Wildlife concerns as planning application to fell trees in Derbyshire village submitted

An application to fell trees and shrubs has been submitted to Bolsover District Council, raising concerns about birds nesting in the area.
By Wiktoria Wrzyszcz
Published 2nd Feb 2024, 13:03 GMT
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The application for work at Hollin Hill Road, Clowne was submitted by Galliford Try Construction, on behalf of Severn Trent Water on January 19.

The plans concern approximately 400 square metres of land and would see trees felled to facilitate sewage treatment works on site, which is owned by Severn Trent.

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The planning application reads: “The removal of these trees will be screened by retained trees adjacent to the footpath (North of the proposed works) so their removal is unlikely to result in any loss of visual amenity to members of the public.”

Application for tree works at Hollin Hill Road, Clowne was submitted by Galliford Try Construction, on behalf of Severn Trent Water on January 19.Application for tree works at Hollin Hill Road, Clowne was submitted by Galliford Try Construction, on behalf of Severn Trent Water on January 19.
Application for tree works at Hollin Hill Road, Clowne was submitted by Galliford Try Construction, on behalf of Severn Trent Water on January 19.

A public comment has been submitted, voicing concerns over the possible impact on the wildlife.

The comment reads: “At the present time only a small number of birds are nesting, i.e. robins, but come another few weeks other species will follow. I take it Severn Trent will carry out a full wildlife survey using their own qualified personnel in this operation, alongside a qualified person to work with Severn Trent.

"Also, there are some rook nests in the trees on this site and I notice that the nests are being refurbished by the rooks. I presume these trees will not be felled. Will saplings be planted elsewhere on the sewage works site replacing the felled trees?”

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Further public comments on the application can be submitted by Tuesday, February 6.

The plans concern approximately 400 square meters of land and would see trees felled to facilitate sewage treatment works on site, which is owned by Severn Trent.The plans concern approximately 400 square meters of land and would see trees felled to facilitate sewage treatment works on site, which is owned by Severn Trent.
The plans concern approximately 400 square meters of land and would see trees felled to facilitate sewage treatment works on site, which is owned by Severn Trent.

Philip John, Senior Programme Manager at Seven Trent, said: “We have been following the guidance of a professional ecologist throughout this process and will continue to do so, with an ecologist on site throughout the clearance works.“We will carry out a full biodiversity plan with a view to balancing the tree and vegetation removal with new planting. This may be at another location given the tight space restrictions on site.

“We are upgrading our Clowne Sewage Treatment Works to meet requirements from our regulators, to support improvements to river quality, and ensure that our network is able to meet the demands of climate change and a growing population.”

Related topics:Severn Trent WaterDerbyshireNorth