Wildlife Circus

Lapwings face into the wind        There were 38 lapwings loafing at the Filter Beds today, so their winter numbers are building up. If you cannot find them here, they will be foraging amongst the paddocks in Home Park. Many more come into roost at night, but its doubtful we'll see the numbers of five years ago, as this bird is becoming increasingly rare. Lapwing showing topknot I used to lay in bed and hear the birds calling through the night, as small numbers used to breed at the nearby sewage works and California Road Depot. Now these sites have been developed, Surbiton F.B.'s  is the last remaining area in the borough where there is any refuge for these winter flocks. How many birds can you see? The recent rain is beginning to make a difference to the water levels in the Filter Beds. It is a year since they were first drained although the basins still held water until October, 2011, when machinery was used to remove the substrates...

Summary of Points by Councillors who were unanimous in finding that the 'Special Circumstances' to develop MOL had not been met  Cllr Shard  I do not find the necessary ‘special circumstances’ required to build on Metropolitan Open Land  Could not see how the bats would find a dark corridor to their foraging area across the site  The report does not state that Natural England support the development or that they want it to happen  This is a development where Hydro want to showcase their technology and to mitigate the loss of MOL it has come up with the nature reserve  Cllr Heathcote  I have not heard anything that overrides the primary importance of MOL  We must retain as much open space in Surbiton as we can  Hydro has not acted as a true guardian of this site either of its historic significance or its ecology  How can they claim to be for the ecology when there is an overprovision of parking and...

Philip Wallis Director Hydro Properties Matthew Simpson of WWT has agreed to work with us if planning permission is granted. This has always been their position but they were lobbied hard and wavered but as Natural England have withdrawn their objection they are very excited about working with us as a demo of their new manifesto,  as to how man and the environment work together in harmony as a showcase project. The objectors would have you believe that Natural England is wrong, the borough’s ecologist is wrong, Middlemarch is wrong The percentage of the nature reserve is as marked. The debate is just semantics. If you look at the plans all is fit for wildlife and anything different is misleading and improper Additional point answering to the 'bogus' letters of support which have been given to the council (only 25) Summary of Eco Points Dr R. Rowlands EDP Nature doesn’t respect boundaries and the site has been designed to accommodate wildlife throughout The Borough...