Rare bird hits housing plans
ONE of Britain’s rarest birds has become embroiled in a planning row – involving 20 houses on the outskirts of Torquay.
Torbay Council has earmarked an old greenfield site in Torquay for housing in its draft Local Plan, but now the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has become involved because the site off Bottom Park Lane could be home to cirl buntings.
The tiny bunting is found only in South West England and mainly in South Devon, near to the coastline – and Torbay Council has signed up to the national cirl bunting conservation plan.
Helene Jessop, the RSPB’s Westcountry Conservation Officer, said the organisation would approach Torbay Council about the proposal.
She said: “The RSPB has not recorded cirl buntings on this site since the 1998 national survey. But our surveys are done only from public rights of way and other access land, and so it is not possible to survey all areas and to determine presence of all cirl buntings in national surveys.
“Torbay Council has already flagged this proposed allocation site as ‘amber’, and several issues make it difficult to progress. One of those includes the potential for impact on any cirl buntings that may be present.
“Development that risks harm to cirl bunting habitats and territories will only be permitted where the benefits of development clearly outweigh the impacts.
“Developers will be expected to provide mitigation on site, where practicable.”
The RSPB says that, if there is any impact on the birds’ habitat, it wants the council to ensure that developers make appropriate compensation towards an alternative habitat.
Many locals in Torbat are up in arms about the planning proposal. One person said: “The proposed inclusion in the Local Plan of 20 dwellings on this green field site represents a terrible calamity for the wildlife and local community.”
Another added: “Taking away those fields to build houses on will only make it more difficult for the wildlife to survive in the area.
“I really hope this does not go ahead.”
Consultation on the council’s draft Local Plan continues until December 5.