Press release: Queensway Gateway road would have ‘significant and adverse’ impact on local wildlife site

December 16, 2014 by combehavendefenders

Press release
Combe Haven Defenders [1]
Tuesday 16 December

Contact 07565 967 250

PROPOSED NEW ROAD IN HASTINGS WOULD HAVE ‘SIGNIFICANT AND ADVERSE’ IMPACT ON LOCAL WILDLIFE SITE

Queensway Gateway road plans criticised for not addressing biodiversity impact and using out of date policies

A report written by the Environment and Natural Resources Manager for Hastings Borough Council has raised serious concerns about the impact of the proposed Queensway Gateway road on the Hollington Valley Site of Nature Conservation Importance.

The report [2] was drawn up in response to the Environmental Statement submitted as part of the plannning application [3] by developer SeaChange Sussex. It states that the proposed road would have a ‘significant and adverse impact on the entire northern part of the Local Wildlife Site’, such that it is likely to be ‘rendered unviable as a biodiversity area’.

It also notes various failures in the environmental statement produced by SeaChange, including:

• Failing to address how any wildlife mitigation measures would be monitored and funded;

• Failing to address the requirement on developers to show that the need for development outweighs any harm to the nature conservation interests;
• Failing to address biodiversity offsetting measures;

• Refering to outdated planning policies: ‘It would be difficult for the council to consider an application that relied on an out of date policy context from our previous Local Plan.’

 

The report points out that although the current planning application is only for the road, future plans are for the whole of the northern part of the site to be developed for industrial use. Such additional development ‘may render any compensation and mitigation measures proposed for this application ineffective’.

Emily Johns, spokesperson for Combe Haven Defenders, said, ‘We have been saying all along that this road would be disastrous for nature, and this report proves that we were right. If the road is allowed to go ahead, it will utterly destroy Hollington Valley. Our green spaces are vitally important not just for nature but also for people, and it’s crucial that we preserve them. We’re calling on Hastings Borough Council to refuse permission for this destructive and unnecessary road, and to save this precious site for future generations.’.

Contact 07565 967 250

NOTES
[1] http://www.combehavendefenders.org.uk
[2] https://combehavendefenders.wordpress.com/?attachment_id=4276

[3] http://tinyurl.com/pzaxh7d. The application may be considered as early as 7 January