On 30/3/23 the Extrodinary Planning Commitee decided on the ‘Enabling works’ (contamination capping) at Billet Road.
Much could be said about the need to allow for more than 2 speakers in objection to such an ‘extrodinary’, complex and detailed application. Not least because the applicant was afforded more.
The following speech from AHDA member, Pat O’Grady, a Billet Road resident, regarding biodiversity resulting in NEGATIVE 100% at the Billet Road, Bellway site should have been heard:
I quote from the Redbridge Council 2021 NATURE AND ENVIRONMENT SCRUTINY TASK AND FINISH GROUP report –
“We sit at a pivotal moment where nature and the environment are simultaneously threatened by a lack of biodiversity and by the climate crisis.”
With Biodiversity we have more control to make a direct impact for good or bad – we can see the outcome of our decisions.
A study found that the UK is one of the world’s most nature-depleted countries – worst in the G7 and bottom 10% of the world. I say “what little we have – we must protect”.
In 2022 DEFRA published the Biodiversity Metric which includes the mitigation hierarchy to be applied to the impact on biodiversity.
Avoid – Minimize – Mitigate – Compensate
Avoid – ideally this is what should happen with this application so no biodiversity is lost. However, I expect that this will be approved but this part of the development should not start before the EA have given their approval.
Minimize – I want to focus on the part of the development plan which is to remove flora outside the capping area – for example Hedgerows H4. This hedgerow should not be removed. Not only is it much more than a single row it has a swathe of trees, bushes etc. with its own micro ecosystem. It is outside the capping area therefore no need to remove it. It would only be removed for convenience so this does not fit anywhere on the DEFRA mitigation hierarchy.
This should apply to everything in this part of the development – flora and fauna only within the capping area should be impacted.
There is local support for the site protection over 50% of the signatures from the survey, against the development, are from the RM & IG postcodes.
Petition Save the hedgerow at Billet Road- current total 575 signatures