Fears £40m access road is ‘disrupting’ area’s wildlife
BUT DEVELOPERS SAY THEY ARE TAKING CARE TO PRESERVE ANIMAL HABITATS
RESIDENTS have raised concerns that the development of the Gedling Access Road could disrupt the wildlife and its ecosystems.
Work on the £40m road, which will provide a link between B684 Mapperley Plains and the A612 Trent Valley Road and Nottingham Road, is expected to be completed in the next few months.
Clare Lambert, 50, an admin manager who has lived in Gedling for over 14 years, said her main concerns were the impact of the new road on habitats for local wildlife, including deer.
She said: “I have never seen a dead deer on the road until the development of the access road was ramped up. I’ve seen three this year. Their routes they would take are cut off and not available for them anymore.
“When we first moved here there were badgers, hedgehogs and now there isn’t any of that. There used to be ducks and it is down to loss of habitat.”
Nottinghamshire County Council says the Gedling Access Road development scene includes “a substantial programme of ecology mitigation measures and habitat enhancement”.
Tony Keyworth, a trustee of Gedling Country Park since 2016, thinks the developers are doing what they can to help the wildlife in the area.
He said: “I met with the road developers and I was quite impressed by the measures they’ve gone to to not damage wildlife.
“I think what they developers have done is best practice. They’ve put in underpasses and pipes under the road for frogs, badgers and rabbits.
“There will also be fencing to guide animals to these pipes.
“However deer weren’t designed into it as they weren’t seen as a problem. Hopefully they can review the situation.
“I think the new road will have a dual purpose, it will help relieve traffic and is a purpose-built service road for the houses being built.”
Retired Patricia Brewster, 70, is worried about disappearing greenery.
She said: “The new road is very worrying for wildlife. It is concerning that we won’t have much greenery left.”
Agatha Bowlinghart, 21, a student who visits Gedling Country Park frequently, said she is concerned about the new development.
She said: “There are lots of different types of wildlife, including woodpeckers and deer. But now they’ve just put this massive road in the middle of it.”
Gary Wood, head of highways and transport at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “The Gedling Access Road construction project includes a substantial programme of ecology mitigation measures and habitat enhancement. The design includes badger fencing to prevent encroachment on to the new road and the construction of seven badger tunnels along the route.
“We have worked with an ecologist and have carried out foraging surveys to ensure that the locations of these tunnels are best placed on established routes.
“During the construction of the GAR, our teams have also installed amphibian tunnels within the highway surfacing to help amphibians safely cross over to the Gedling Country Park lagoons. We are also planting over 58,400m2 of new woodland along the length of the new road.
“The planting of these trees has been phased throughout the works as new embankments are formed along the route. Most recently, construction teams have been busy creating an area of habitat enhancement just off Arnold Lane. In time this new area will be top soiled and planted with grassed areas, trees and shrubs, allowing nature to flourish.”