Little ringed plover - one of the scarce breeding species of special scientific interest
NATURAL England and the MoD are locking horns over bird-strike risk at a wetland beauty spot rich in waterfowl and other wildlife.
Cotswold Water Park covers 40 square miles consisting of 180 flooded and working gravel pits plus reedbeds, marshes and other habitat on the borders of Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Oxfordshire.
It is home to uncommon breeding birds such as nightingales, kingfishers, grasshopper warblers, little ringed plovers, bitterns and great white egrets.
Other specialist species include brown hairstreak and grizzled skipper butterflies plus aquatic plants such as starry stonewort.
Natural England's determination to rubber-stamp the status of the complex as a Site of Special Scientific Interest has set alarm bells ringing with the MoD which has warned of bird collision for British and US military aircraft which use the runways at nearby Brize Norton and Fairford.
The lakes are home to more than 20,000 ducks and gulls in winter, and the MoD claims "the regulatory burden" from SSSI status will "adversely and disproportionately affect its ability to manage its land and control bird-strike risk".
However, Natural England maintains "necessary safeguarding" such as bird-scaring will continue to be lawful.
Meanwhile, there have also been more than 40 objections from other parties including quarry operators, water skiers, sailing enthusiasts, landowners and constituency MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, one of whose relaxation pursuits is shooting gamebirds and stalking deer.
The issue is due to be thrashed out at a meeting of the Natural England board, chaired by Tony Juniper, next Wednesday afternoon (Sepember 15) at a meeting to be held at Abingdon which is near the lakes.
No comments:
Post a Comment