Working Together is the Only Way Forward
A sustainable development is a development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Changes over the last 50 years in the ways that we live and the food we eat has seen changes to the planet we could not of previously imagined. We make no apologies for standing up for wildlife, whilst human populations have thrived wildlife simply hasn’t.
Some say humans are clever, but I am not so sure. We are destroying our home and heading for irreversible damage to our planet. We hit the anthropocene age (the age of man) and we are the single most destructive force on the planet. On a clock-face of time, we arrive at 2 seconds before midnight but our impact has been devastating.
Wildlife is declining at a rapid rate and what ever we have been doing simply hasn’t worked. 96% of our Turtle doves have gone along with 40% of Dormice, 95% of Grey partridge, 75% of Skylarks and 66% of starling. Hedgehogs have declined from 50 million to less than a million along with 39% of our bat population.
52% of all our wildlife has gone
This should be a massive alarm bell for us all because we will be the next species to suffer if we don’t take action.
The single most important factor in the future of our wildlife is habitat – if you remove or contaminate the habitats, you will remove the species.
The human population is increasing and humans need homes We have to balance the needs of wildlife with a growing population to stand any real chance of saving our precious wildlife species in a sustainable and meaningful way. There are more people today than ever before in our history and the government is committed to providing an ever increasing amount of homes.
Councils are required to maintain a steady supply of land for housing to meet the needs of the population and a policy for ‘reserve housing sites’ was established through the Local Plan process. We as a Trust have put an incredible amount of time and energy into fighting a system that is unjust for wildlife. I know, because we have done this and on no occasion has wildlife ultimately won.
Something has to give. If developers and conservationists worked more closely together then we could solve the issue.
In 1993 27% of the land had no measurable human footprint.
2009 that is 9.3%. Most of the remaining are places that aren’t good for agriculture or cities, such as the Sahara, Gobi, and Australian deserts, the most remote portions of tropical rainforests in the Amazon and Congo, and the Tundra. 200 years ago there was less than 1 billion humans. Today we have 7 billion – 6.9% of the total number of people ever born and another 2 billion on the way.
The single most important factor in the future of our wildlife is habitat – if you remove or contaminate habitats, you will remove the species. Human houses and workplace buildings have taken over the UK green spaces. Villages morph into towns and the towns sprawl out so that defined green boundaries merge.
We think the current policy fails wildlife and fails developers.
Having spent many years and costly time and money fighting planning applications, we have decided the way forward is to work together for the benefit of wildlife. The shocking figures under the current regime speak for themselves. The current tick box system doesn’t work. Relocation doesn’t work.
We would like to see the introduction of a wildlife area for all new developments; that could form the statutory framework and planning of developments.
Wildlife Early Intervention Plan
A wildlife area should be established at least 1 to 2 years in advance of any site work and relate to site specific wildlife surveys.
A site of appropriate size should be set aside for wildlife on each development. This can be created with the agreement from both parties.
The area would need to retain existing trees and cover, and wherever possible natural water sources if currently present. New native planting to attract bees and insects, and to provide cover should be included. If no natural water source is available, a continual water source must be included.
A feeding regime for wildlife should then be established and monitored to ensure maximum uptake in terms of species recorded and the numbers of wild animals taking the food. This should be established at least one year prior to any works commencing. This would attract wildlife from the development to the new wildlife area that has been set aside.
The wildlife area would become a feature of the new development, creating a natural space and a wildlife oasis, thus truly creating new homes for people and for wildlife.
Wildlife areas should be designed into every scheme and be included as part of any planning application for the site.
The wildlife area is protected by appropriate fencing and signage. There should be minimal contact with wildlife and site buildings during the process.
Once the development is completed, the feeding regime of wildlife should be reduced as the site develops to support them naturally.
Volunteers and community groups can support this under strict guidance.
The fencing used in the construction phase can be removed as hedgerow or a suitable natural barrier will now be permanent. A display board with the species types and some general information would be a good addition along with the addition of bench seats and perhaps a walking trail to encourage people to enjoy the local wildlife.
Done correctly, the wildlife area could become a positive selling feature for the site and the costs of the area to the developer could be offset by its inclusion.
The current situation doesn’t help wildlife. Wildlife groups and developers working together is the only way forward.