News
Sunday, 25 July 2010
The fastly declining Cuckoo has been heard at Kiln Meadow in 2010
Set-back in the campaign to save Kiln Meadow.
Save Kiln Meadow campaigners were left feeling disgusted at the decision of Ipswich Borough Council to sell Kiln Meadow, Belstead Brook Park in a vote neither informed by the evidence of any completed professional ecological surveys nor having benefited from consultation with wildlife experts. The overwhelming response was one of outrage at the way this decision was made.
The executive meeting itself, was described by one observer 'as a disgrace and an insult to the people of Ipswich. I'm sure the councillors had already made up their minds'.
Speakers supporting SKiM were afforded only limited time to make representations, and no interactive dialogue with councillors was permitted. Consequently, serious questions and issues raised by opponents to the sale, such as the expert evidence provided by Suffolk Wildlife Trust, detailing why this site is of national significance, remain disregarded or unanswered. In essence, SkiM supporters drew an inevitable conclusion: that no balanced debate of the salient issues had taken place at this meeting. While it may be argued that financial and business aspects of this debate were given an examination, a serious deficit with regard to any rigorous assessment of ecological issues and responsibilities has persisted throughout the decision making process.
The only ecological survey commissioned by IBC was forced to report early at a premature interim stage in order to fit in with IBC's timetable. This report states that surveys of flora, hedgerows, invertebrates, reptiles, protected mammals, and the nationally significant toad colony are "ongoing" or "awaiting specialist report" and in many cases will not be complete until October or beyond. Consequently, no recommendations as to ecological mitigations or safeguards exist since the IBC commissioned surveyors are yet to reach their conclusions.
Meanwhile, the report on the sale provided by IBCs own officers appeared to SKiM to be riddled with inaccuracies and omissions.
As such, the meeting disappointed expectations previously held by Skim supporters of an open democratic process, but rather gave every appearance of an executive paying lip-service to due process in order to expedite a pre-determined decision.
Of the executive, only Cllr Lockington spoke against the proposal - her bravery, honesty and commitment to principle was in overwhelming contrast to the confused and ill-informed statements made by others in the meeting. However, when proceedings arrived at the moment of votes being cast only a motion of those in favour of the decision to sell was cast, so that Cllr Lockington's opposition or abstention was not registered in the final outcome. As one of the campaigners commented 'Are we in Ipswich or North Korea?'
Su Fox, of Spring Road in Ipswich, belongs to Ipswich Wildlife Group and is a regular conservation volunteer. Su said ' I'm disgusted with the way that IBC think it's OK to sell off a fantastic site, with a nationally important wildlife population. In this country, we are destroying our natural heritage, we must preserve what we still have. Ipswich Borough Council simply don't care. I went along to Grafton House to attend the executive meeting on Tuesday, but wasn't allowed into the meeting room although there were seats free. There was supposed to be a video screen in the lobby to see the meeting, but there was only a poor quality audio link, and we couldn't hear all of what was said '
The SkiM campaign is garnering support from all major local wildlife organisations. Chris Courtney, Chair of the local RSPB group, said ' Kiln Meadow, Belstead Brook Park is at the heart of an integrated network of nature reserves and prime habitats that together form a fantastic wildlife corridor around the town's south-west perimeter. In many ways this is the jewel in the crown of Ipswich's wildlife. To fragment these habitats would be a terrible mistake at a time when it has been recognised that conservation must be implemented on a landscape scale to be truly effective, let alone to destroy a site of national importance for toads'.
2010 has been declared the UN Year of Biodiversity. In this same year IBC has chosen at the very least to ignore, or even to be in flagrant breach of, legislative directives designed to protect this very same biodiversity. This while simultaneously proclaiming a new green strategy - that of aiming to be 'The Greenest Town in the Greenest County'. To use this slogan having made this decision risks making our town a laughing stock.
The SkiM campaign continues. Ipswich Wildlife Group will seek leave for a judicial review, as IBC have ignored legislation designed to protect wildlife and habitats.
(For the latest details go to our Links Page and click on the link to the SKiM website)
Contacts: Jen Jousiffe 07879 844939 j.jousiffe@btinternet.com
Ray Sidaway Vice-chair Ipswich Wildlife Group 01473 259104
Chris Courtney , Chair, Ipswich RSPB Group 07765045182