Back in February, in their Parks and Green Spaces Strategy (pdf), the city council had this to say about the Bristol and Bath Railway Path:
Bristol has a number of strategically important green links, providing important traffic free cycling and walking routes, as well as acting as significant wildlife corridors.
But what does the same city council say three months later when it comes to deciding whether Merchant Venturer George Ferguson and his shadowy money men have to do an Environmental Impact Assessment for their plans to build directly on this wildlife corridor?
The proposed redevelopment would not have the potential to have significant effects on the environment.
So digging up part of a significant wildlife corridor will have no significant effect on its environment? Planning boss David Bishop is making this bollocks up as he goes along isn’t he?
Bristol’s own Nature Conservation Officer feels that the impacts of development would be significant and has raised serious concerns!! This officer may well be of the view that an Environmental Impact Assessment is justified, after all the EU Directive relating to such assessments ‘…is not open to narrow interpretation. The UK Courts will interpret the Directive in the European sense – i.e. as having wide scope and broad purpose.’
http://www.communities.gov.uk/planningandbuilding/planning/sustainabilityenvironmental/environmentalimpactassessment/noteenvironmental/
Wide scope? Broad purpose? Doesn’t look as if the council regard the Environmental Impact Assessment process in this way at all!!
Who has overruled the Nature Conservation Officer and why?
Given that plans to run BRT down the path were still live after February, the notion of what greenery to value has always been pretty low. No change in policy there.
When money raises it’s ugly little head, nature conservation, the environment and the quality of life for local communities all go out of the window it seems…
Well done for keeping this issue in focus!
The council and their friends in Sqarepeg are of course trying to pull the wool over people’s eyes, sham consultations and greenwash aren’t good enough!