Bursted Woods school under fire over proposed ‘prison camp’ fence by popular open space, and threats to Sparrow habitat

Local residents are strongly objecting  to plans by Bursted Woods school to erect a long 2.1 metre (7′) tall metal fence along the access road at the western end of this well-used open space and Site of Importance for Nature Conservation.  A 200 signature petition was raised against the initial scheme, which also threatened House Sparrow habitat and was withdrawn. A revised proposal goes before Bexley Council’s planning committee on August 28th.

Visually intrusive

The fencing would be metal with small mesh to make it hard to climb, thereby presenting a visually intrusive solid ‘wall’ effect that will be out of keeping with the area, and will essentially create a cage around the roadway which, as Alan Ridout has said, will give the appearance of a prison camp more than that of a school.

Bursted towards Swanbridge

Bursted Woods Open Space looking towards Swanbridge Road. The fencing would extend down the hill to the start of the bend in the access road, negatively impacting the ‘open’ feel of the west end of the site.

Threat to Sparrow habitat 

Sparrow habitat

Sparrow habitat (left) under threat? The plans are now unclear about what will happen to it, but previous proposals have included a tarmac car park and a crass ‘tidying away’ in favour of biodiversity-poor mown grass.

The strip of green on the far (west) side of the road is important House Sparrow habitat. For some reason Swanbridge Road is a Sparrow hotspot, presumably because they are able to nest on the houses here, and there are usually 10 or so birds utilising this small patch of land at any one time. Previous iterations of the plan have threatened to tarmac it for car parking, or to ‘remove weeds and supply and lay new turf’ (i.e. remove Sparrow forage by tidying away and sanitising nature). It is not clear from the revised plan what the school intends to do with this area, but it will be affected by the proposed fence line.

Worryingly inaccurate information

In both applications, and in answer to the questions do ‘Protected and priority species’ and do ‘Designated sites, important habitats or other biodiversity features’ occur on, or ‘on land adjacent to or near the proposed development’ the school Governor applicants have quite erroneously said ‘No’. This is despite Bursted Woods being a SINC and House Sparrows (not to mention the resident Bats) being UK and London Biodiversity Action Plan priority species due to serious declines in numbers, all of which information is in the public domain and easily accessed on the internet. This degree of ignorance does not reflect well on an educational establishment, and suggests a worrying disengagement from the realities of the local environment, which is surely a prime teaching resource.

Health and safety overkill?

The school claims that all this is necessary because a transfer of land from Bexley Council, associated with it’s switch to Academy status, has left it with health and safety headaches. The original plan separated pedestrians from vehicles within the ‘cage’ with a second line of fencing, but the revised plan does not. So apart from some kind of ‘territory marking’ exercise, or a vast over-estimation of the likelihood of a member of the general public wandering onto this lightly-used road and getting run-over (there are no reports of any accidents here over many years), it is hard to see what the point of the exercise is, and it seems like yet another absurdly over-the-top response to a near non-existent ‘threat’. If the intention is to protect children in some way then the far greater risk is to those coming across Erith Road (then across the open space) to access the school. But no one is suggesting caging Erith Road.

Surely there are better things to spend money on?

In these times of financial stringency and major budget cuts, it seems unlikely that the Council would be spending thousands on a scheme like this, and it is worrying if the school does not have more productive educational needs to spend its money on, whether it’s in Local Authority control or not.

Access road

Does this lightly-used access road really need to be ‘caged’ in at great expense, in the absence of any evidence of significant risk or past accidents?

Unwelcoming ‘barriers’ to visitors?

It is also proposed to put a gate across the bottom of the access road, which will be shut most of the time and visible as one approaches from the west along Swanbridge Road. At a time when the Council is spending large amounts of lottery money trying to increase footfall at Lesnes by removing perceived ‘barriers’ to public usage, and installing fancy ‘gateways’, should it approve ‘industrial’ installations at Bursted that may have the opposite effect?

View from Swanbridge

View looking east from Swanbridge Road towards the proposed position of a gate across the road, which will be closed outside of school hours. This potential psychological ‘barrier’ seems to be at odds with Council thinking and spending at Lesnes.

Can someone please turn off the lights ….?

While we’re at it, perhaps someone could do something about the waste of energy and unnecessary light pollution of a known Bat site caused by the access road lights, seen here still blazing away at 10.35 p.m. on a summer night, being left on long after the school has closed and there is no traffic.

Lights at half past ten at night

Lights on at half past ten at night. You can see the moon, but not many stars. Let’s have our dark skies back and save money.

Bexley Natural Environment Forum and local residents remain opposed to the revised fencing plan, and have submitted objections, including pointing out the Sparrow habitat implications.

Posted in Bursted Woods, Education, Light pollution, Planning, SINC | Leave a comment

London Wildlife Trust comments on the London Infrastructure Plan

Interesting comments from the London Wildlife Trust on the Mayor’s London Infrastructure Plan. It would be good if it does mean more protection for green spaces, yet at the moment Bexley Council is planning to build on a large Site of Importance for nature Conservation – Erith Quarry.

The Erith Quarry site seen from Hollyhill Open Space in June 2014. There used to be considerably more valuable scrub until former owners DHL Ltd bulldozed the site, despite it being at the highest grade of Borough level importance for wildlife. (Photo: Chris Rose).

The Erith Quarry site seen from Hollyhill Open Space in June 2014. There used to be considerably more valuable scrub until former owners DHL Ltd bulldozed the site, despite it being at the highest grade of Borough level importance for wildlife. (Photo: Chris Rose).

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London Wildlife Trust welcomes the Mayor’s publication of the London Infrastructure Plan 2050 and the commitment within to ensure that green infrastructure – the network of the city’s parks, nature reserves, rivers, woodlands and other green spaces – are part of the plan.

The plan’s recognition of the role of the capital’s natural environment is critical for ensuring that wildlife and nature have a place in the London of the future, and acknowledges that green spaces are essential to the city’s social andeconomic well-being.

We support the plan’s aspirational commitments to create 9,000 hectares of new accessible green space, and provide 10% more green cover in central London.

The Trust welcomes the decision to establish a Green Infrastructure Task Force. Having long-standing experience of conserving London’s natural environment, we aim to contribute to the work of the Task Force.

Nevertheless the Trust is concerned that the plan remains unclear as to the protection that will be given to the existing 1,500 plus sites of wildlife importance in London, nor how it will meet the commitments to restore and create important habitats to reverse the decline in the capital’s biodiversity, as set out in The London Plan in 2011.

More homes and more green space, but where will the space come from?

It also claims that the aspirational targets to build 1.5 million homes and other infrastructure will not encroach upon the Green Belt, which we consider an unlikely ambition given the existing pressures to expand. We also note that there are many other valuable green spaces in London that are vulnerable to being lost to development.

The plan also fails to make clear whether the ambitious targets for new, accessible space will lead to a net gain in the quantity of green space. Will the new spaces simply replace other spaces that will be lost, or will existing, closed spaces be made accessible? The greening of street and roofs will be of benefit, but they are not replacements for the loss of complex wildlife habitats.

Critically the Infrastructure Plan needs to result in a significant net gain for wildlife, if it is to make a London a pleasant place to live, work and play. We will work with others to ensure that this can happen.

London Wildlife Trust urges people to respond to the Infrastructure Plan, and to ensure that nature’s place in the future city is sufficiently protected, respected and enhanced.

You can respond to the London Infrastructure Plan here:

https://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/business-economy/vision-and-strategy/infrastructure-plan-2050 

The consultation closes on 31st October 2014.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

A future for parks in the face of further Council cuts?

Think tank, Policy Exchange, have just published a report on the importance of public open space and the particular threats in the face of repeated Council cut backs.

“Our report highlights the importance of parks and other urban green spaces to the social and economic wellbeing of the country. Providing free outdoor space for exercise, socialising and relaxation, parks can benefit both physical and mental health. However, on average local authority spending on open spaces was cut by 10.5% between 2010/11 and 2012/13 and there is no ring-fence protecting the budget spent on maintaining green spaces. Combined with the increasing demand for housing and other urban development there is a risk that the UK’s parks will deteriorate or become spaces that are the preserve of the wealthy.”

Download the PDF file .

http://www.policyexchange.org.uk/publications/category/item/green-society-policies-to-improve-the-uk-s-green-spaces

Commentary in The Independent

Parks are for rich and poor alike

The think tank Policy Exchange published a report yesterday calling for more value to be placed on our public parks, including the idea of council-tax rebates for residents who volunteer as rangers or litter wardens, as well as “ecotherapy” for overweight and unfit patients who would attend fitness classes in their local park, part-funded  by the NHS.

Both are attractive proposals designed to ensure that our public spaces are kept in good repair. But a third proposal – to impose a levy on people who live near parks – would surely only lead to them becoming exclusive playgrounds of the middle class.

In most cities, the greatest parks are bordered by both rich and poor areas and should remain free to everyone. Conservative-controlled Wandsworth council in south London has repeatedly tried to impose a charge on a local playground, despite widespread public anger. Parklife should be a right, not a privilege.

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/whats-the-point-of-paying-for-service-if-you-then-have-to-do-the-work-yourself-9681674.html

Posted in Parks | Leave a comment

Kent wildlife conference, October 2014

Saturday 18 October 2014
Grimond Lecture Theatre 1
University of Kent, Canterbury Campus

Organised by the Kent Field Club (Kent’s natural history society).

Having been to a couple of these events in the past, they are well worth attending if there’s something on the agenda you’re particularly interested in, and since Bexley shares a long border with Kent, quite a lot of the wildlife and issues are the same.

For the booking form see here:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwSOsG-5h3_UX1NwMWxVTTQxY19ZYWRtYVc3UnJkWkNQMnhN/edit?pli=1

Cost is £20 per person, to include refreshments and lunch (with vegetarian option).

Programme

9.50 Welcome and introduction. John Badmin, Kent Field Club.

10.00 Alien pests and diseases, and biosecurity measures.
Andrew Gaunt, The Food and Environment Research Agency.

10.25 Change in abundance of large brown seaweeds in the British Isles: is this happening in Kent? Prof. Juliet Brodie, Dr Chris Yesson, Natural History Museum

10.50 The Kent Breeding Bird Atlas 2008-11 – changes in Kent’s
avifauna. Stephen Wood, Kent Ornithological Society.

11:15 – 11:35 Coffee and poster session

11.35 The Robert Pocock Herbarium Project. Pauline Heathcote, North West Kent Local Group of Kent Wildlife Trust

12.00 Kent plants today. Geoffrey Kitchener, Kent Botanical Recording Group.

12.25 Spider behaviour. Greg Hitchcock, British Arachnological Society.

12:50 – 2.00 Lunch and poster session

2.00 The Kent Heritage Tree Project: involving the community in finding Heritage Trees. Jadie Baker, The Conservation Volunteers.

2.25 The national importance of the Chattenden Woods and Lodge Hill SSSI for nightingales. Phil Williams, Natural England.

2.50 Crassula helmsii in Kent: do the effects on biodiversity justify control? Tim Smith, Canterbury Christ Church University.

3.15 The use of pheromones as a sampling tool for the ecological study of burnet moths. Dr Joe Burman, Canterbury Christ Church
University.

3.40 Discussion. This session will conclude the conference and also provide an opportunity for people to flag up new projects and record requests before the conference close.

4.00 Close. Refreshments will be available in the foyer after the close of conference for those who wish to have some time to chat and have a catch up.

Please note that the programme may be subject to change.

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LWT announces August and early September Braeburn Park workdays

London Wildlife Trust is getting down to work in earnest at its new Braeburn Park reserve to the south of Hall Place, and just up the road from Crayford railway station, offering new conservation volunteering opportunities for people in this part of the Borough. Early work will focus on opening up the significant length of footpaths,, some of which have got overgrown with Bramble and other vegetation, and putting in steps on some of the steeper sections.

Early work at Braeburn Park will involve improving pathways, some of which are now overgrown and badly rutted as a result of illegal motorbike use on the site. This picture was taken in April 2011. (Photo: Chris Rose)

Early work at Braeburn Park will involve improving pathways, some of which are now overgrown, and also badly rutted as a result of illegal motorbike use on the site. This picture was taken in April 2011. (Photo: Chris Rose)

Contact Shaun Marriott, Reserves Officer (South) for more details of workdays, which are listed below:

smarriott@wildlondon.org.uk
Mob: 07710194268

Do check nearer the dates that there have been no last minute changes. Before starting any work, new participants will need to complete a standard LWT volunteering form covering contact details, any health issues, fields of particular interest etc., which Shaun will provide.

THURS, 21st AUGUST
Building new steps and footpath work

THURS, 28th AUGUST
Building new steps and footpath work

FRI, 29th AUGUST
Building new steps and footpath work

WEDS, 3rd SEPT
Building new steps and footpath work, brush-cutting overgrown footpaths

THURS, 4th SEPT
Building new steps and footpath work, brush-cutting overgrown footpaths

FRI, 5th SEPT
Building new steps and footpath work

TUES, 9th SEPT
Task to be confirmed

THURS, 11th SEPT
Building new steps and footpath work

FRI, 12th SEPT
Building new steps and footpath work

The sand pit at Braeburn Park in April 2011 (Photo: Chris Rose)

The sand pit at Braeburn Park in April 2011 (Photo: Chris Rose)

Posted in Braeburn Park, London Wildlife Trust, Volunteering | Leave a comment

LWT offers training in power tool use and conservation management

Contact person:
Shaun Marriott
Reserves Officer (South)
smarriott@wildlondon.org.uk
Mob: 07710 194268

From Mon, 15th until Sun, 21st September London Wildlife Trust will be running the annual residential/camping week, based at Fryland’s Wood Scout camp site, working on some of the chalk grassland reserves in the Croydon and Bromley areas. Tasks will include scrub clearance/burning at Saltbox Hill (SSSI) and
Hutchinson’s Bank, grassland mowing and strip burning at West Kent Golf Course (on the slopes adjacent to, not on the golf course!).

In-house training will be given in aspects of safe tree felling, using power tools (including petrol brushcutters and mowers), blade sharpening and other practical tasks.

Full details about camping, transport pick-ups/drop-offs to a local tram stop, what you need to bring, etc will be sent out soon. Contact Shaun to sign up. You’re welcome to come for any time you’re free and don’t have to camp overnight; also, please feel free to bring partners and friends, as long as we know they’re coming. Volunteers and LWT staff from all over London will be coming.

Posted in Education, London Wildlife Trust, Training, Volunteering | Leave a comment

Thames Estuary Airport impact on birds.

BTO reports on plans for the Thames Estuary airport

British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) ecologists have recently reported on controversial proposals to build an airport on the Isle of Grain in the Thames Estuary. The study shows that this development would cause significant loss of coastal habitat within two areas that are protected under European law for their internationally important waterbird populations.
The full report and a summary on the potential effect of major estuarine developments on bird populations can be read at: http://www.bto.org/science/latest-research/bto-reports-plans-thames-estuary-airport?dm_i=IG4,2PAU4,H7T58M,9V0AA,1
Posted in Rivers | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Karen nurtures next generation of nature-lovers

Summer comes to Crossness

Members of the Smiley Ark Summer Club visited Crossness Nature Reserve yesterday. Arriving by public transport from their local base in Belvedere, the kids, with an age range of 5 to 9, were excited to visit such a fun place right on their doorstep.

I was greeted with screams of ‘We’re gonna do pond-dipping!!’ before any formalities could take place, but that had to be delayed with an impromptu visit to the bird hide to avoid the first of a couple of showers. But, issued with a pair of binoculars each, they were able to watch coot, little grebe and heron in the wader scrape, but they were more excited by the horses in the paddock that had all backed into the wind and rain, so that we were faced with a nice row of 10 horse’s bottoms!

So eager to do some pond-dipping, with many of them never having done it before, they couldn’t wait for the rain to stop, and it was more than they could do to keep their nets out of the water while I told them what to do. It was great: they caught fish, tonnes of damselfly larvae, a rather impressive dragonfly nymph and the usual array of aquatic beetles and snails.

A youngster does some pond-dipping from one of the boardwalks at Crossness (Photo :  Karen Sutton)

A youngster does some pond-dipping from one of the boardwalks at Crossness  (Photo: Karen Sutton)

Some mini-beasting turned up 6 smooth newts under the log slices, as well as woodlice, ants, spiders, pill woodlice, and some rather large centipedes. These were caught and placed in magnifying pots and resulted in lots of ‘cool’, ‘awesome’ and ‘aaarggh!!’, the latter being the teachers of course.

We went on a walk armed with butterfly nets, but the weather just wasn’t quite on our side. It wasn’t until we were packing up that the sun really shone and the butterflies came out.

Summer Club participants go in search of butterflies despite some  overcast weather. (Photo: Karen Sutton)

Summer Club participants go in search of butterflies despite some overcast weather. (Photo: Karen Sutton)

What they did find though was blackberries: lots and lots of blackberries, and boy did they put some away! They rather creatively used their drinking cups as collecting pots, and some even mashed up their berries and added drinking water to make their own blackberry cordial. Who needs Robinsons when there’s Crossness in August?!

The children enjoy the fruits of Blackberry picking. (Photo: Karen Sutton)

The children enjoy the fruits of Blackberry picking. (Photo: Karen Sutton)

It was a really fun day, made all the more pleasurable by their excitement, energy and enthusiasm. It’s sometimes difficult to keep the younger kids engaged in this age of instant gratification, but they loved every second and didn’t want to go home.

I only hope that I won’t be in trouble with the parents for their little ones returning home with purple mouths and fingers, not to mention all those subsequent sugar rushes!

Reserve Manager Karen Sutton at Crossness with some of the attendees.

Reserve Manager Karen Sutton at Crossness with some of the Smiley Ark members. 

Karen Sutton, Crossness Nature Reserve Site Manager. 

Posted in Crossness Nature Reserve, Education | Tagged | 2 Comments

Foots Cray Meadows river habitat enhancement programme continues apace

Thames21 River Cray Project officer Michael Heath writes:

Our plan to put the River Cray at Foots Cray Meadows back on the map as a premiere habitat for wildlife, and a natural and recreational feature for the local community, is now well underway. We are encouraging more people to join us and get involved with work to improve this much-modified stretch of the river, which will have multiple benefits.

Changes to the river over the years, including straightening parts of it, installing concrete culverts, and widening, have reduced its potential as wildlife habitat for key species and as a natural feature for people to enjoy. The project, which is expected to last until the summer of 2016 will seek to change this.

Funding is coming from The Veolia Environmental Trust, which has awarded a grant through the Landfill Communities Fund with additional support from The London Borough of Bexley, North West Kent Countryside Partnership and the Daily Mail and General Trust.

Improvements to the river will include ecological restoration of the river in line with the Water Framework Directive, by creating a more varied flow by building pools and shallows, modifying its depth and width and making it more natural and winding. This will be beneficial for aquatic invertebrates and fish.

Trampled and eroded banks will be improved by planting with species that will attract certain insects and other animals.

The project is also designed to inform and inspire local residents to protect and enhance it once this scheme is complete.

The scheme fits in with several ongoing initiatives concerning the river, led by the Cray Catchment Improvement Group.

Further workdays at this site will be taking place on:

13th, 20th and 28th August, 3rd, 11th, 17th and 25th September 2014.

Thames21 volunteers will be working with people from the North West Kent Countryside Partnership. We will be on site from 1000 to 1500 on each day, so do come along and find us. To get actively involved, meet at 0945 at the Leafield Lane Gate onto the Meadows, Leafield Lane DA14 5EB (Off the North Cray Road beside the old Scout Hut) .

This is a wonderful opportunity to learn new skills and to get involved with a friendly team in making long-lasting improvements to a high-profile local site.

We will also be holding a number of other events along the Cray during this period, to carry on with the work we do throughout the length of the river in the Borough of Bexley.

All Thames21 events in Bexley can be found at:

Calendar

To get involved or for more information, contact Michael Heath michael.heath@thames21.org.uk or ph: 07968 805751.

Posted in Foots Cray Meadows, Rivers, Volunteering | Leave a comment

London biological records centre publishes latest online newsletter

Greenspace information for Greater London (GiGL), the capital’s biological records and open spaces database centre, has just published its latest online newsletter

GiGL logo

at:

http://www.gigl.org.uk/gigler

Articles include:

– a ‘Wildlife, wildlife everywhere’ piece giving a good overview of what GiGL does

– an item on structuring record collecting

–  an insight into the work involved in processing historical records (using Moths as an example)

– an invitation to ‘tour’ parks and open spaces using the iGiGL facility, and which contains interesting information about the derivation of site names

– a page about sites of geological interest in London, with a reference to Bexley

– a feature on the defeat of a planning application to develop the largest area of standing water in Kingston upon Thames.

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