"NO" to English Partnerships' development of wild life haven at Dry Street, Essex

July 12, 2006

In basildon Essex, land in Dry Street and adjacent to the wild life park of Langdon Hills and One Tree Hill is under threat of development from English Partnerships, a government regeneration agency which was asked to put foward land for housing.

English Partnerships wish to build 1,300 dwellings on the site, plus a school, shops, health facilites, offices, & pub.

The area is undoubtedly very rich in wildlife, and its animals include badgers, foxes, bats, rabbits, hare, stoat, weasels, squirrels, adders, grass snakes, lizards, slow worms, great crested newts and other amphibians. Many wild flower species occur, including some that are associated with long-established meadows, like adder's tongue fern, hay rattle and some orchids. The hedges are rich and varied, and they support much wildlife.

A great variety of bird species has been recorded, including summer and winter migrants - from cuckoos and warblers in summer to fieldfares and waxwings in winter, with rare passage migrants turning up on occasion. Winter flocks of lapwings, migrant thrushes and gulls congregate on one of the middle meadows, where earthworms and soil invertebrates must clearly be very numerous. Sparrowhawks, kestrels, owls and woodpeckers (green and spotted) frequent the site, and the marshy areas attract snipe and other species. There are many butterflies and moths, as well as a rich variety of other insects, some of which are so rare that they are on the Red Data Book list.

The land has been under the threat of development for a number of years. Following an earlier 4000 signature petition from all areas presented to Basildon Council the new Master Plan designated this area as open space to eventually be permanently protected as "Green Belt".

However, apparently there were legal issues that needed to be addressed in the plan and they were not resolved before a specified date. Because of this the previous town plan remained in place, which specified the land to be reserved for housing if required. Central government have now changed planning regulations. These new regulations require us to start the process of gathering evidence to fight this development from the beginning again.

So please help us!! sign our petition!

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