Yesterday l sent an email to Bath and North East Somerset Council. You know, the local authority that declared a Climate and Ecological Emergency a while back.
With that in mind – and having been alerted on what had taken place alongside the Little Park beside St Saviour’s Road in Larkhall – l wanted an official comment on the wanton destruction of a hedge bordering part of this recently enhanced community facility.
Seemed to me the council’s ecological emergency had been made worse by its own hands. The hedge – and another marking part of the boundary of a nearby house – are well used by the local sparrow community.
It’s my understanding that one of our local councillors – representing the Green Party – received numerous texts and emails on the morning of this hedge removal from concerned residents.
Through that local representative l learned that the council officers had been concerned about the removal of this hedge and rang up senior officers to ensure that their actions were correct.
It is alleged that they were clearly told to take the whole hedge out, leaving behind sharp metal rods which could be a health and safety issue.
Contact has also been made with the head of B&NES, Will Godfrey, about this issue and the impact that it will and does have for the local community – and the local flora and fauna.
Apparently the Head of Parks also visited the site and it would appear that there had been some mix up in communications.
Our local councillor has asked that a new hedge be put in its place and the sharp metal rods removed.
It’s a shame the council gives on the one hand and takes away on the other. This Little Park has had recently damaged saplings replaced – which is good news – but then destroys an existing feature which is certainly an important part of that local ecology.
I wonder if some might say it just makes for easier access to get vehicles with mowing machines onto the grass.
Today l have received an official comment from B&NES.
Chris Major, who is the Director of Place Management said: “The planned work at St Saviour’s Open Space involved removing an old fence and some vegetation. This was to prevent it getting too high to block visibility into the park and prevent encroachment onto the path where it had become something of a litter trap.
Unfortunately more of the hedge was removed than planned and we apologise for this error.
Our parks team will now return to plant 5m of native/wildlife friendly shrubs which can be maintained by ecologically sensitive means (coppicing) to encourage fruits and flowers and to provide better cover for birds.
The planting will be carried out in the next couple of weeks.”
I despair of the council’s attitude to the Climate Emergency, as you do..I have been trying for years to get them to stop residents in Eden Terrace ripping down an ancient hedgerow. The local Green councillor was ineffective, and a substantial yew tree, home to a huge sparrow colony, is threatened now as the tree expert considered it was not a significant tree..It is for the sparrows and wildlife.
Well they are all over town spraying the pavements and up the walls with what chemical? killing all the wildflowers that the bees and insects need. I quite liked the flowers growing out of my wall.