Ipswich Borough Council (IBC) has outline planning permission granted by Babergh District Council (BDC) for 200 homes to be built on Kiln Meadow, Belstead Brook Park.
Kiln Meadow is an area south of Bobbits Lane, between Spring Wood and Bobbits Lane (Google map), within Belstead Brook Park. 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.
There's an article in the a recent IWG Newsletter all about the toads.
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.
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. What do you think?
