Paul Hobson
Wildlife Trust still standing up for wildlife despite lockdown
Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust have today explained that they have been kept hugely busy ensuring that wildlife has a voice within the planning system during lockdown.
With no letup in the level of planning applications the team, which is working at reduced and all working from home, have been consulted on 60 separate planning issues, from details relating to longstanding and complex major development sites to new proposals for housing and industrial developments.
Speaking on behalf of the Wildlife Trust Head of Communications Erin McDaid said:
In just seven weeks we’ve seen applications which include plans for a total of nearly 1600 houses across on sites across the county. Whilst some are small sites with just a few dwellings others are for hundreds of new houses and each application needs careful consideration to understand what impacts and opportunities there may be for wildlife.Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust
"Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust is the only local charity that routinely reviews and comments on planning applications in both rural and urban parts of the county and our Conservation Team have certainly been kept busy during lockdown. Our ecological expertise and knowledge of local wildlife is vital to ensuring that need to protect wildlife and to secure opportunities to recreate and restore habitats are factored in to decisions. Some plans have been ongoing for many years, so our long term involvement also becomes important to ensure that past commitments to protect wildlife are carried through.”
Mr McDaid added: “We’ve also been investigating whether wildlife crimes have been committed due to vegetation clearance on at least two development sites and we’ve also responded to the latest stages of the Draft Minerals Local Plan, which is a major piece of work for our team – so we’re as busy as ever at a very challenging time for our team. This work is only made possible thanks to the support of our members and donors and the more support we have across the county the more we can do to create a wilder Nottinghamshire.”
Please visit our Support Us section, to see how you could help to make a Wilder Future for Nottinghamshire.