newspapers.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspapers.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

Stay safe, and best wishes.