Latest news with #natureconservation
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Locals win war with National Trust by stopping 'abhorrent' building planned for internationally important nature reserve on Norfolk coast
Plans for a massive visitor centre at a popular beauty spot have been withdrawn by the National Trust after it capitulated in the face of a huge public backlash over the 'abhorrent' building. The charity had been accused of putting money over nature with the scheme at Morston Quay in north Norfolk, claiming it would provide much-needed facilities for visitors, staff and volunteers. But more than 150 formal objections were lodged over the threat it posed to 'one of the few relatively untouched places remaining along the coast'. Only three people approved. Locals argued it was intended to generate more income and act as an administrative hub by 'introducing office space and adding retail space' at the spot, which sits within Blakeney National Nature Reserve and is a vital haven for wildlife including ground-nesting birds and England's largest Grey Seal colony. One objector said: 'Morston Quay and the marshes beyond are a precious natural resource which need protection, not exploitation. 'It is wild and beautiful and should not be regarded as an opportunity for the expansion of administrative facilities or opportunities for raising funds.' Morston Parish Council also waded into the dispute, accusing the Trust of creating 'spurious' arguments in favour of the visitor centre when its aim was simply to commercialise the spot. 'There are no benefits to the residents of Morston from this plan,' it wrote. 'Almost everything about this proposal is abhorrent. It is the wrong building, in the wrong place, for the wrong purpose.' Early last year, the Trust's application for a food truck at the beauty spot was blocked by councillors who questioned why it was needed when there was already a café in the Lookout. The existing visitor centre is a modest grey and white wooden building with steps up to a viewing room topped by a weathervane. Toilet facilities are provided in two portacabins, which would have been removed under the plans for the proposed structure - a huge single-storey building made from natural wood cladding with a glass side that would be 85ft long and 27ft wide. This would house a new 'visitor welcome point' and space for 'staff and volunteer welfare', while the Lookout building would continue to offer food and drinks. But the Trust has now confirmed it has cancelled the move, with a spokesman saying: 'We are grateful to everyone who engaged with our planning application for improved visitor facilities at Morston Quay. 'We have taken on board comments from the local community and have decided to withdraw our current planning application, with the intention of resubmitting a revised application to North Norfolk District Council by the autumn or winter.' No further detail was given about the amended application but local media reported a 'well-placed source said it had abandoned the visitor centre and would now confine its proposals to upgrading toilet facilities at the site'. The trust insisted the development would have created a more pleasant experience for the 100,000 people who visit Morston Quay every year. But the parish council added in its objection: 'We have been presented with an enormous and unnecessary new development which will fundamentally change the character of Morston Quay and seems designed to create a full-time visitor and administrative hub for the National Trust as a priority, introducing office space and adding retail space, while also providing new toilets.' Matthew Rice, a Norfolk painter, designer and writer to contributes to Country Life magazine, warned the introduction of a new centre with 'delineated parking spaces' and 'bonded surfaces' would place a 'barrier' between people and the area's natural beauty. He said: 'There are no tall forests, craggy rocks or mountains to absorb the impact of new buildings or to dilute the suburbanising effect of 'bonded surfaces'. 'The whole appeal of this wild place is its lack of boundaries and its apparent unplanned layout. Imposing a one-size-fits-all National Trust solution can destroy all this at a stroke. 'The desire for neatness, street furniture and lighting in the name of safety is all around us and, if great care is not taken in delivering improvements, it can suddenly make Norfolk look like everywhere else.' Another objector to the visitor centre plan said: 'The vast majority of visitor traffic is generated by the local, family-run businesses on Blakeney Point. These families offer a fantastic welcome and expertise on the local flora, fauna and history. Other objections included: 'It promotes unnecessary overdevelopment of what is one of the few relatively untouched places remaining along the coast. 'But perhaps what is most important is the sheer contempt with which the community has been treated throughout the process. 'The Quay is not just a space from further afield but also for the local residents that live and work there.' The Trust has also faced anger from locals at nearby Brancaster, who accused it of trying to 'monetise' the harbour there with new rules and charges, including £60 fees for mooring dinghies. There has been another backlash a few miles away in Burnham Overy Staithe, near Wells, where the charity has been accused of neglecting an iconic windmill after it emerged plans to restore the building didn't include replacing the sails. West Norfolk Council has told the Trust the sails must be replaced when the work is complete. NT has faced a turbulent few years, amid complaints it adopted a 'woke' agenda by forcing staff to wear gay pride badges and listing nearly 100 properties with links to slavery and colonialism.
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Ancient woods that inspired Charles Dickens declared nature reserve
A landscape of ancient woodlands, wildflower meadows and chalk grasslands that inspired novelist Charles Dickens has been designated a national nature reserve. Natural England, which advises the Government on the environment, announced the creation of the North Kent Woods and Downs National Nature Reserve on Friday. This means the 800-acre landscape has been marked out as an area of focus for conservation and nature restoration efforts. The mosaic of different habitats is home to key species including Man and Lady orchids, so-called as they are said to resemble resemble human figures, the Maidstone mining bee – rediscovered in Britain after being thought extinct since the 1930s – hazel dormouse and skylarks, around 1,700 ancient and veteran trees, and the Silverhand Estate – one of the UK's largest organic vineyards. Dickens, who lived in different areas of north Kent during his life in the 19th century, drew inspiration from the landscape in his writings. The nature reserve designation also aims to boost the local economy, tourism and access to nature for around 400,000 people who live within five miles of the reserve and an estimated eight million who live within an hour's drive away. The ancient woodlands have maintained tree cover since the Tudor era, when Henry VIII was said to have called Kent the 'Garden of England'. Natural England's partners, which include the National Trust, Woodland Trust and Kent county council, will be working to support conservation efforts beyond the boundary of the reserve to create a joined-up approach to nature recovery for a further 1,100 hectares in the surrounding area. Tony Juniper, chairman of Natural England, said: 'Creating bigger, better and more joined-up natural areas is one of the most vital and fundamental steps we must take in meeting our national targets for nature's recovery. 'This new reserve, with its hundreds of ancient trees set amid extensive chalk grasslands, lays the foundations for multiple partners to work together to improve nature across a significant area of countryside.' The reserve comes as the eighth in the King's Series – a programme to establish 25 large-scale national nature reserves across England by 2027 in celebration of the Coronation. Mary Creagh, the minister for nature, said: 'This new national nature reserve will give people the opportunity to explore Kent's magical landscapes from wildflower meadows to ancient woodlands. 'Reserves like this one, and others in the King's Coronation Series, will deliver on our promise to improve access to nature and protect nature-rich habitats, as well as boosting the local economy in line with our Plan for Change.' Nick Johannsen, national landscape director at Kent Downs National Landscape, said: 'The North Kent Woods and Downs National Nature Reserve is especially exciting because of the sheer scale, nearly 20 square kilometres of land managed for nature, people, its beauty and history and for scientific research and so close to the urban centres of Gravesend and the Medway Towns. 'Many partners from the public, private, community and charity sectors are working together here, on some of the very best sites for wildlife in England.'
The Independent
27-05-2025
- The Independent
Hong Kong nature reserve shut down as birders flock to see rare owl chicks
A Hong Kong nature reserve has been partly closed after birdwatchers thronged to catch a glimpse of some rare owl chicks. The Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden in the Chinese financial hub last week said brown wood owl chicks had been born within the nature reserve for the first time in four years. The announcement attracted scores of photographers and bird watchers, prompting the nature reserve to close a part of the site to prevent visitors from "disturbing the owl chicks". Brown wood owls are known for their distinctively deep and dark brown eyes and are found commonly in India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Taiwan, but are rare in Hong Kong. "The owls attracted much interest among visitors and photographers, some of which could potentially disturb them and we decided to temporarily close the road that provided access to the birds, a measure we communicated via social media," Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden said in a post on Facebook. It added: "We also appreciate that some enthusiastic photographers must have been disappointed, but as a nature conservation institute, the well-being and protection of the animals and plants in our nature reserve has priority." The nature reserve added that for the protection of the owl family, the part of the site will remain closed until further notice. The Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden on Saturday had shared a photo collage of three owls and a picture of a large group of birdwatchers pointing their long-lens cameras at a them. The post was later deleted by the nature reserve, Hong Kong Free Press reported. A spokesperson with the reserve told local media that birdwatchers with big cameras began to show up shortly after the first pictures of the owls were posted on social media. The reserve had reportedly warned against using laser beams or owl hooters to attract the birds and eventually decided to close the road. It said visitors willing to see the owl species up close can visit a captive owl named Woody at its raptor sanctuary.
South China Morning Post
25-05-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
Rare owl bred in Hong Kong draws bird watchers galore, venue restricts access
A rare wild owl that was bred in Hong Kong has attracted scores of photography fans and bird watchers to the Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG), prompting the venue to close a part of the site to prevent visitors from getting near. Images circulating on social media showed crowds of enthusiasts jostling for position on a path in the farm's nature reserve, pointing their long lenses toward the trees where the rare brown wood owl was nesting. 'To protect the birds, unfortunately, we have decided to temporarily close the road and prevent this disturbance to the young brown wood owl and his parents,' KFBG wrote on its Facebook page on Saturday night. The heightened interest followed the rare breeding of the birds in the reserve after four years. With distinctively deep and dark brown eyes, the species is native to Hong Kong, according to the KFBG website. They are believed to have arrived in the city in the past two decades, probably as a result of a natural range expansion from Guangdong province. They can also be found in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The farm warned against using laser beams or owl hooters to attract the birds, and decided to close the relevant road in the park to prevent disturbance. 'While we understand that this may cause dissatisfaction to some photographers, we hope that everyone understands that the well-being of the birds comes first, and we appreciate your cooperation,' it added.
Telegraph
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Welsh Labour spends £250,000 on moth-counting project
The Labour-run Welsh Government has come under attack for spending almost £250,000 on a project to count moths. The two-year project, called Cryptic Creatures of the Creuddyn, will survey the moth population living in limestone habitats on the Creuddyn peninsula in the north of the country. The programme, being delivered by the Heritage Fund, was given a £248,348 grant last February from the Government's Nature Networks Fund and will involve working with schools. The Welsh Government said the collaborative initiative would help protect rare and at-risk invertebrates such as the micro-moth, which measures about 2cm in diameter. But councillors have described it as a misuse of funds at a time when budgets for public services are being tightened. Louise Emery, a Conservative councillor in Llandudno, told Wales Online: 'Whilst local authority budgets are really being squeezed, the Welsh Government finds money for projects such as Cryptic Creatures of the Creuddyn. 'On its own merit, in its own little world, I can see some benefit to that, but in the grand financial picture of what local authorities are facing, I find it incredible that they can find money for a project like this but we can't find money for basic public amenities such as toilets, or looking after our parks and gardens or highways.' Cllr Emery also drew attention to the issue at a conference organised by the Welsh Conservatives, saying: 'It is always about priorities. 'So we need to say as the Welsh Conservatives, who will be in power in 2027, that we need to focus on the absolute basics of what we do at local authorities: collect the bins, educate your children and look after your vulnerable, and fix your highways.' A Welsh Government spokesman said: 'The Cryptic Creatures of the Creuddyn project was awarded £248,348 as part of the Nature Networks Fund in February 2024. It is a collaborative initiative led by Conwy county borough council in partnership with Natural Resources Wales and Butterfly Conservation. 'The project is carrying out surveys, and protecting rare and at-risk invertebrates such as the micro-moth, which has been found in abundance in its only known Welsh habitat. This work will inform future habitat management and conservation strategies.' The project also found 1,109 caterpillars of the horehound plume moth on the Great Orme in Llandudno last year. Sion Dafis, the project manager, said at the time: 'This project will provide an interesting picture of invertebrate life in the area, and we want to involve the local community in making their own discoveries and raise awareness of the need to conserve habitats.' Charlie McCoubrey, the leader of Conwy council, said: 'This is a grant-funded project. It's important to note that grant funding is for specific projects and cannot be spent on other services. Whilst grant funding is available, we will continue to apply for it.' The funding comes at a period of heightened scrutiny over Welsh Labour's policy decisions, which have often proved to be controversial. The Government has faced intense criticism for its blanket 20mph speed limits, which were reduced from 30mph. A petition against the limits on the Welsh Government's website gained almost half a million signatures – the largest recorded there – and forced Lee Waters, the devolved minister behind the policy, to step down from his front-bench post. On Wednesday, Jane Hutt, Welsh Labour's chief whip, prompted further accusations of a 'war on motorists' when she suggested the Government would be open to reducing some speed limits to as low as 5mph.
