Ipswich Borough Council (IBC) has outline planning permission granted by Babergh District Council (BDC) for 200 homes to be built on Kiln Meadow. IBC plans to sell this land to a developer as soon as possible.
Kiln Meadow is an area south of Bobbits Lane, between Spring Wood and Bobbits Lane (Google map). It is bounded on three sides by Local Nature Reserves (LNRs) which are:
This whole area has a number of wildlife species that should be protected under the Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) for Suffolk, including otter, water vole, bullfinch, skylark, reed bunting, song thrush, linnet, black poplar, common toad, as well as other rare species such as kingfisher, little egret, water rail, slow-worm, stag beetle, hobby.
Developing Kiln Meadow will seriously affect the habitats, particularly the water meadows which rely on the fresh, clean water flowing through Kiln Meadow for their existence – draining it, changing the hydrology and building houses will have a dramatic and adverse affect on the water meadows.
This area is used intensively
by local people for recreation and exercise; it is within a few miles of
Ipswich town centre and so easily accessible on foot or by bike – you don't
have to get into your car to visit a beautiful patch of countryside.
Over the last few years a 'toad patrol' has operated to assist European toads crossing Bobbits Lane. This spring, over 20 volunteers helped over 4,400 toads. This was the highest number of toads at one site in the country, as reported on BBC Radio 4's 'World on the Move ' program on Tuesday (10th June). This site is therefore of national importance for toads. They migrate from Spring Wood across Kiln Meadow and Bobbits Lane to the water meadows, and so their route would be completely destroyed and their habitat irreparably damaged.
We urge IBC not to sell this land but to make it available as a public space for the benefit of the people of Ipswich and the fantastic wildlife, in perpetuity.
September 5th, 2008: Ipswich Wildlife Group lobbied the Executive of Ipswich Borough Council. The Executive said they would discuss our request in their policy committee meeting in late September or early October. The Executive have subsequently revised this to November 3rd.
The briefing that IWG presented to the Executive is available for download.
September 19th: A group of people, including some from the Greenways steering group and at least 4 IBC councillors were shown around the site and those who hadn't visited Spring Wood before thought it was an amazing place. The fate of Kiln Meadow was a hot topic, so we've clearly managed to raise consciousness on the issue.
September 27th: The Guardian published an editorial 'In Praise of Toads'. We agree!
October 2nd: The Save Kiln Meadow Campaign was discussed on Ipswich Community radio (105.7 FM).
October 9th: Our campaign has reached the BBC - read all about it at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/suffolk/7661403.stm. And if you haven't yet written to your councillors please do so. If you are in Babergh, ask your councillors why they gave planning permission!
October 17th: We think it would be a great idea to turn Kiln Meadow into a community orchard. This would provide a good home for toads, free food for humans (if the bulfinches don't eat all the blossom!), and help kids to appreciate that apples don't appear by magic in supermarkets. We could have a community planting day and families can plant and look after their own favourite tree. If you think this is a good idea, let your councillors know.
October 18th: A good number of IBC councillors have now been on tours of the site, which is encouraging. Your letters are clearly making an impact.
October 22nd: The East Anglian Daily Times published a letter today from "The Toads" (with a little help from Steve Thorpe, Friends of Belstead Brook Park) headed "You can save us from destruction".
October 23rd: In asking to Save Kiln Meadow we have the law on our side. It's the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006, also known as NERC. It gives councils a responsibilty to avoid the destruction of wildlife sites. The central Wildlife Trusts have produced a leaflet describing these reponsibilities - it makes interesting reading (download the leaflet). Note on page 4 that it says "In any potential sale of council property, property services must have regard for the implications on European Protected Species". If you think the leaflet applies to Kiln Meadow, let your councillors know - Babergh or Ipswich.
November 2nd: A local expert and wildlife consultant, George Millins, kindly offered to conduct a reptile survey on Kiln Meadow in support of the campaign. We asked Ipswich Borough Council for permission, as they are the landowners. They have refused permission, and given no reason for doing so. So we are wondering - what have they got to hide?
November 4th: Over the past 2 months we've been trying to find out from Babergh District Council whether they took any account of wildlife when they gave outline planning permission in October 2007, and why they ignored an email from Suffolk Wildlife Trust sent in March 2007 telling them about the toads . After writing twice to Babergh and making numerous phone calls, we still haven't got any answers. We thought that you might like to see the correspondence, so that you can see just how obstructive Babergh are being.
December 8th: The toads have won a reprieve
We understand that Ipswich Borough council today issued a press release stating that they will not immediately put Kiln Meadow up for sale. They are going to initiate thorough wildlife surveys of the site before they re-consider the sale. The press have shown considerable interest, aware that lots of local people are concerned about the potential loss of a nationally important wildlife site. Kevin Burch, of BBC's Look East asked for our comments on this news - look out for his report on Tuesday or else later in the week. We congratulate IBC for considering the laws protecting wildlife and the feelings of all of us - the local people who care about wildlife.
Report on BBC website
Article in East Anglian Daily Times
Our campaign continues,and we will keep our eyes and ears open and will let those on our mailing list know of any future developments. If you see anything strange happening in the meadow, let us know. If you see any unusual wildlife, you can report it to the Suffolk Biological Records Office.
Ipswich Wildlife Group will as usual carry out 'toad patrols' in the Spring, and active surveying of the toads. Management of Spring Wood for wildlife continues. If you want to become actively involved, contact us via the IWG website.
Happy Christmas and happy wildlife watching!
Write or telephone your local councillors asking them to keep Kiln Meadow as a public space. A personalised approach is preferable to email, which can be ignored. Please do this now - so that your councillors are aware of the issue before the policy commitee meets (Nov 3rd, 2008).
To find details of your local councillors, visit the Ipswich Borough Council website. Just enter your postcode at the bottom of that page, or click on your ward.
If you live outside Ipswich, please write to Cllr John Carnall (Finance) and Cllr Richard Atkins (Planning and Economic Development).
When writing to councillors it may be useful to include a map, as they may not know this part of Ipswich. A map of the area is available and can be printed out (select "landscape" orientation when printing).
Once you've contacted councillors, please let us know which councillors you've been in touch with.
Alternatively, you could write to local newspapers, radio or television.
Tell your family, friends and work colleagues about the SKiM campaign. The more people who back the campaign, the greater the chance that Ipswich Borough Council will listen.
Contact Jen Jousiffe: 07879844939
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