Object

Representation ID: 4381

Received: 23/03/2021

Respondent: Addingham Environment Group

Although this site occupies the footprint of the former school buildings and is technically a brownfield site it, together with adjacent land, is a site with a very high intrinsic biodiversity value. Following closure of the school, the whole site is rewilding. There is a mosaic of habitats including the running water of the beck on two sides, woodland along the edge of Back Beck, boundary hedgerows with hedgerow trees, and tussocky grassland, with a wet flush. We regard any development on this site as unacceptable for housing on the following grounds:

• These habitats support highly diverse wildlife populations.
• The site forms part of the Back Beck/Long Riddings ‘green/blue infrastructure’ corridor
• Light and noise pollution will create further continuing disturbance leading to loss of wildlife;
• There is no viable access without causing habitat damage:

The site should become a village nature reserve