More than 1,000 oppose Acklam Mandale meadow road plan

Judith Maunder has delivered more than 800 letters of objection to Middlesbrough Council

More than 1,000 people have opposed plans for a road across green space.

The proposed road would go through Mandale Meadow in Acklam, Middlesbrough, sparking concerns about its impact on local wildlife.

Middlesbrough Council has deferred making a decision on the road, which is part of the Stainsby Country Park Masterplan, pending more information.

More than 800 letters of objection have been sent with a further 120 to go, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Judith Maunder, who is part of the environmental group Middlesbrough Greenstuff, said the meadow was home to three "red-listed species" of butterfly as well as other wildlife.

She said: "It's really rich in wildlife, we have everything you can imagine there - deer, foxes, rabbits, hedgehogs and a lot of the wildlife will be killed on the road.

"Where the road is due to cross the beck, the beck will be polluted by the construction and we suspect there are a lot of water voles as we have had them in the past.

"We expect to lose a lot of wildlife as where the road dissects the beck we have a wide variety of native orchids."

Campaigners said the meadow is home to an abundance of wildlife

The Stainsby development between Mandale roundabout and Brookfield would also host 1,670 new homes.

There are also plans to plant about 20,000 extra trees, create public orchards, implement cycleways and create new sports pitches.

A Middlesbrough Council spokesperson said: "While Mandale Meadow is not a designated Local Wildlife Site, any planning application which affects it will require an accompanying ecological assessment.

"This document will need to provide a full evaluation of the biodiversity and ecological value of the site and the impacts that any development may have.

"No date has yet been set for the Stainsby Masterplan to go to the Council's Executive."