This was a comment posted on Saturday’s ‘Mixed reaction to council backing for new Bristol City stadium bid’ story in the Cancer. It maybe deserves a wider audience as a nice illustration of the kind of tripe they’re printing in their support – at any cost – of the city’s wealthiest man.
In the ‘Diary’ section on page 11 of today’s Evening Post (which doesn’t seem to be on-line) there is an implication that Avon Wildlife Trust don’t know what they are talking about because they refer to otters at Ashton Vale. The article says ‘aren’t they as rare as hens teeth?’
Yes they are rare and should be protected. But are they at Ashton Vale?
The answer is in the Ecology Chapter of the Technical Study submitted with the [stadium] planning application.
It says, “Detailed survey provided evidence of both otter and water vole.”
So yes they are they are at Ashton Vale and it is a reason why Ashton Vale Site of Nature Conservation Interest should be protected and shouldn’t have housing built on it.
I suppose that it is too much to hope that the Evening Post will apologise to the Avon Wildlife Trust?
The report (page 66) also says about the mitigation measures being planned:
Species:
Otter
High Positive impact
(feature enhanced)
Lighting impacts should have minimum
consequences for otters given the
mitigation proposed and the frequency
of flood-lit events. Noise impacts
should also be marginal because high
noise levels from construction will be
limited to day-light hours only (6pm in
winter) and otters are likely to pass by
this site at night. The water course
mitigation would be beneficial for otter,
providing cover and shelter. There
should be no permanent effect on the
conservation status of this species.
Species: Water vole
High Positive impact
(feature enhanced)
The water course mitigation would be
very beneficial for water vole, providing
cover, shelter and food sources. The
impacts of noise and light are likely to
be minimal for this species, which is
tolerant of human activity where not
directly threatened. There should be no
permanent effect on the conservation
Ah, I see.
So building a 30,000 seat stadium and conference centre with 1,000 car parking places, 120 houses, a BRT routes, a hotel, bars/restaurants and engineering works to alleviate a flood risk zone will have a “High Postive Impact” on the local wildlife?
Bloody hell, let’s concrete over the Downs to preserve the natural environment there – as for that Avon Gorge, a few terraced factories and industrial buildings will surely enhance its wildlife potential!
It amazing the crap that consultants will serve up if you pay them enough…….
Development WILL harm the local wildlife – whether that’s a price paying to get a new stadium is another matter but for fuck’s sake don’t insult peoples intelligence by trying to suggest that the local otter population are sat in Ashton Vale thinking “my, it would be so much better if we introduced a few bulldozers into our local environment”
I should think one blast of flood-lights would be enough to frighten the otters away for good, but I’m no expert. People don’t like living near football stadiums, so why impose them upon our precious wildlife? I also thought otters have only started to re-establish themselves in the rivers around Bristol, so this is terrible timing. By the way, who makes the judgement about the mitigation effects: the developer, officers or external consultants?
My mate Brian says, “Otters are Gasheads … FACT.”
God bless Brian and thank god they made a film about him.