Bristol City (Green) Council and Development Near Badger Setts

 Regarding the previous post I received this from Natural England this morning:

"Good morning Terry, thank you for your email.

 

"I have checked our licence database and cannot find any licences associated with (deleted -TH) Cemetery.

 

"The safeguarding of any protected species is the landowner’s responsibility, and if they commence any activity which may potentially endanger the protected species habitat (e.g. site clearance, demolition), or harm or kill a protected species, a wildlife crime may be committed. In this instance the police are the enforcement body for wildlife crime, as opposed to Natural England. We, unfortunately, have limited enforcement powers with regards to wildlife, until such time as a licence is breached (further information concerning our Enforcement position can be found here - Enforcement laws: advice on protecting the natural environment in England - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)).

 

"If you have reasonable grounds to suspect any works led to the damage or destruction of any protected species habitat, or the harming or killing of a protected species, you can contact your local police force (either online or by dialling 101), to report this matter to them for further investigation as a potential wildlife crime. To assist them with investigating your concerns, please provide them with as much information as possible regarding the nature of the works, dates and times, the protected species you believe to be present within the site, and any evidence you can produce to this effect. Tell the Force Operator that you wish to report a wildlife crime and ask for a Wildlife Crime Officer to be allocated the incident if possible. Ask for and retain a police incident number to allow you to make and follow up enquiries with the police.

 

"Kind regards

Sarah"

Following this and confirmation that the work (taking place near a sett entrance) was taking place on Bristol City Council land and on their instructions I sent the following email to Councillor Tony Dyer, Head of the Green led Bristol City Council:

Above photo of the foundation work dug up at BCCs orders.

"Hello.

"Although I contacted councillors all holding the relevant council cabinet positions (including Ed Plowden) they have all decided to not respond other than the usual "you are not in my ward" messages. Either they hold cabinet positions or they just want to be local councillors with no responsibilities.  The Green Party was voted in by people in Bristol based on the promise of taking care of the City's environment and wildlife after years of abuse under Labour.

"To say the very least the Green Council is not distinguishable from Labour. More trees felled, more concern for development than the environment and wildlife.  Last year I contacted BCC over a land sell off attempt in Eastville that would be on badger territory that was active going back to at least the 1970s (from my own personal knowledge). Data was provided to BCC along with video clips of the badgers and setts. The sale was called off.

"On Friday I and Bristol Badger Group were informed that a digger was at work on the Ridgeway Park Cemetery site area. The driver of the digger told locals that Bristol City Council had ordered the digging of foundations (see attached photo). This is well within the 30 metre distance from an active badger sett -the badger sett in question is active and appears to be occupied by a pregnant sow -of which we have video footage. 

"Despite the knowledge that BCC  has that there are active badger setts in the area I am sadly not shocked that this work is carried out in cub season.   I attached an email from Natural England on this matter and locals will be reporting any work going on near the sett to Avon and Somerset Police. 

"We had all expected far better from a Green run Council.

T. Hooper

Bristol Badger Group (f 1994)"

We await Mr Dyer's response.