WILDLIFE SITE UNDER THREAT

For those of you who read my blogs, you will know that i quite often refer to the paddock next to my property. This appears as Site HO84 on the Peterborough Site Allocation proposal DPD. As documented in the current Tribune this is one of 2 sites in Helpston currently being recommended for building on in a proposed extension of the village envelope. A minimum of 10 houses has been suggested for this site.
Although this paddock is only .78 acres the natural diversity of this small field is quite outstanding and important in terms of our desire to encourage and protect what was here in John Clare's time. Up until about 5yrs ago it had always been grazed during the winter and as far as i know has never been ploughed. Unfortunately the site has been purposely downgraded by the owner, by not cutting the grass in recent seasons. Hence the diversity of wild flowers and butterflies that were present have been temporarily lost.
Wildflowers previously recorded include, ox-eye daisy, vipers bugloss, tufted vetch, dwarf thistle, yarrow, fleabane, meadow cranes-bill, yellow rattle, field scabious, white dead nettle and bittersweet.
Butterflies recorded include comma, gatekeeper, peacock, red admiral, small tortoiseshell, large and small skipper, common and holly blue, large and small wood whites, ringlet, brimstone, orange tip, and small and large heath.
However this is still an important haven for birds, bats and slow worms within the village. It is fronted by 4 mature ash trees, which would probably not be protected from any development. This is home to pipistrelle bats within the ivy cover and a pair of great spotted woodpeckers. A large number of birds have used the perimeter of the field for nesting. I have recorded yellow hammer, willow warbler, whitethroat, linnet, pheasant and red partridge. A pair of turtle doves successfully nested here in 2008 and it is one of two important winter roost sites in the village for tree sparrows (red listed as endagered species ).
An opportunity to comment on this site with Peterborough Planning will begin in early March. So please help me in my quest to protect this site for our village.