Despite harrying the Vearse Farm developers over their destruction of a vast amount of trees and hedgerows to the west of Bridport, it seems that Dorset Council’s own hands are less than clean or green. No sooner had the Vearse verges fallen than those in the east of the town, Trinity Lane, suffered a similar fate – this time at the behest of the Council.
Until late February this year, the western verge of Trinity Way boasted a mature hedgerow consisting of Blackthorne, Holly, Hazel and juvenile Ash trees, to name just a few of the species so important to biodiversity which were situated there. In carrying out unconsulted drainage works to the road, consisting of nothing more than clearing fallen leaf matter, the Council, rather than simply trim back any encroaching branches, chose to chop down the entire two metre deep hedgerow.
Rikki Orridge, whose home and garden boundaries the hedgerow, said, ‘Following the posting of a notice that works would be undertaken, I telephoned the Council to enquire as to both my concern as to what extent these would be and to find out what precautions were taken to ensure that no nesting birds would be disturbed, it being so close to their season. I was advised that it would only likely be a light trim but that someone would call me to discuss, if it were to be more than that. Also, someone would be in touch regarding the bird nesting issue. No one contacted me – until long after the work had been carried out.’
Asked why he thought this hedgerow so important, Mr Orridge explained, ‘The hundred or so metre stretch of flora was densely populated with trees, shrubs and other plants which provided an important wildlife corridor in a residential area. Not only was it popular with nesting birds, it was also used by Hedgehogs, Field Mice and slow worms, all of which are endangered and protected species.’
Mr Orridge has registered complaints with relevant personnel at the Council but has yet to receive any meaningful response. But, he says, it is difficult to imagine how Dorset Council might explain such a blatant disregard of its own policies, published on its website, designed, its says, to manage verges sympathetically, to preserve wildlife corridors and habitats, encourage biodiversity and contribute towards lowering carbon levels. The felling of an apparently healthy and substantial Ash tree is particularly upsetting, he said, bearing in mind the extinction level threat of Ash dieback which exists at present.
A reader writes:
I have noticed this all over Dorset and on my travels elsewhere in Southern England this year. It seems there is a concerted campaign not only to cut hedges down to stumps, but also systematically to remove large trees that are not capable of being flailed. As you rightly state, all this is at odds with the Council’s own professed polices on hedgerows. Considering the hoops householders have to jump through in terms of fulfilling Dorset Council’s own Biodiversity protocols in relation to the nature, timing and sensitivity of works including hedgerows, not to mention the large costs associated with the surveys that are almost always required, it seems to be massively hypocritical that this has happened, not just here, but in many places. I think the Council should be held to account for these actions, which are distressing and hugely destructive.