Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust has today spoken about the unique pressure it is facing as it works to ensure major minerals planning applications next to both its Idle Valley & Attenborough Nature Reserves do not damage or destroy local wildlife or impact on people’s enjoyment of its flagship sites.
The Trust, which is the only local charity that routinely responds to planning applications which threaten wildlife habitats or species across all parts of the county, finds itself in a unique position of needing to assess and respond to large scale minerals applications close to its flagship sites at opposite ends of the county.
In north Notts, the charity has been assessing the impact of an application to extract pulverised fuel ash (PFA) from land next to Idle Valley Nature Reserve near Retford – its largest site where beavers were introduced in 2021 and which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its waders and wildfowl. Having now sent a formal objection to this proposal, the charity will now assess the possible impact of an application to extract sand and gravel from land across the River Trent from Attenborough Nature Reserve.