Amendments to the applicant’s latest biodiversity claims (Biogenia BNG Metric) and proposals (Landscape and Ecological Enhancement) are so small as to be non-existent. The only change is a faint double blue line in the area of what WAS a large pond over a metre deep - until it was filled in in 2016-17. Clearly, it does not represent any intention to restore the missing pond. (You can see the recent documents on OCC's Planning Portal- link below.)
BBOWT (The Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust) has objected to the application on the grounds that Wicklesham Quarry’s Restoration Scheme (shown above) is the legally correct biodiversity baseline – regardless of whether it was carried out. In short, the law on Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) does NOT permit would-be developers to profit from trashing important natural habitats. That is exactly what the applicants intend here.
HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED
Until now I have kept parts of this story back, but after the County Council recently claimed its actions over the past two years were in the interests of ‘sustainable development’ (see link below) - I decided supporters would like to hear the rest of a story that has been going on ever since the landowner was ordered to carry out the restoration scheme in 2015.
At a secret meeting in 2016 the landowner’s agent- who was a member of Faringdon Neighbourhood Plan’s Employment Land Group – sought to persuade County Council officers on behalf of his client to remove planning conditions requiring Wicklesham Quarry to be restored to agricultural use. This meeting is not recorded in the Neighbourhood Plan documents. County Council officers refused, and within weeks Pond 1 (above near the centre of the quarry) was trashed and filled in. The devastation of this beautiful natural pond (which you can see on the main petition page) was photographed three months later by the Monitoring Officer in October 2016. It was unrecognizable. Following enforcement action (to carry out the Restoration) against Grundon Ltd and the landowner in December 2016, exactly the same vandalism was carried out on the much larger, deeper pond at the south west end of the Quarry. After getting away with it the first time, the perpetrator decided to do it again. All this was done without applying for the required Priority Species Mitigation Licence, under the radar of Natural England, so they never actually saw the ponds until it was too late.
This destruction was caried out under the nose of Oxfordshire County Council, which was responsible for the restoration and aftercare of Wicklesham Quarry. OCC ignored local people’s complaints and failed to take any action. Later the County Council blocked a criminal investigation into wildlife crime following my report, by telling police they were ‘not concerned about the ponds’ (as reported to me). They failed to cooperate. Subsequently a County Council officer assured Councillors that no destruction had been carried out and the ponds were ‘still there’, and encouraged Councillors to lift the Restoration Condition and accept the restoration ‘as carried out’ – which they did. (This can be read in the Planning Committee minutes.)
The Vale District Council’s Ecology Officer- who recently described the applicants’ biodiversity claims as ‘highly unrealistic’, ‘technically implausible’, and who remains ‘highly unconvinced’ - says there is ‘inconsistency’ regarding water habitat. ‘Inconsistency’ does not quite reflect the true situation- it is more accurate to state there has been:
- abuse of a neighbourhood plan in breach of the Nolan Principles,
- environmental vandalism,
- dishonesty,
- complicity by planning officers,
- possible perversion of the course of justice,
- breaches of planning conditions and
- numerous misrepresentations in a planning application.
The applicant’s planning application FAILS TO MEET THE VALIDATION LIST of Oxfordshire County Council itself. It fails to include
- TVERC’s Biodiversity Report for Wicklesham Quarry which records over 30 Priority Species, and
- Monitoring Officer’s Reports which demonstrate that there is still at least one permanent pond.
- The BNG assessment also fails to acknowledge the aquifer-fed fluctuating water bodies, which are a Priority Habitat.
Yet Oxfordshire County Council’s Biodiversity Officer has lifted his objection to the proposal!
You can see just what we are up against.
ALL WICKLESHAM SUPPORTERS (whether local or not) ARE REQUESTED TO SPEAK OUT IN THIS LATEST CONSULTATION – LOCAL PEOPLE URGENTLY NEED YOUR HELP!
Please help us PROTECT WICKLESHAM QUARRY SSSI FROM DEVELOPMENT.
A FURTHER UPDATE WILL BE ISSUED IN THE COMING WEEK LISTING (and with links to) ISSUES YOU MIGHT WANT TO RAISE IN THE CONSULTATION by 21st AUGUST.
Thank you for your support! Please get in touch with comments or queries: protectwicklesham@gmail.com
https://myeplanning.oxfordshire.gov.uk/Planning/Display/MW.0151/23#undefined