A campaigner, Martin Pugh, has raised concerns about the recent clearance of vegetation on the edge of Colchester’s Middlewick Ranges by the Ministry of Defence (MOD). The MOD cleared the land to put up a fence at Birch Brook, separating the Wick from military-owned land. Pugh, a senior ecologist and Save the Wick campaigner, believes that the fence could have been moved slightly to avoid the extensive destruction of woodland habitat.
Pugh sent a ‘cease and desist’ letter to the MOD and Colchester Council regarding the felling and flailing of 9,300 square meters of woodland habitat at the Birch Brook Woodland Local Wildlife Site near Rowhedge. He expressed his concerns about the potential harm to the nightingales in the area, citing surveys he conducted from April to May that showed the area as a top site for the species in the UK.
The MOD stated that precautions were taken to ensure wildlife was not harmed during the clearance process. They mentioned that the vegetation was cut back to allow the erection of a fence marking the northern boundary of the MOD’s land once the planned sale of the remainder of Middlewick Ranges is completed. The area will be used as a dry training area by personnel from Colchester Garrison and needed to be separated from non-MOD land for safety reasons.
While the MOD claims to have conducted checks for badger setts, bird nests, and bat roosts before starting the work, Pugh believes that the destruction of 2km of woodland margins without proper ecological surveys or mitigation may have breached wildlife legislation. He emphasized that this level of destruction is unprecedented in his 19 years of surveying Local Wildlife Site woodlands.
In response to the situation, a spokesman for Colchester Council urged campaigners to report any wildlife crimes to the police, as they are the appropriate authority to handle such matters. The council, as the local planning authority, stated that they are not aware of any breaches of planning control related to the recent activities at Middlewick Ranges. They assured that any alleged planning breaches brought to their attention would be investigated according to their policies and procedures.
Overall, the dispute between campaigners like Martin Pugh and the MOD highlights the importance of balancing development needs with environmental conservation efforts to protect wildlife habitats and species in the area. It also raises questions about the responsibility of large bodies like the MOD to adhere to wildlife legislation and engage with local communities and experts to minimize the impact of their activities on the environment.
