Boost for planned new business park near HarrogateBid to create new ponds in Nidderdale for Britain’s biggest amphibian

New habitats for one of the UK’s most iconic protected species could be created in Nidderdale if a planning application is approved. 

Wildscapes, a community interest company (CIC) owned by the Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust, has applied to create two ponds at Delves Ridge, near Thornthwaite, to help boost the population of great crested newts. 

The species, also known as the northern crested newt or warty newt, is Britain’s largest amphibian, reaching lengths of up to 17cm (nearly 7 inches). Globally, it is regarded as being “of least concern”, but in the UK, where habitat loss has seen a sharp downturn in numbers over the past century, it is considered to be at risk and is protected under law.

To help halt its decline, Natural England has established a programme of district level licensing, and property developers whose projects have been identified by Natural England as having caused the loss of great crested newt habitat have applied to join the scheme to offset the damage. 

As a result, a number of ponds suitable for increasing population of great crested newts must now be created or restored in North Yorkshire. 

Wildscapes CIC is Natural England’s habitat delivery body and creates around 100 new ponds a year for great crested newts. It has identified the Thornthwaite site, which is within the Nidderdale National Landscape (formerly known as the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, or AONB), as a perfect location.

But the ponds will not be entirely new to the locality, which is on land off Menwith Hill Road. According to the planning document submitted to North Yorkshire Council: 

“Evidence of current and previously existing pond structures can be seen in the surrounding area, including those which have been lost to agricultural development.  

“Creation of ponds on this site will return these features to the landscape and enhance the local wildlife and biodiversity.  

“As a local feature this is well within keeping with the existing landscape as well as offering a significant opportunity for enhancement.” 

The two proposed ponds could be just the start of a great crested newt renaissance if local conservation plans are successful, with more being created not far away, in the Washburn Valley. 

According to the planning application, Wildscapes has been in discussions with the Nidderdale National Landscape project ecologist, Kate Wright, who said she believed the proposed site was a “good location”. 

She added: 

“We did have a potential new pond for a site south along Meagill Lane, but it didn’t go ahead due to planning issues. There’s a very large toad population in the Washburn valley just over 1km WSW.

“I don’t believe I’ve had any contact with this landowner as part of the previous project. But it’s within our desired development area for wetland creation in 2023/4.

“We’ve received some interest from other landowners in the area, including potentially a series of ca. 3 ponds just west over the Washburn Valley.”

The consultation period for the application started on Monday (December 4) and is due to end on Thursday, December 28. The planning application reference code is ZC23/03802/FUL.

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Trees to be felled at Ripon nature reserve

Diseased and damaged trees at Quarry Moor Nature Reserve in Ripon that pose a potential risk to public safety will be felled.

A total of 17 trees, some of which are affected by ash dieback disease, were identified as requiring removal in a report prepared for Ripon City Council by arboriculturists.

The felling will be carried out by specialist contractors in liaison with the council and Natural England.

City Council leader Andrew Williams told the Stray Ferret:

“The trees that need to be felled to ensure the safety of the public, are in a number of different parts of the nature reserve.

“Some have been affected by ash dieback and others have become weakened through storms earlier in the year.”

Quarry Moor was donated to Ripon by Alderman Thomas F Spence in 1945 and has been held in trust for the benefit of local people ever since.

The nature reserve was designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1986 in recognition of its unique geology and rare, species-rich magnesian limestone grassland.

Through careful management over the years, it has become a place of nature conservation and quiet recreation, while providing a habitat for a variety of wildlife species.

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Badgers delay approval of 133 homes at Kingsley Road

Final approval for 133 homes on Kingsley Road in Harrogate has been delayed whilst more badger surveys are undertaken in the area.

Redrow Homes won outline planning permission to build the development on appeal in August 2020 after it was initially refused by Harrogate Borough Council.

As part of the application, the developer submitted two ecology studies that found there were four badger setts in the area but only one or two were still actively used.

A previous ecological study undertaken in 2019 by a different developer found no evidence of badgers.

Members of Kingsley Ward Action Group (KWAG) bought a trail cam, which is a camera that is left outside and captures the movement of animals.

They claim their investigation found evidence of 11 badger setts, six of which are still active.

Badger activity

Badgers and their setts are protected by law.

Developers must have a licence from Natural England to remove or modify a badger sett.

This afternoon, councillors on the council’s planning committee met to discuss a reserved matters application that dealt with the appearance and layout of the homes.

However, the four-legged mammals dominated the debate.

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To the north of the proposed site are train tracks owned by Network Rail.

Dan McAndrew, the council’s principal ecologist, said most of the badger setts are more than 30m away from the site on land owned by the rail body.

Mr McAndrew said he was satisfied the developer had put measures in place to protect the badgers.

He said:

“Badgers actually do well in urban fringe areas, they are able to adapt to those conditions. The key issue is, where are the setts located and can they be maintained?

“The main sett will not be affected and will be left in place.”

However, John Hansard from KWAG said his group’s badger surveys were at odds with the developer’s surveys. He criticised the 2019 survey.

He said:

“If you know what you’re looking for, signs of badger activity were plentiful, clear and unmissable, so why were they missed or ignored?”

‘Somebody has got to speak for the badgers’

Both Sue Lumby, Conservative member for Coppice Valley, and Victoria Oldham, Conservative member for Washburn, cast doubt on the developer’s claims that badgers would not be harmed by the development.

Cllr Lumby said:

“Somebody has got to speak for the badgers and that’s what we are trying to do.

“This population of badgers would have lived here for generations. I’m very, very concerned why the 2019 survey didn’t find any badgers.”

Cllr Oldham added:

“On the assumption you do get licence from Natural England, what mitigation are you prepared to offer for remaining badgers to forage? You are going to put tarmac, concrete where they like to dig for worms, for setts. What are you offering? What wildlife enhancement will there be on this estate?”

In response, Mike Ashworth, on behalf of Redrow Homes, said

“A significant area of site will be undeveloped and landscaped, 30% of the site, a lot more than a normal housing estate. In there you’d have a combination of planting of trees, wildflower, shrubs.”

An unimpressed Cllr Oldham responded:

“Badgers don’t eat pretty flowers, they like to eat worms.”

Further surveys

Mr Ashworth revealed the developer received permission from Network Rail last week to survey the land above the site for badgers.

After councillors rejected the council’s recommendation to approve the scheme, committee chair Cllr John Mann proposed deferment pending the publication of the badger survey, which councillors agreed to unanimously.

Plumpton Rocks set for March opening after £700,000 restoration

Plumpton Rocks is finally set to open to the public in March 2022 after several years of restoration works and investment of £700,000.

When people visit the site near Harrogate they will notice improved paths and dam as well as plenty more spaces and historic buildings to explore.

They will also notice that it is open more often. Rather than just weekends, it will be open for around 250 days in the year.

Robert de Plumpton Hunter, who inherited Plumpton Rocks from his father in 2010, has overseen a major turnaround in the attraction’s outlook.

More areas are now open to explore.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“To have an opening date of March 2022 is a great relief. Plumpton Rocks is now truly a place worth shouting about.

“The help we have had has been revolutionary. I never thought in my wildest dreams that we could do all of this work.

“My family are well-connected to Plumpton Rocks, it feels like it is in my DNA. The place has a great history which we are now able to play up to.”

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A major catalyst for change came when Historic England added it to the “Heritage at Risk Register” in 2012.

In order to make much-needed improvements, Plumpton Rocks closed in 2013 for three years and in 2018 for two and a half years.

The time closed, as well as major investment from Mr Hunter, Historic England, Natural England and the Historic Houses Foundation has made a significant difference.

Not only did Historic England take Plumpton Rocks off its “Heritage at Risk Register” earlier this year  but it also now closely resembles the 18th century sketches of JMW Turner.

Plumpton Rocks restoration timeline

Heather burning season begins on Harrogate district moors

Controlled burning of heather has started on moors in the north of the Harrogate district.

Moorland managers carry out burning between October 1 and April 15 to remove old growth and promote the development of new heather and grass shoots in spring, which helps grouse and other species thrive.

It is carried out with the agreement of Natural England, the licensing body.

Smoke drifted over areas such as Pateley Bridge and Lofthouse over the weekend as burning took place.

The North Yorkshire Dales Moorland Group, which represents moorland managers, said in a statement that ground nesting birds have left the moors by October and the heather has faded.

“If the conditions are right and the wind is not too strong then the experienced keepers will recognise these opportunities and use their expertise to carry out very controlled rotational burns where the old heather has grown long and rank.”

It added that long, old heather has little nutritional value for grazing animals or grouse and loses its capacity to absorb carbon from the atmosphere.

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Burning in winter also reduces the risk of summer wildfires, it added:

“Heather is a dwarf shrub that will become woody with time and if left unchecked will accumulate large amounts of combustible material that dries in summer and poses a huge wildfire risk. Summer wildfires are devastating events both financially and environmentally.

“They pose serious risk to people and property and can release millions of tons of locked in carbon that has taken millennia to accumulate.”

Calls for a ban

But the Yorkshire-based campaign group Wild Moors has called for burning to be banned.

It claims that the practice actually damages peatland formation and is harmful to the environment.

Luke Steele, executive director of Wild Moors, said:

“At COP26 Britain has a prime opportunity to be a trailblazer in managing land for nature as a solution to climate change and biodiversity loss.

“But how can we be a role model for other nations to follow when we still allow our carbon-rich peatlands to be torched to benefit grouse shooting?”