Tag: Issue of the Week 1

The press release issued by Norfolk Wildlife Trust on 6 December 2021.

Norfolk Wildlife Trust is continuing to object to the proposed “Norwich Western Link” (NWL) and calls on more people to consider the coverage from BBC Countryfile (aired 5 December 2021).

NWT Chief Executive, Eliot Lyne, said: “We welcomed the BBC Countryfile reporting on the Norwich Northern Distributor Road Western Link on Sunday. The programme highlighted the unacceptable impacts of building a major road through a nationally important landscape – one that is a vital home to vulnerable wildlife including what is likely to be the UK’s largest known ‘super-colony’ of barbastelle bats.

“By showcasing the importance of the woodlands for threatened species found on the proposed route, the programme shone a light on some of the grave concerns that NWT have been raising with Norfolk County Council, Natural England and the Department for Transport throughout the design and planning of the proposed road. Evidence and testing were shown to be key to informing decisions on future development and mitigation. It is vital we listen to the science.

“Dr Packman’s independent scientific research, as seen on the programme, provides very strong evidence that this area is crucial for the long-term survival of barbastelle bats in the UK. As such we are calling on the Government’s Nature Conservation Advisors to urgently designate the area as both a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation. This will provide the resident bat colony vital protection from future developments such as the proposed road.

“We remain opposed to the new road development given its potential for a catastrophic impact on species. COP26 highlighted that we are facing both a climate crisis and a nature crisis, and that action is urgent on both. The outdated attitude that it is acceptable to destroy nature and compromise our climate in the pursuit of progress must be revolutionized. When nature thrives, so do we.”

“We are pleased to see national platforms such as BBC Countryfile raising awareness of important issues for our natural environment, as we continue our work to protect Norfolk’s wildlife.”

The press release issued by Norfolk Wildlife Trust on 4 July 2022.

Following information published by Norfolk County Council ahead of today’s Cabinet meeting, a group of environmental organisations continue to raise grave concerns about the ecological impact of the proposed Norwich Western Link.

The Council has shared data from new ecological surveys on the location of bat roosts and feeding areas within an ancient woodland found on the proposed route, and published a new route map that they believe will avoid significant impacts to the bats.

Independent bat expert, Dr Charlotte Packman, has been carrying out in-depth research into the presence of barbastelle bats on the proposed route for the past four years.

Dr Charlotte Packman said: “Norfolk County Council’s reports only show a very limited snapshot of what is known about the nationally important barbastelle super-colony that is located here – with colony counts, home ranges, foraging areas and roosts substantially underrepresented in their reports.

“For example, at one colony the peak count recorded by the Council’s surveys is reported as 16 barbastelles, where we have recorded 105. Our data has been verified by UEA, making this currently the largest known barbastelle roost in the country.

“This is very concerning as the true scale and importance of the barbastelle super-colony has not been presented in the Council’s reports and therefore the proposed impact of the road on barbastelles will be significantly underestimated. This is an exceptional population of a very rare species that is considered to be something of a ‘Norfolk specialty’ – we have an important obligation to ensure that it is properly protected before it is too late.”

Mike Jones, NWT Conservation Officer, said: “Norfolk County Council’s proposed route amendment to avoid a handful of ancient and veteran trees does nothing to address the concerns for wildlife we have been raising for years. The bats need to feed and roost across areas of more than six kilometres, making a home in the flaking bark of trees found deep in the woodland and feeding from the far corners of this unique natural landscape.

“Barbastelle bats are in serious decline globally and here in Norfolk we are the guardians of one of Europe’s most significant maternity colonies. The survival of these bats relies on us considering the long-term impacts to the species on a landscape scale.

“As creatures of habit, imagine the shock they will experience when a 3–4-mile dual carriageway appears with no notice, running through the heart of their roosting and foraging grounds. One of the most devastating impacts will be separating the bats from the fields and marshes where they feed. The proposed road will inevitably result in the deaths of many bats and risks the local extinction of a globally threatened and, let’s not forget, legally protected species.

“In addition to other significant wildlife impacts, the growing knowledge of the bats’ existence on the route is a game-changer and, despite the resources already invested by Norfolk County Council in this plan, must put a stop to the Norwich Western Link.”

In spring 2021, Norfolk Wildlife Trust requested that Natural England consider the area of woodland, including ancient woodland, for designation as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC) in recognition of the importance of the area for wildlife.

Norfolk Wildlife Trust is part of a collective of environmental organisations including Stop the Wensum Link, CPRE, Friends of the Earth, the Woodland Trust, Norfolk Rivers Trust and Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists’ Society, all of whom oppose the development on the grounds of the unacceptable impact it will have on wildlife and the wider natural landscape.

The press release issued by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust on 17 August 2022.

Today, we sent an open letter to Councillor Andrew Proctor, in objection to the Norwich Western Link road (NWL). Read the full letter below. You can add your voice by sharing this letter, and signing the petition. The public consultation on the NWL is now open, and we will soon be advising on how best to respond.

Dear Councillor Proctor,

We write to express our grave concerns about the impact of the proposed Norwich Western Link Road on Norfolk’s wildlife and landscape. This week, Norfolk County Council has opened a public consultation on the road and we are writing to convey the strength of our objections to the plans.

For over two years, environmental organisations, including Norfolk Wildlife Trust, have been highlighting the unavoidable negative impact the road will have on a well-connected network of vital wildlife habitats and the species that call them home, many of which are protected by law.

The area is home to ancient woodlands, grasslands, chalk streams and floodplains and supports veteran trees and species including bats, badgers, farmland birds such as yellowhammer and linnet and a wide variety of invertebrates. The proposed development will fragment this wildlife-rich area, damage the River Wensum Site of Special of Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and destroy parts of three County Wildlife Sites.

Of most concern is the evidence from a growing body of independent research, which presents incontrovertible evidence that the proposed Norwich Western Link route goes through the heart of the UK’s largest known barbastelle bat colony. Barbastelle bats are in serious decline globally and the proposed road will separate them from the fields and marshes where they feed and inevitably result in the deaths of many bats. This risks the local extinction of a globally threatened species.

We consider this to be totally unacceptable and reject any claims the Council makes that they can build the road and safeguard the bat population. Barbastelle bats have the highest level of legal protection, a colony of this size should be designated and protected from all forms of development.

For local government to prioritise this development and seek extensive funding from national government is directly at odds with commitments to address our biodiversity and climate crises. It also sets a dangerous precedent that will spell disaster for UK nature.

We, the undersigned robustly oppose the proposed road to protect wildlife in Norfolk, and across the UK. We will be responding in these terms to the consultation and urging others to do the same.

Signed by

Eliot Lyne, CEO, Norfolk Wildlife Trust

Alice Liddle, Chair of Trustees, Norfolk Wildlife Trust

Patrick Barkham, President, Norfolk Wildlife Trust

Chris Packham

Stephen Fry

George Monbiot, Writer and environmental activist

Dr Charlie Gardner, Patron of Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM)

Mark Cocker, Author and naturalist

Professor Tim O’Riordan, President, CPRE The Countryside Charity (Norfolk)

Chris Dady, Chairman, CPRE The Countryside Charity (Norfolk)

Crispin Truman OBE, Chief Executive, CPRE The Countryside Charity

Steve Rowland, RSPB Area Manager (Norfolk & Lincolnshire)

Toby Bancroft, Regional Director, The Woodland Trust (Central England)

Dr Jonah Tosney, Technical Director, Norfolk Rivers Trust

Dr A R Leech, Chair, Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists Society

Sarah Eglington, Group Coordinator, Norwich Friends of the Earth

Iain Robinson, Stop the Wensum Link

David Pett, Stop the Wensum Link

Craig Macadam, Conservation Director, Buglife

Sharon Hearle, Conservation Manager (Eastern Region), East of England Butterfly Conservation

Ash Murray, Chair, Norfolk Barbastelle Study Group

Will Fitch, Chair, Norfolk and Norwich Bat Group

Dr Carol Williams, Director of Conservation, Bat Conservation Trust

Chris Todd, Director, Transport Action Network

Dr Andrew Boswell, Independent Scientist and Consultant, Climate Emergency Planning and Policy

Rupert Read, Climate activist and Associate Professor, UEA

Hugh Warwick, Author, ecologist and Visiting Fellow at Oxford Brookes University

James Murray-White, Environmental film-maker

Amy Jane Beer, Biologist and writer

Nick Acheson, NWT Ambassador

D J Taylor, Norfolk-based Critic and Novelist

Rachel Hore, Norfolk-based Novelist

The press release issued by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust on 8 August 2022.

Very soon Norfolk County Council will be opening a public consultation on the Western Link of the Northern Distributor Road (NDR) around Norwich. The road will travel between Weston Longville and Ringland, joining the A47 near Horningham. The proposed road will also include a viaduct over the River Wensum. Norfolk Wildlife Trust is firmly against the construction of this road. NWT believes there is clear evidence that the road will result in unacceptable environmental damage, and not least, it fails to meet the country’s legal obligation to prevent habitat loss and climate change.

The landscape the road would cross is a well-connected network of vital wildlife habitats, including ancient woodlands, grassland, crystal clear chalk-streams and wetland floodplains. The area supports several species of bat, including the rare and protected barbastelle bat. It is a beautiful landscape supporting complex communities of plants and animals, including declining farmland birds such as yellowhammer and linnet.

The proposed road will fragment this wildlife-rich area, damage the River Wensum Site of Special Interest (SSSI) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC), and destroy parts of several County Wildlife Sites. The proposal will not only compromise irreplaceable ancient woodland, it also threatens the wildlife and landscape value of the River Wensum and Tud. Both are astonishingly rare chalk river habitats, and are full of aquatic plants, invertebrates and fish, such as brown trout. Chalk-stream rivers are undoubtable our most important and valuable habitat, with less than 200 found across the globe, Southern England holds 85% of these precious and vulnerable gems. Not only would a viaduct blot the landscape, its construction could threaten the river with pollution hazards, and the detrimental effect of long-term road surface run-off are still unknown.

The United Kingdom is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. The legally binding Environment Act commits the UK Government to work towards nature’s recovery. Overwhelmingly, people understand that when nature thrives, so do we. NWT believes that it is time for local and national authorities to place the protection of our natural environment at the forefront of all decision making.

One of the most concerning aspects of the proposed Norwich Western Link route is that it would run through the home of what is thought to be the UK’s largest barbastelle bat colony, a group of linked maternity woodland colonies described by local experts as a super-colony. The barbastelle bat is in serious decline globally, and barbastelle bats have the highest level of legal protection given to wildlife in the UK. These colonies are highly dependent on the surrounding rich tapestry of habitats, regularly travelling up to six kilometres to their feeding grounds, and the road would not only destroy roosts, but also isolate these colonies from each other and sever important corridors between the roosts and feeding sites. With the focus of the recent Environment Act rightly on nature’s recovery, this super-colony should be designated and protected from development, rather than left to suffer death by a thousand cuts.

Norfolk County Council have admitted that the area of impact will extend much further than the width of the carriageways. The land around the proposed road will become fragmented and degraded for wildlife through noise, lighting and pollution, with a worrying tally of road deaths to birds and bats being of particular concern.

Planners, of course, will attempt to mitigate for habitat loss, but fifty saplings are no replacement for a hundred-year-old oak with flaking bark and knot holes that these bats depend on. We are just beginning to understand the complexity of woodland soil, and the interconnectivity through the ‘wood wide web’ that is associated with ancient woodlands, for these eco-systems can take centuries to form. Wildlife underpasses, green bridges and bat gantries rarely work. The existing bat gantries on the NDR cost one million pounds each, these are designed to encourage bats to fly over the traffic, but evidence suggests they don’t work. Failed wildlife mitigation is no mitigation, and the term ‘green-washing’ has been coined to summarise the manner in which planners try and push through applications, often based on poor evidence of successful wildlife protection.

In 1926, when the then Norfolk Naturalist Trust took it upon themselves to purchase land on the North Norfolk coast at Cley, it was for no other reason than to protect wild birds. This was a new and revolutionary idea at the time. It’s sad to think that nearly one hundred years later, we are still having to fight against the destruction of Norfolk’s beautiful landscapes and wildlife, despite – apparently – being legally protected by law.

If you’d like to find out more about the Norwich Western Link and how you can take action to support wildlife from this development, please visit www.norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk/ndr.