My colleagues at the sharp end of our work to save special places from harm are in the midst of one of the busiest periods we can remember (and some of us can remember quite a long way back).
I’ve been following the lengthy public inquiry into plans to extend Lydd Airport in Kent (here’s a link to that one) and today we launch into a shorter inquiry concerning plans to build houses at Hurstleigh Park in Berkshire.
We’ve been at the heart of striving to ensure the network of the Heathland sites to the SW of London are effectively protected. The network is known as the Thames Basin Heaths (not the most alluring of names) - it is protected by law and is designated as a Special Protection Area.
And all that striving has been effective – the area is inevitably going to be one where development is an ever-present factor and if the Thames Basin Heaths are to survive and thrive then the standards of planning need to be high. Both the location and the provision of recreational land to take the pressure off the heaths are crucial. And there has been substantial progress with local authorities working within a framework that recognises the special, and fragile, nature of the heathland.
Hurstleigh tests that proposition and we welcome the chance to argue our case at a public inquiry – you can read more here.
Nightjar - one of the ground-nesting birds that make the Thames Basin Heaths so special. Their nesting habits make them particularly vulnerable to disturbance. (Picture: Grahame Madge)
So is this build up activity linked to the current uncertainties in the planning system in England? Hard to make that link as most cases have been rumbling along for ages and way before current planning reforms. Hurstleigh has come forward quite quickly and may be a taster for the future – as developers test the bounds of sustainability. One thing is for certain – we aren’t planning for a quiet life any time soon.
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