A local campaign group said the fight to save Tufa Field’s future is not over yet.
Controversial plans to build 37 homes on a Bath field containing rare habitat were scrapped by the new council head earlier in May.
Councilor Kevin Guy said uses of the so-called “Tufa Field” behind Englishcombe Lane would be reassessed and would not be sold.
Now, two representatives of the Friends of the Tufa Field group have said its future remains to be decided and should be conserved as a wildlife site in a letter to the Bath Chronicle newspaper.
Nearly 4,000 people have signed a petition calling on Bath and North East Somerset Council to save the ‘tuff field’ at Englishcombe Lane from the ‘grave threat’ of its development proposals.
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Kate and Danny Groves said on behalf of the group: “That said, the future of this Site of Scientific Interest for Nature and Conservation (SNCI) remains to be decided.
“We believe we can use the tuff field to positively support the climate crisis, protect rare tuff, protect the wide range of associated rare flora, fauna and invertebrates that depend on tuff sources, and restore a grassland. . “
The letter read in its entirety: “We would like to thank the local people for your support and for signing the petition against the developing tuff field.
“The new head of the council has withdrawn the current planning. This is great news and it was only with the support of our community that we got here – thank you.
“That said, the future of this Site of Scientific Interest for Nature and Conservation (SNCI) remains to be decided.
“Sites like this are rare. Tuffeau puffs that deposit calcium and the associated flora and fauna cannot be replaced or reproduced elsewhere.
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“The Environment Agency has highlighted the tuff sources in Somerset as ‘vulnerable’ – and the site is also a vital link in the network of wildlife corridors.
“Significant concerns about landslides and flooding in the region also remain.
“Objections to the development were numerous, including the council’s own ecologists and Ian Barrett, managing director of Avon Wildlife Trust, who said:” The field should be managed for wildlife, to conserve and increase the floral diversity of the grassland and potentially allow some of the scrub areas and field trees to support a wider range of wildlife. “
“ According to the World Wildlife Fund, the grasslands of England and Wales declined by 97% between the 1930s and 1984 and the area of coppiced woodland declined by at least 90% from 1900 to 1970. Both have had dramatic effects on the survival of many rare wildflowers and insects.
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“We believe we can use the tuff field to positively support the climate crisis, protect rare tuff, protect the wide range of associated rare flora, fauna and invertebrates that depend on tuff sources, and restore a grassland. .
“Therefore, we requested that any feasibility study regarding the future use of the land explore the possibility of a community nature reserve.
As Mr Barrett confirmed: “There is a lot of potential for the site as a community nature reserve and green corridor, providing local children with a nature-rich off-road route to school. “
“In the meantime, we once again thank the people of Bath. Stopping ill-conceived development is a victory for the local population ”.
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Source: www.somersetlive.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-05-23 23:00:00
