Work at the Tufa Field

Today, work started  at the Tufa Field in preparation for building works to start next year.

Workers are installing ( for the 3rd time) a reptile fence to allow large reptiles and amphibians within the curtelage to be relocated outside of the fence. This includes the considerable population of Slow Worms as well as lizards and frogs and toads found in abundance on the site.

It is intended that this fence be maintained for the whole of the construction period, but given the nature of building works and building workers, this seems highly unlikely to happen.

The loss of a nationally important area of rough pasture in a designated Site of Nature Conservation Interest, one of the very few in the county, is a tragedy which may yet come to haunt future generations.  This lost feeding ground for Bats, Owls, Buzzards and semi-urbanised mammals, may well contribute to the total loss of these species to the area.

They have also installed one-way Badger gates.

Ecologists from moreliaecology.co.uk visit daily to transfer animals from the surrounded area to the boundary layer, but since these peripheral areas are due to be machine cut down in December 2025, it is difficult to see how these creatures will survive.

At October 25th over 50 animals , mostly Slow Worms, have been transferred.

It is beyond credibility that future building works can be undertaken without devastating this unique area. The much-heralded but highly contentious promise to increase biodiversity by 20%, using unproven and risky methodologies, seems highly unlikely to occur.