wes_von_papineäu
Our Roving Correspondent
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2006
- Messages
- 494
- Reaction score
- 10
- Points
- 0
- Location
- Vancouver, British Columbia
- Country
- Canada
- Display Name
- Wes von Papineäu
HASTINGS OBSERVER (UK) 17 April 08 Rare newts will be moved to make way for new hall at Udimore
Rare crested newts will not stand in the way of Udimore's new village hall project.
The great crested newt, a protected species, has been making national news recently.
In Leicestershire, major roadworks were diverted to avoid one of its habitats at a cost of £1.7m while in Wiltshire, a Mr and Mrs Histed were prevented from clearing a blocked drainage ditch threatening their home with flooding, because it would have disturbed a family of newts.
But things are different in Udimore, it appears, where the newts are allowed to be disturbed.
Udimore resident Tony Bridgland said: "A licence to remove a colony of newts, which live in and around the village pond, has been granted to St Mary's Church Hall Trust by Natural England, a Government Agency, in order to enable the Trust to build a new hall next to the pond.
"It is a shame as a lovely old pear orchard will be lost to make way for the hall."
An ongoing row over the best place to situate a new hall has divided the village and feelings are still running high.
In a village ballot held a couple of years ago, the vote was 61% - 38% against using the pond site but the then parish council decided to press on with the scheme.
A more recently elected parish council withdrew its support for building on the pear orchard, but by this time planning permission had already been granted by Rother District Council.
Mr Bridgland said: "The licence to remove the newts still stands, despite many objections, and is apparently being utilised."
http://www.hastingsobserver.co.uk/newsrbo/Rare-newts-will-be-moved.3991274.jp
Rare crested newts will not stand in the way of Udimore's new village hall project.
The great crested newt, a protected species, has been making national news recently.
In Leicestershire, major roadworks were diverted to avoid one of its habitats at a cost of £1.7m while in Wiltshire, a Mr and Mrs Histed were prevented from clearing a blocked drainage ditch threatening their home with flooding, because it would have disturbed a family of newts.
But things are different in Udimore, it appears, where the newts are allowed to be disturbed.
Udimore resident Tony Bridgland said: "A licence to remove a colony of newts, which live in and around the village pond, has been granted to St Mary's Church Hall Trust by Natural England, a Government Agency, in order to enable the Trust to build a new hall next to the pond.
"It is a shame as a lovely old pear orchard will be lost to make way for the hall."
An ongoing row over the best place to situate a new hall has divided the village and feelings are still running high.
In a village ballot held a couple of years ago, the vote was 61% - 38% against using the pond site but the then parish council decided to press on with the scheme.
A more recently elected parish council withdrew its support for building on the pear orchard, but by this time planning permission had already been granted by Rother District Council.
Mr Bridgland said: "The licence to remove the newts still stands, despite many objections, and is apparently being utilised."
http://www.hastingsobserver.co.uk/newsrbo/Rare-newts-will-be-moved.3991274.jp