PLANNING GREEN LIGHT FOR DEDICATED WADER RESERVE ON OUTSKIRTS OF GRIMSBY

CAUTIONARY NOTE SOUNDED BY  AIRPORT ON BIRD STRIKE RISK

                                                         

The lagoons are likely to be a magnet for black-tailed godwit

A PROPOSED new nature reserve for the South Bank of the Humber Estuary has today been given the planning green light.

North East Lincolnshire.has earmarked up £6.84-million for the project which will involve creation of lagoons, ponds and other habitat on land off South Marsh Road in Stallingborough, near Grimsby.

There will also be a purpose-built hide.

The approximate breakdown is:

*    Up to £4.56-million for land acquisition - either purchased outright or leased for 25 years

*    £1.39-million to create appropriate habitat

*     £894,000 for ongoing management

It is understood that the reserve, to be known as Cress Marsh, will consist of four different sites so as to provide diversity for waders - including curlew, redshank, lapwing and golden plover - ducks and geese.

The council is required to create the reserve to provide mitigation for habitat which will be lost during development of industrial land and provision of infrastructure as part of its South Humber Gateway employment initiative.

This part of the Humber Estuary is annually thought to provide feeding habitat for at least 175,000 birds - chiefly waders and wildfowl.

Despite the pressure on local authority budgets, NELC is confident that - aided by grants -  it has the resources to ensure the reserve is appropriately and effectively managed once it has been created. Contractors will be engaged to carry out this work.

Ensuring the authority meets its responsibilities will be Natural England who have signed off the project as have partner-organisations such as sisters-councils, the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, the RSPB and the Greater Lincolnshire Nature Partnership.

The RSPB has insisted that there must be guarantees that mitigation measures will be in perpetuity and not allowed to lapse at the expiry of 25-year leases which landowners might not wish to renew.

What access, if any, the public, including birders, will have to the site has yet to be determined.

The application was originally submitted in late-January, but, because of hitches, was not determined until this month.

The scheme did not go before councillors for debate, but was determined by case officers under delegated decision-making powers.

Officials at Humberside Airport have asked to be kept updated as the site is located just within its 13km runway "bird zone".

It is keen to discuss “wildlife monitoring processes” in order to reduce the risk of bird strikes.

Rarities such as this pectoral sandpiper could also drop in