Norfolk County Council is set to apply for planning permission for the Norwich Western Link Road, and this spring is a critical time for us to raise awareness for the wildlife depending on habitats threatened by the proposed route.
According to Dr Charlotte Packman in a Blog produced by her and Norfolk Wildlife Trust : "Our two most powerful tools in protecting wildlife are accurate data and work in partnership with other bodies and the community." This highlights the importance of evidence-based research partnered with community engagement to promote effective conservation practices.
Dr Charlotte Packman, an experienced conservation scientist, has been carefully monitoring the barbastelle bat, a rare and protected species native to the region, for over a decade. Packman's research shows Norfolk's importance to the barbastelles' survival, and how the Norwich Western Link Road would cause "disaster for its survival."
The Blog states that "Dr Packman’s data suggest a minimum of 105 barbastelles are present in one of the maternity colonies," yet Norfolk County Council's ecologists recorded only 27 barbastelles in the same colony. Additionally, Dr Packman's research reveals the presence of a unique barbastelle super-colony in the immediate area of the proposed road that is of vital importance to the species' survival in the UK.
Natural England has also been presented with Dr Packman's findings, and they plan to contemplate adding the Wensum Woodlands to the list of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The regime for designating woodlands as SSSI involves the presence of a barbastelle colony of 20 or more bats.
Furthermore, the Blog reveals that measures in place along the Northern Distributor Road have been inadequate, positing a severe threat to the species' survival. Dr Packman's research demonstrates that barbastelle colonies present within 2.5km of the NDR before its construction have now vanished.
Dr Packman's research will continue this summer to help with the opposition of the proposed Norwich Western Link project that threatens the area's natural habitats. The planning process for the project is likely to initiate a public consultation phase that we will use to encourage people to speak out against the negative implications of the construction.
The primary goal of the Norfolk Wildlife Trust campaign is to protect the region's biodiversity and prevent further harm to the environment.