The hemming in of Havannah has begun.

Development in Cell A of Newcastle Great Park is coming right up to southern boundary of Havannah Nature Reserve.

No longer can you take a peaceful stroll in your local nature reserve without the cacophony of construction vehicles, the stench of exhaust fumes and a scourge of scaffolding on every horizon.

Cell A of Newcastle Great Park was hugely important for farmland birds, including grey partridge, skylark, lapwing and linnet and provided an important wildlife corridor.

Thanks to the insatiable greed of Persimmon Homes and Taylor Wimpey and the inability of Newcastle City Council to protect its precious wildlife and green space, it is now being bulldozed to make way for hundreds of new houses.

But there is still time to object to the plans for Cell B1, which will bring development right up to the south-eastern edge of the reserve.

Please email your objections to planning.control@newcastle.gov.uk quoting planning application 2017/0666/09/RES.

A decision on the plans is likely to be made some time in December.

We plan to have a big presence outside the Civic Centre ahead of the meeting.