Tolworth Girls School planning app

Open land to the rear of Tolworth Girls School (known as Tolworth Recreation Ground) is about to be developed. Action is required to lessen the environmental impact of this scheme.  

Variation of planning permission 14/10306/FUL to allow amendments to the layout of the  of 106 residential units, highway works, sports provision and landscaping  can be seen here16/10089.

An ecological consultancy Ltd (PJC) was commissioned by Tolworth Girls’ School & Sixth Form and Gleeson Developments Ltd to undertake an extended Phase 1 Habitat Survey on land adjacent to Tolworth Girls’ & Sixth Form School during 2012. Long story short -  protected species were found on site - including  a positive reptile survey and I quote.......
        
Breeding birds are likely to use the areas of scattered trees, hedgerows and scrub on site as nesting habitat. The UK breeding season for most bird species takes place between March and September. Ideally, work affecting these structures should be avoided duringthis period.

The unfortunate conclusion of the report was that the habitats found during this survey are common and widespread  (in Kingston?) with the majority of the site being of negligible ecological value. Well take a look at this annotated video made by a local resident who is hopeful of maintaining a bird sanctuary along the boundary. Kestrel, buzzard, blackcap and wonderful numbers of house sparrows

No bat surveys were undertaken and this large scale development may have an  affect on a foraging area of a nearby colony or their 'core sustenance zone'. This refers to the area around a bat roost within which habitat availability and quality will have a significant influence on the resiliance and conservation status of bats using an offsite roost.

Please help  obtain greater opportunities for the natural world in this development by asking the council to require more biodiversity gain in this scheme.

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