Not entirely sure her explanation will find much favour with residents?
Local residents have been “horrified” by the destruction of the tree screen between the flats above Stockland Square and the development of 425 Berkeley Homes in Knowle Lane. Some residents have written to the Waverley Web on our private e-mail contact@waverleyweb.com
One, who has lived in the village for over 45 years said:
“Why oh why do developers have to damage the habitat for the wildlife, particularly birds, when this is prohibited until later in the year.I loved looking out onto those trees!
We understand that many new residents don’t like leaves dropping into their gardens. If that is the case why did they come to live in a once rural village? Falling leaves are part of everday life here – aren’t they.
What is happening to this place? I recently went to my car, behind Stocklund Square and the engine wouldn’t start because all the petrol had been syphoned out. I am old, and couldn’t get to my GP appointment.
The latest loss of trees is similar to the scant disregard, the national house builder showed for the ancient woodland during the construction of its development which spans former open fields behind Cranleigh High Street stretching from Knowle Lane to Alfold Road.
Here’s the post we wrote in February 2017. During which time developers, including Berkeleys, the KPI and every man and his dog, were meeting Waverley’s chief planning officer in secret to devise a cunning plan to concrete over Cranleigh. – This was, “to increase the footfall in the high street” claimed the late Cllr Brian and Waverley Cllr Patricia Ellis. Shortly you can hear what councillor Ellis said about the recent extension permitted to the former nursery in Alfold Road – called the Knowle Park Initiative.
Whoops, there goes another swathe of Cranleigh woodland!
Liz Townsend = update
“This is standard practice for this type of work and exactly what SCC would do had we been the ones carrying out the work. Although it looks messy at the moment this will soon blend in and the rotting wood provides fantastic habitat for all kinds of creatures.Ultimately this is private land and not part of the highway and the material has not been brought into the site, so there is nothing that we could do in any case and I believe the same will go for Waverley BC as the litter authority.”
Was the work supervised by a licensed ecologist under the ’81 Wildlife and Countryside Act? We’re in the nesting season and it is illegal to disturb nesting birds. I wonder if Cllr Townsend could ask Waverley BC if it was properly assessed?
Did a licensed ecologist supervise the work? I very much doubt it, Adrian, because if it were work would have been ruled out until late August! What would it matter whether it was illegal or not. Developers seem to ride roughshod over the rule-book, there is plenty of evidence of that all over the borough. But you appear to suffer badly from the smash and cash brigade over in your neck of the woods if you will excuse the pun.