I am writing in response to the resubmitted planning application 17/05360/OUT for the development of a care village on land to the north of Grovelands Way, Warminster. A similar application has already been refused and it would seem that the response to this is continued work to destroy the fragile environment of the land that has been identified as open space and not included in land earmarked for potential development by Wiltshire County Council until at least 2026.
This year hedgerows were disturbed at the beginning of April which is after the dates recommended in the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 which recommends that these should be left undisturbed from March 1 until August 31 to afford breeding birds maximum protection through their nesting season.
In addition recent surveying of the land included the use of a tracked vehicle that crushed and buried flowering native orchids that have populated part of the land that has remained undisturbed for at least 20 years.
Last week about a third of the same land was indiscriminately cut destroying the area used by many species of butterflies and birds for both feeding and breeding.
The owner of the land has referred to vandalism and a fire that occurred on the land. I would like to point out it was the very people who are being excluded from the area that summoned the fire brigade and made sure when they arrived they were quickly shown to the correct area.
A communication from Wiltshire County Council published earlier this year confirmed public access to parts previously denied by the blocking of the access bridges allegedly on the grounds of public safety. The council has recently been carrying out repair work on some of these bridges and I hope these will shortly be open again.
The application is currently available for public comment on the council website and I would urge all to exercise their democratic right to comment
Graham Benjamin
Norridge View
Warminster