New homes may have 'devastating impact' on nature

The Wildlife Trust said the development would have a devastating impact on the nearby Castor Hanglands National Nature Reserve

A conservation manager says plans to develop thousands of homes close to a nature reserve will "undermine nature recovery in the area".

The Wildlife Trust in Cambridgeshire has objected to a proposal north of Castor and Ailsworth, in Peterborough City Council's draft local plan.

The development would see homes built near Castor Hanglands National Nature Reserve, which would have a "devastating impact" and create a barrier to species moving around the landscape, the trust added.

Martin Baker said the proposed land, owned by Homes England, would be better suited as a green lung for Peterborough and provide some "much needed accessible natural greenspace".

The city council said a special Joint Scrutiny Committee on Thursday would discuss the Draft Plan.

The Wildlife Trust will be putting in a formal objection to the proposals when the consultation begins

The 90-hectare (222-acre) nature reserve, managed by Natural England, is a habitat for rare plants and butterflies and includes woodlands, grasslands, scrub and wetlands.

The Wildlife Trust added it had one of the most species-rich ponds in England and many of the species there were first recorded by the poet John Clare, who lived nearby and regularly visited more than 200 years ago.

Conservation manager Mr Baker added that the land near the reserve was an "inherently unsustainable location" to develop.

"No significant new strategic green infrastructure has been provided for Peterborough since the early 1980s and Ferry Meadows Country Park is already very busy before the new residents have arrived," he said.

"A nature-focussed use of the land would help to deliver nature recovery in line with Government national environmental objectives to reverse species decline by 2030, the Local Nature Recovery Strategy which the council is signed up to, and the John Clare Countryside Vision which has been developed by conservation groups and local communities."

'All work together'

Nick Thulbourn, the cabinet member for growth and regeneration, said: "We understand proposals for growth can be challenging for communities and must be carried out in a planned way, which means making sure space for homes and businesses is allocated proportionally.

"It's essential we all work together to plan for our future generations, providing space for our young people to live and work, raise families of their own and contribute to the economic growth and regeneration of Peterborough."

Subject to cabinet approval, a public consultation will run from 11 April to 29 May.