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Ecological leveling up, environmental priorities for new government by Bob Leatham

  Dear Kier, One of your manifesto pledges is to get the economy on track and simplify / speed up the planning system etc etc.This was also one of the last governments pledges. However, in this quest they (DEFRA) inexplicably introduced perhaps one of the most convoluted, complex schemes known to mankind. It goes by the name of Biodiversity Net Gain. A recent audit by ONS concluded that the scheme is highly ineffective and fraught with issues and underfunding / misapplication / total lack of investment. I have worked in the ecological sector for approaching 30 years. I can tell you from painful experience that this scheme is the single most cause of planning delays, creating a complete log jam of applications. More to the point it is a huge waste of resources, time, money and effort which results in more than 50% (often much higher) of total expenditure wasted on the processors and transactors of the scheme. Like nearly every credit based system, e.g. carbon offsetting, it is a comp
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Fruit Store

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Kingston was once covered in orchards and this is reflected in the road names especially around Hook/Chessington. There is even a Kingston heritage apple Kingston heritage apple  and an Apple Store that has fallen into disrepair. Orchards have many benefits for wildlife and increasing this habitat in community spaces would help animals such as hedgehogs, as well as birds, insects etc. free fruit tree(s) are available for your community space for next winter 24-25? If you would like a tree (s) please submit the following: - the landowners permission (must be in Kingston borough) - a fruit tree request by the end of the July 2024 if possible  - anything else you need (tools, assistance, tree cages) - a watering plan Orchard requests will be considered from Friends Groups In addition, volunteers are sought to look after an existing orchard in need of TLC as well as help establishing new orchards.
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Re-consultation on application 23/03181/FUL Kingsmeadow School*

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Has it only been  5 minutes since the Leader of Kingston Council proclaimed 'we want Kingston to become a leading borough protecting and enhancing the local environment....'  That was only for Sustainable September it seems, as now, in Miserable May we are back to 'where are we going to move the Kingsmeadow Slow Worms to'? Kingston Cemetery and Knollmead have been rejected after surveys (at our expense) proved unsuitable.  More recently, surveyors at Rose Walk, LNR, have declared that the Kingsmeadow Slow Worms can be translocated there, even though there is already an 'Excellent' population. The move will require some habitat management- including the addition of some log refugia-  to take the ousted Slow Worms and may lead to the  eventual demise of both populations, as per evidence in literature  to show that translocations do not work. There will be no conservation benefit to either population; an expensive move (sufficient for the purchase of a small area
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Pump House, Seething Wells change of use application 23/01636/FUL REFUSED

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Despite 81 objections, including those from CPRE and the Kingston Society, the officer's report recommended approval of the Pump House planning application to be presented at the Surbiton Neighbourhood Committee. However, councillors did not agree and unanimously 'refused to approve' the application on four grounds paraphrased below and available on the councils YouTube channel Surbiton Neighbourhood 25.4.24 . The change of use to office and car parking was not seen as compatible with Metropolitan Open Land (MoL). Cllr. Hayes said that office use was not normally considered appropriate on Mol. Fragmentation of the Pump House from the rest of the site severing the link with the rest of the site, which would prejudice future use as a nature conservation site. Core strategy: Surbiton neighbourhood policy S1 and the Surbiton vision to make safe the site for the public (riverside walk) and nature conservation. Conservation area appraisal pertaining to the sites special industri
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Seething Wells: myths

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23/01636/FUL The conversion and change of use of the Pumphouse building.  The planning file is disappointing and inaccurate: there has been no correspondence from the consultants to the London Bat Group inbox. I did contact them about the Bat Survey last year - but there was little interest in the information relayed - I am the trainer for the London Bat Group. The original mitigation strategy for the bat roost is not being applied to this application. The site has been validated as  Open Mosaic Habitat by the University of East London. The planting proposed around the wharf and pumping station will have an impact on the OMH. This is because invasive species and species not characteristic of the plant community are included with the proposal. There is reptile interest  at the wharf and a mitigation strategy was drawn up in 2018 for an application that falls under Elmbridge council see below.
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Goodbye to Hawks Road Clinic

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  Say 'Goodbye' to our public buildings Enclosed into gated estates, Hawks Road Clinic at the cusp of demolition, where a developers paradise awaits. Where neighbourhood kids had their growth checks Met Nitty Nora , zapped veruccas and warts. Health staff wafted asbestos mothballs, & essence of Jeyes Fluid with old farts. Long - winded ante - natal classes with their throw-name, cushion-games; ground down the room. Praise for the wisdom of the iced - finger glove the new babes created a free contraceptive clinic boom. On the tarmac no more mammogram pantechnicon. No more recognition song for the spires of Jack - in - the - hedge. Trees gone, stump - ground, dissappeared  by attrition Blackbirds no longer crave subterfuge. I say 'Goodbye' they say 'its only 2 buses to the clinic in Surbiton'.    see also hawks-road-clinic 2021
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Bat Walk Cannon Hill Common 23.9.23

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                                     Ancient Oak   There was a good turn out for the bat walk on Saturday evening (23.9.23). Three species were recorded on bat detection equipment:  Common Pipistrelle bat, Soprano Pipistrelle bat, and Nathusius’ Pipistrelle bat. The activity was slightly down on previous years, but we were still able to see: foraging bats in the old orchard, commuting bats along the tree lines, and  detect many social calls at the end of the evening by the lake. The lower activity level was surprising due to the warm evening temperature, lack of wind and at a time of year when bats normally require stocking up on food for the colder months ahead. We had a good discussion on the problems faced by bats with climate change, light pollution, insect loss and loss of habitat.
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