Marske: Villagers protest against hedge-removal for housing development

Protesters against building new homes in Marske, which involves hedge-removal

Residents have accused housing developers of displacing wildlife, in a protest against plans for 810 new homes in their village.

More than a hundred demonstrators gathered in Marske last week to show their opposition to hedge-removal, which they say disturbs wildlife.

Locals said more than 200m of hedgerow has been uprooted and described animals "frantically" seeking shelter.

But developers say they had permission and would like to preserve wildlife.

Approval for the homes was given earlier this year by Redcar and Cleveland Council.

Plans include provision for a drive-through restaurant, pub, hotel, convenience store, chemist, petrol station, primary school, children's day nursery and community hall.

'Distressing'

Developers Taylor Wimpey and Miller Homes recently made a new access route to the housing site, which involved cutting down hedges to install a steel security fence, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. .

"There was a group of 20 or so hares... running panicked across the field," said resident Rita Skoczypec, whose house backs on to the development site.

"It was distressing to see wildlife frantically looking for cover."

Fellow resident Lisa Chapman claims she saw a "disorientated" pheasant in her front garden, which then wandered into the road.

"I was devastated when I heard the awful noise of [the] hedgerow being cut down," she said.

Brian Goodwill, who lives half a mile from the site, said: "The evening after the removal of hedgerow at the development site we suddenly had an entire family of hedgehogs come to our garden in search of food and shelter."

Dr Tristan Learoyd, pictured speaking, says developers "put profit first"

There has been sustained opposition to the housing development which will be approximately the size of 71 football pitches.

Marske councillor Dr Tristan Learoyd, who organised the protest, said there was a belief locally that the developers were "putting profit before everything else, including nature".

He demanded that planning conditions and local wildlife were respected.

'Preserving' wildlife

The LDRS has been told that no planning conditions were breached with the hedge removal, which had previously been detailed in an arboricultural impact assessment document considered by Redcar and Cleveland Council members in the decision-making process.

"We understand the concerns of some local residents and would like to assure them that preserving and enhancing local wildlife is a key consideration when we plan and build new developments," said a spokesman for the two housing developers.

"As well as a large area of public open space with a significant [number] of new trees and plants, we will also be installing bird and bat boxes, hedgehog highways, bug hotels and bee bricks around the development."

The spokesman confirmed that contractors had removed some hedgerow "in line" with permissions granted by the council.