Newcastle Great Park Consortium has submitted plans that will see trees and vegetation carved out of Havannah and Three Hills Nature Reserve to make way for huge 3m-wide footpaths.

The plans will also see loss of mature trees and hedgerows in the Green Belt adjacent to the reserve. 

The paths will require lighting, which will have an adverse effect on bats and other nocturnal wildlife in and around the reserve, and will disturb Great Crested Newts.

Newcastle City Council passed a motion in June to declare a biodiversity emergency and committed to protecting species and habitats.   

These plans will devastate wildlife and see unacceptable loss of trees and hedgerows. We must act now.

Object today by emailing planning.control@newcastle.gov.uk and james.cowen@newcastle.gov.uk quoting planning application 2022/1131/01/DET 

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The full planning application can be viewed here:

https://portal.newcastle.gov.uk/planning/index.html?fa=getApplication&id=128519

Some points to include in your email -

The plans will:

·             Result in loss of trees and vegetation within Havannah and Three Hills Local Nature Reserve

·             Result in loss of mature trees and hedgerows in the Green Belt

·             Result in a net loss in biodiversity

·             Increase flood risk

·             Result in harm to protected species and priority habitats

·             Undermine Newcastle City Council’s commitments made in June 2022 to protect biodiversity

·             Undermine Newcastle City Council’s commitments in the Tree Strategy to protect and enhance existing trees and hedgerows

·             Contravene the Council’s own policies on CS18 (Green Infrastructure and the Natural Environment), DM27 (Protecting and Enhancing Green Infrastructure), DM28 (Trees and Landscaping) and DM29 (Protecting and Enhancing Biodiversity and Habitats)