Threat to lie on hedge halts bid to cut it down... for now
SEVERN TRENT SAYS BIRDS NOT BEING DISTURBED
A WOMAN threatened to lay on a hedgerow which she says contained nesting birds in a bid to stop workers tearing it down.
A row of bushes, which residents say was “teeming with house sparrows”, is being removed as part of sewage works next to the Richard Herrod Centre in Carlton.
Severn Trent, which plans to install a new underground storage tank, said an ecologist confirmed there would be no risk to wildlife. However, people living opposite the hedgerow in Fairway Drive reported regularly seeing house sparrows within the foliage.
House sparrows are listed as a threatened species in the UK and it is illegal to cut a hedge which is being used for nesting by the birds. As contractors began cutting down the hedgerow on Tuesday, Sandra Green – a resident who has watched the bushes grow for over 20 years – intervened.
“I said ‘I will literally lay on the hedge, it’s illegal what you’re doing,’” the 61-year-old recalled. “I’m not a nutter or a protester but there are birds in that hedge. I don’t like any animals being harmed. They didn’t think anyone would take any notice, they told us absolutely nothing.”
The grandmother’s protest resulted in Severn Trent temporarily halting the work, but not before more than half of the hedges had been cut down. The company said work would resume shortly.
Ms Green claims she was told by an ecologist that there were bird nests present in at least part of the hedgerow. “There are birds all the way down, it was teaming with birds,” she said.
Gary Harvey, 57, who lives next door, agreed and added: “[Severn Trent] said it was not affecting nests but in the evenings you see hundreds of sparrows, there’s got to be nests on both sides of the fence.
“I’ve had it recently where they’ve been in full song at 2am. I’ve got a cat who likes to go rooting in the bushes that I have to scare off. They’re all house sparrows, the ones that are in decline.”
The bushes were originally planted to act as a buffer between the road and the car park, which was used for “drug dealing and joyriding”, said Ms Green. “I can’t believe they want to rip it down,” she said. “We don’t have a lot of greenery so it’s noticeable here, it’s just bleak.”
Olivia Peden, project manager at Severn Trent, said: “As part of our project to install a new underground storage tank to help improve the quality of the Ouse Dyke, a contractor has been undertaking some preliminary work.”
“As it involves the removal of vegetation, we have taken all necessary steps to ensure that we aren’t disturbing any wildlife.”
While bird nesting season officially starts in March, the company said the work was started in February and the front of the hedges “were removed to make it less attractive for nesting birds”.
Ms Peden added: “We have also had an ecologist on-site to conduct inspections throughout January and during the removal to confirm that there was no risk to wildlife. Once the project has completed, we will be planting new hedges and, if possible, some more mature trees.”
A spokesperson for Persimmon Homes, which owns the land, said: “All works have been carried out with the utmost consideration for local wildlife and habitats.”