Brighton Politics

Brighton’s ‘Doublespeak*’ - Biodiversity and Biosphere

[Keep it simple - people cannot/willnot read words of more than one syllable. Further links and references are provided with each simple soundbite (as xxx). It also needs to be only 1 page of bullet points initially - will require ruthless editing!]

Doublespeak was the term introduced by Orwell in his fictional portrayal of a dystopian ‘1984’ world. Thirty years on, it seems the fiction has become reality.

• Biodiversity is a way of measuring human impact upon the natural world. Ref to Rio 1992 (ccc)

• Public Sector and Local Authorities have a formal Duty to Promote Biodiversity. Not destroy it. This requires survey and monitoring information in advance of projects receiving planning permission. Source of Bio Duty. (eee)

• Most damage to habitat ecosystems and native species results from commercial developments. This includes house building, industrial premises, roads and intensive agriculture or forestry. (ggg)

• It is important to carry out biodiversity surveys before a planning project is started. The County Ecologist (based at ESCC) and BHWF (local wildlife advisers) recommended surveys are undertaken within the Dorothy Stringer planning application area in advance of the planning application or work starting.

• The piece of land affected had mature trees and semi-natural habitat on an area of soil unsuitable for building. It was ‘rough land’, ideal for retaining as a wildlife area.

• Dorothy Stringer is an ‘EcoSchool’ which teaches the value and importance of biodiversity. But their priority to install the commercial artificial pitch directly conflicts with promoting biodiversity.

• No surveys of the local species important for biodiversity were carried out. The only report was based on a single day’s visit in November 2013, when invertebrates will not be present and reptiles will not be visible (reptile surveys should be held during spring between March and May).

• Two previous applications on this site received Objections as biodiversity will be damaged. BHWF sent in objection letters dated 21 October 2013 and 31 March 2014 to virtually identical planning proposals. (jjj)

• A mature hedge and developing woodland area will be lost. The line of elm trees proposed as an ‘avenue’ will not compensate in ecological terms for the lost habitats.

• Planting taller trees does not work in the medium term. Young trees will establish roots quickly and grow swiftly. Taller trees (200cm) give an impression of an immediate result, but will remain dormant for several years before they die or eventually grow at a slower rate than the younger trees.

• Yew trees Taxus bacatta are poisonous to animals and humans. Seldom planted in urban areas where beech or box are more suitable it is likely that Dorothy Stringer School will need to remove the Yew hedge after only a few seasons.

• Instead of promoting Biodiversity BHCC are permitting numerous developments which reduce Biodiversity. Such gradual but continued erosion is often called ‘Death by a Thousand Cuts’ (lll)

• BHCC do not promote biodiversity. So far BHCC’s literature relating to the ‘Biosphere’ bid (nnn) fails to mention their ‘Biodiversity Duty’, ‘Biodiversity Objectives’ or even the ‘Biodiversity Action Plan’ produced by the Sussex Biodiversity Partnership over a decade ago. (ppp)

* DOUBLESPEAK dou·ble·speak noun \ˈdə-bəl-ˌspēk\ : language that can be understood in more than one way and that is used to trick or deceive people.

Refs

(ccc) Rio 1992. Sust Dev. CBD as monitoring tool.

(eee) Source of Bio Duty

(ggg) State of Environment Report, UK Govt.

(hhh) Locally important biodiversity species are recorded on the school grounds included: <LIST FROM 2010...12 SURVEYS>

(jjj) Planning App Ref nos. / web-links if available.

(lll) Toad’s Hole Valley / The Deans Developments

(nnn) BHCC do not use the correct term ‘Biosphere Reserve’ which are areas declared by UNESCO.

(ppp)Weblink to Sussex Biodiversity (not the one hijacked by Japanese registrar after SxWT failed to renew the domain), link to Parkland HAP objectives. Stanmer Park Project bid does not include Biodiversity Objectives.

[END]