Gallaber Flash to become a wildlife ‘Kill zone”
In military tactics, the kill zone, also known as killing zone, is an area entirely covered by direct and effective fire, an element of ambush within which an approaching enemy force is trapped and destroyed. The objective of the ambush force is to quickly kill or capture all enemy soldiers inside the kill zone.
The latest plans* submitted to Craven District Council regarding the Hellifield Holiday Camp application seem to suggest that the main “flash” or vernal pond is to be screened by the creation of an unnatural, alien earth bund which will be planted with trees. This will, in our opinion, create the perfect wildlife ‘kill zone’. This is just more interference with the natural habitat that the wildlife depends upon which will further endanger wildlife and drastically alter the identity of this area. Sky news reported today that we are ‘walking into an environmental apocalypse’ in the UK.https://news.sky.com/…/conservationists-warn-uk-faces-ecolo…
The Hellifield Flashes are home to thousands of migratory birds, many of which are on the RSPB’s own red and amber list. 44 million birds have disappeared from the British countryside in 40 years. Surrounding such an important site with enormous man made earth bunds planted with trees will create perfect cover for predators. They’ll find it so much easier to prey on the visiting birds and then retreat back to the earth bunds and tree cover to lay up and wait for for the next meal! How will the excavators rumbling across the Flashes to create the earth bunds and build holiday camp affect the wildlife?
The proposal is wrong on so many levels: from impact on conservation areas and heritage assets; impact on the character and appearance of the local countryside; impact on the setting of a National Park and now it just got worse increasing the adverse and detrimental impact on wildlife!
Two hundred acres of green agricultural fields, sitting next to and in full view of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, partially with two conservation areas and next to the iconic Hellifield Railway Station Grade 2 listed building are under threat from a monster development including two cinemas, park and ride, hotel and ‘lodge homes’.
Are we really going to permit a development that effectively serves up the wildlife on a plate, with a knife and fork to predators animal and human!
It’s now two years since the application was ‘validated’ and yet it’s still awaiting determination by the officers of CDC. Validated means that the planning office have accepted the application. Determination means they decide whether to recommend refusal or approval to the planning committee.
In 2016 developers themselves stated they would remove trees provided cover for predators, in 2018 they propose putting more back and building a man made hill as well.
It’s also some 25 years since the site was first targeted by developers who, in the very humble opinion this charity, are as predatory as the animals set to tear the birds on the flashes apart and leave their discarded carcasses strewn across what once was an open, gently undulating rural landscape.
2019 is supposedly the Government’s year of Green Action. In a 25 year Environment Plan it has committed to creating or restoring half a million hectares of wildlife rich habitat - that’s around 12 million acres. So we have over 200 acres of prime wildlife habitat in Hellifield, home to thousands of birds and colonies of the Great Crested Newt
which seems like a good place to start.
We face a mass extinction of wildlife in our own backyards due to a lack of regard for the environment. Sky news report that the UK is one of the worst countries in the world for protecting nature.
*(planning application 42/2016/17496 at Land to West of Hellifield)
**from the JBA Ecological Appraisal 2016. Page 17
Bats Potential damage/ disturbance of bat roosts.
Potential negative effect at local scale.
All of the mature trees on the site (except those adjacent to Flash 1 which are to be removed to enhance the value for wading birds) should be retained, as they provide roosting opportunities for bats. If the tree identified as containing a Soprano Pipistrelle bat roost has to be removed as part of the development it is recommended that further surveys are undertaken to determine whether the tree is still being used as a roost. A mitigation licence will be required from Natural England
No significant effect on the population or conservation status of bats at the local scale.