Its no wonder my wild life has virtually disappeard (photos).

[Dave7]

Within 1/2 mile from me there USED TO BE open land and woodland. Its called Radleigh Common and Radleigh Woods.
Despite a big fight by the locals and our MPs taking the matter to parliament a London company somehow got permission to decimate this greenbelt area in order to build 1200 houses.
So......last spring, during the nesting season they started to tear down the trees and are now well on with house building.
I walked there this morning..... it brought tears to my eyes. Below are some photos of mankinds progress.





I used to get regular visits from.......
Woodpeckers, Siskins, Greenfinches, Goldfinches and Nuthatches etc. Now im lucky if I see the odd one.
Very sad.
NB
I know there's a lot of NIMBY but this was green belt woodland.

 

[biggs682]

That will certainly not help

 

[blackrat]

Horrible, bloody developers just rape the land for profit.

 

[MontyVeda]

Seems that land flanking the motorways gets planning permission easier these days

 

[oxoman]

Greenbelt land is easier and cheaper to build on than brownbelt. Sadly councils cannot force developers to use this first.

 

[I like Skol]

Greenbelt land is easier and cheaper to build on than brownbelt. Sadly councils cannot force developers to use this first.

Yes they can

 

[oxoman]

Yes they can

They probably can but wont risk the inevitable appeal afterwards.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Round here they seem to be building everywhere

I think it is partly that until recently every application in a "posh" area got rejected so there were many years where very few houses were being built except in places where the locals could be ignored

They do seem to have made things so that brownfield sites are also being developed that have been lying derelict for years and years - and some of them are being used for houses

But there are several places that have been allocated fro houses where I reckon they should have stayed as farmland and stuff

There are some clear farming areas where a small group of houses have been built - and I reckon that will allow bigger house building companies to use that as ammunition to apply for several fields behind them to be used for a big new estate
This is especially true in the areas which have higher house prices - big surprise!

When I bought this house one of the things I liked about it was that the green areas behind - including the trees at the back of our house - are very very unlikely to be taken for houses
some is a through path to other areas and some is just far too steep to build on

 

[DRM]

It's probably the land owner that's decided to cash in and sell the land, I'd wager that land belonged to one person who owns huge swathes of land, that decided it was time to retire and live off the income, the developers just buy it when it get's offered as they have the backing to buy it, build the houses, skim the profits & pay back the investors

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

It's probably the land owner that's decided to cash in and sell the land, I'd wager that land belonged to one person who owns huge swathes of land, that decided it was time to retire and live off the income, the developers just buy it when it get's offered as they have the backing to buy it, build the houses, skim the profits & pay back the investors

Yes - almost certainly

You can even see some land that is left unused for many years to make the case better for using it for houses

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

They probably can but wont risk the inevitable appeal afterwards.

Where I live several ways to get planning permission without much problems
1. Just build it and when "found out" apply retrospectively as Planning very very very rarely move to demolition.
2. Put "for business" on the application eg "I want a big hot tub in my garden for friends and family visiting 'for business'" - the 'for business' overrides every objection.
3. Threaten the Planning Committee few years back applicant wanting to badly damage a Grade II Listed building sent a letter to the Planning Committee, litterally "If you don't approve I will go to appeal which I will win" (and Committee "falls into line").

Generally Planner's decisions seems more about avoidance of appeal so if there any question it might go to appeal then they'll approve it rather than face appeals.

 

[Dave7]

Yes - almost certainly

You can even see some land that is left unused for many years to make the case better for using it for houses

South Warrington is waaay more expensive than the north (where i live). House builders have bought huge swathes of green belt which they have left it alone for years.... with the intention of building houses when the market is more favourable to them.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

South Warrington is waaay more expensive than the north (where i live). House builders have bought huge swathes of green belt which they have left it alone for years.... with the intention of building houses when the market is more favourable to them.

There was some muttering from "those in power" about stopping then doing that

but I'm not sure if it ever came to actually doing anything or not

 

[Accy cyclist]

Within 1/2 mile from me there USED TO BE open land and woodland. Its called Radleigh Common and Radleigh Woods.
Despite a big fight by the locals and our MPs taking the matter to parliament a London company somehow got permission to decimate this greenbelt area in order to build 1200 houses.
So......last spring, during the nesting season they started to tear down the trees and are now well on with house building.
I walked there this morning..... it brought tears to my eyes. Below are some photos of mankinds progress.
View attachment 804095

View attachment 804094

View attachment 804095
I used to get regular visits from.......
Woodpeckers, Siskins, Greenfinches, Goldfinches and Nuthatches etc. Now im lucky if I see the odd one.
Very sad.
NB
I know there's a lot of NIMBY but this was green belt woodland.

The developers say they'll respect all wildlife, but when they get permission to build the wildlife habitat destruction begins!😠

 

[Accy cyclist]

Some developers want to build 30 houses on that land across from my flat and to the left of the photo as you look at it. It has a stream running through it and a flat 'swampy' area full of frogs, insects etc at certain times of the year. Those trees will be hacked down as well to make way for the proposed new homes!😒 The road passing my flat already has a vehicle passing every few seconds in peak times! God knows how busy it'd be if the built 30 homes that'd have access to and from it!🙄