- Roughly 20 bushes had been chopped down within the one-acre plot Corfe Mullen, Dorset
Locals have slammed police for leaving them ‘excessive and dry’ after the pressure closed a probe into housing builders who felled a complete woodland that’s residence to a protected bat species with out warning.
Villagers in Corfe Mullen, Dorset, had been horrified when a group of workmen had been tasked by a ruthless developer to cut down about 20 bushes on a one-acre plot over the course of someday, in September.
Now residents are fuming after Dorset Police dropped their investigation into the woodland that was destroyed in 14 hours, citing inadequate proof of wildlife crime.
The property, which has a big indifferent home with an acre of land, had belonged to an aged widower who died final yr and was purchased by a housing developer.
The wooded backyard was believed to have been an essential wildlife haven for bats, owls and woodpeckers, however it was razed to the bottom, with none discover by contractors.
BEFORE: A stark distinction could be seen by the ruthless felling of the woodland, compared with photographs of the luxurious wildlife haven on the plot earlier than
AFTER: Aerial photographs present the extent of the destruction of the woodland, which has left the bottom fully razed, abandoning a muddy subject with none greenery
The land across the indifferent residence has been left razed to the bottom abandoning a barren house of mud, splintered wooden and stumps the place there have been as soon as bushes
No planning software had been submitted forward of the work and it’s believed the builders didn’t fee a bat and wildlife survey of the location earlier than it was destroyed.
In the UK, all bat species and their roosts are protected underneath the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Anyone who deliberately or recklessly disturbs bats and their habitats is chargeable for prosecution.
Workmen arrived at 7am and took chainsaws to the mature pine, oak and ash bushes, working till 9pm underneath floodlights to degree the location.
Several neighbours complained in regards to the work to the authorities, sparking a ‘multi-agency’ investigation led by Dorset Police.
The pressure stated there was inadequate proof to counsel any bats or different birds had been harmed, and ceased the investigation.
The residents have slammed them for leaving them ‘excessive and dry’ and letting builders get away with the ‘unethical behaviour’.
Gerrard Hayes, who stated his fence was broken when the contractors tried to chop down one in every of his bushes by mistake, stated: ‘They’ve simply deserted me and deserted the entire thing. Unless I personally take out a prosecution towards the house owners of the land, I’m going nowhere.
‘They’re criminals and they look like getting away with it.’
Over 20 mature bushes that had been residence to uncommon and guarded bats, owls and woodpeckers had been lower down in a matter of hours by ruthless tree surgeons in an act of ‘environmental vandalism’, residents declare
Several stumps could be seen on the plot of land, severed clear by chainsaws following the destruction of the woodland
Gerrard Hayes (pictured) appears to be like on the barren wasteland full of brambles that has been left behind after contractors hacked away on the wildlife haven
Pictured is one in every of Gerrard Hayes’ bushes that bought hacked down
Local resident Jackie Bonham (pictured), 55, is asking for computerized planning refusal and fines for builders who destroy habitat
Jackie Bonham’s backyard is pictured earlier than the bushes had been hacked down
He stated one in every of his 60ft bushes now appears to be like ‘deadly’ with out the safety of different woodland and the rest of his fence has been destroyed by robust winds.
Jackie Bonham, 55, is asking for computerized planning refusal and fines for builders who destroy habitat.
She stated: ‘The solely solution to cease this unethical behaviour from persevering with is that if builders will not be seeing a path to planning consent being granted by clearing websites in an effort to keep away from biodiversity surveys which may determine protected species and curtail constructing.
‘Destruction of habitat ought to routinely lead to refusal of planning consent in addition to fines imposed to mitigate the harm.
‘Planting whips doesn’t represent substitute of a hundred-year-old tree both.
The wooded backyard was believed to have been an essential wildlife haven for bats, owls and woodpeckers (Pictured: A woodpecker that may have used the woodland as its pure habitat)
Gerrard Hayes stated his fence was broken when the contractors tried to chop down one in every of his bushes by mistake
Barely a patch of inexperienced could be seen on what was as soon as a wildlife haven however razed to the bottom, abandoning a bald, muddy plot
‘Developers needs to be named and shamed for this behaviour and conversely incentivised with a nationally recognised award scheme to ship tasks which might be sustainable and work with the pure atmosphere not towards it.’
A spokesperson for Dorset Police stated: ‘A multi-agency investigation was carried out, involving Dorset Police, Natural England, the National Wildlife Crime Unit, Dorset Council and Forestry Commission.
‘Extensive enquiries had been carried out, which discovered inadequate proof a wildlife crime had been dedicated.
‘Therefore, the police investigation into the suspected bat roost has concluded and no additional motion shall be taken.
‘An investigation is continuous by the Forestry Commission into the felling of the bushes.’