tinyurl.com/kaf6teh
This 'landscaped area' as described on Fenland District Councils website area is directly opposite the front of my house and divides our lane from a childrens play area accessed from another area of the village.
I arrived home from work on Saturday afternoon to find half of it gone, a crew from FDC there as well as a group of contractors cutting it all down.
They came back yesterday and completed the job.
Every year we sit and watch the antics of birds building nests in those trees, as we have started to se already this year.
We've had no warning from FDC and had we have done we would have informed them that nest building activity has been going on for some weeks now.
I'm certainly not happy about it but what can I do about it? If anything.
Pat
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>> I'm certainly not happy about it but what can I do about it? If anything.
>>
>> Pat
>>
The council probably see it as routine maintenance or are responding to a complaint. Would you be as unhappy if the trees were blocking the sunshine from your garden or the view from the rear of it?
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Nothing i would imagine it's the council's responsibility. Even if they wanted to, nothing apart from time will make the trees grow back.
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I think Pat's ire was directed more at the timing rather than the actual work.
Non-urgent tree and associated works would normally be scheduled to take place outside the nesting season, as the nests are (afaik) protected under various Acts, including the Wildlife and Countryside Act - 1981.
The nesting season is conventionally considered to be from the beginning of March to the end of July.
I've had recent experience of this, as the County Council and RSPB are carrying out major works in my vicinity, and were desperately attempting to finish all their tree works before March 1st.
Various council websites advise contacting the Police if nests are seen to be affected (presumably, the wildlife officer if there is one), and the RSPB would be another source of advice.
If you feel strongly about it, a letter to FDC seeking clarification might be a good start (and might inhibit any further issues elsewhere).
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This issue, Pat, relates to the Wildlife and Countryside Act - 1981, Conservation - Natural Habitats -Regulations 1994 and Countryside Rights of Way Act - 2000. There is also the European Habitats Directive 1992/Nesting Birds Directive.
Under this legislation, it is an offence to disturb nesting birds or bats during the nesting season, subject to some exceptions - e.g. "essential" work, such as the removal of dangerous trees.
According to Natural England, the government's adviser for the natural environment, the birds' nesting season is February until August. In fact, legislation will be breached if birds are disturbed while nesting even outside the official season.
The comments from ON and Sooty, though no doubt well meant, are not really relevant. On the face of it, the council have got it wrong - unless the work really was essential. They should know when the birds' nesting season is and should have done a survey before starting the work.
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Strangely we had a visit from our Conservative councillor on Saturday afternoon who stated that he was extremely proud to see this area being cleared, and would Ian vote for him on the strength of this.
Ian replied one mans eyesore is another's wildlife haven....I was in the shower and missed him, otherwise he would have had a harder time with me.
It is the timing and lack of consultation.
It has let a lot of light in ON, but I still prefer to be watching wildlife and trees to watching a child's play area that get's used by the villages teenagers all hours of the night.
There was an owl, wren's, starlings and blackbirds as well as grass snakes living in there not to mention my mate, the grey squirrel:)
I have emailed FDC, but they will try to 'reply within 10 days'.
What a service we get.
Pat
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The comments from ON and Sooty, though no doubt well meant, are not really relevant.
Entirely relevant I'm afraid!
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Not so Sooty.
If FDC have contravened the law then they should be expected to face the consequences just as everyone else does.
I subscribe to RS{B and Fenland Animal Rescue and I think they may be able to point me in the correct direction.
I don't do tweeting.....I can never seem to say what I want in so few words:)
....and I don't understand this hashtag thing either!
Pat
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Not so Sooty
I'm afraid so, only time will bring them back.
If FDC have contravened the law then they should be expected to face the consequences
>> just as everyone else does.
I never mentioned anything about legal machinations.
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I've just spoken to the neighbour in the bungalow along side the area and he's shown me two dead baby birds found on his driveway this morning.
No feathers and not old enough to survive outside of the nest.
Pat
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Perhaps your cats got them?
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>> I've just spoken to the neighbour in the bungalow along side the area and he's
>> shown me two dead baby birds found on his driveway this morning.
>>
>> No feathers and not old enough to survive outside of the nest.
>>
>> Pat
>>
Never mind Pat, it is pretty insignificant compared to the kids and hospitals being gas bombed in Syria.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Mon 10 Apr 17 at 15:52
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I agree, ON.
I can't do anything positive about the kids being bombed in Syria but I can do something positive about this.
Wildlife is important to a lot of people and I will not sit back and see it disregarded.
I've just officially reported FDC for contravening the Wildlife and Countryside Act (WCA) 1981.
If the boot was on the other foot they would waste no time in reporting me.
Karma and half a parsnip in the wrong bin?
Pat
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>> If the boot was on the other foot they would waste no time in reporting me.
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>> Pat
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No doubt about that!
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>> I've just officially reported FDC for contravening the Wildlife and Countryside Act (WCA) 1981.
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How could/will they be punished?
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The RSPB deal with that Duncan.
Pat
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>> How could/will they be punished?
>>
They will pay any fine with the local taxes, reducing the budget for local services. Unintended consequences?
Last edited by: Old Navy on Mon 10 Apr 17 at 18:09
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I've just been and collected Ian from work as Bertha has a puncture and in the car I was telling him I'd posted on here.
I also said I bet by the time we got home someone would post that I shouldn't do it because any fine would have to be paid out of the Pol Tax etc:)
I do realise that ON and I'm quite happy to pay an extra odd pence on my Poll Tax to enable FDC to pay their fine.
I feel, as do a lot of Fenland folk, that nature and wildlife is a wonderful thing and should be treated humanely and with respect.
Pat
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The view to me looked nice with the trees. Better than the playing ground I bet. But they should never have done it this time of year - poor birds. I hope the penalty is more than a fine.
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>> I do realise that ON and I'm quite happy to pay an extra odd pence
>> on my Poll Tax to enable FDC to pay their fine.
>>
>> Pat
>>
One thing you can be sure of, it won't come out of the council pension pot! :-)
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>> I also said I bet by the time we got home someone would post that
>> I shouldn't do it because any fine would have to be paid out of the
>> Pol Tax etc:)
>>
>> I do realise that ON and I'm quite happy to pay an extra odd pence
>> on my Poll Tax to enable FDC to pay their fine.
Frankly madam, that is ludicrous.
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>>Frankly madam, that is ludicrous<,
Care to explain Duncan because you've lost me completely with that remark.
Pat
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>>I do realise that ON and I'm quite happy to pay an extra odd pence on my Poll Tax to enable FDC to pay their fine.
I don't disagree with reporting it at all, but that's a silly point. You'll only be paying a fraction of it, the rest will be paid by everyone else.
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I cut down (via a surgeon) an old holly tree 'bout 3 x properties ago at this time of year. Neighb didn't take too kindly to that 'cos it used to give shade to her stable block.
I'm an 'up country mug' and didn't know anything about nesting times etc.
I've since read that it can be unlucky to cut down a holly tree, which could go a long way to explain why I haven't won £8,000,000 on the lotto, yet.
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The key to winning that sort of dosh, me ole Dog.....is to use the correct numbers !
I think we have a tree round here somewhere...I can hear the birds coughing in the morning.
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>> I think we have a tree round here somewhere...I can hear the birds coughing in
>> the morning.
>>
s'funny, when I was a little lad in the centre of Glasgow, we had plenty of pigeons etc coughing in the mornings and there wasn't a tree, or anything else green, for miles around
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Dat's what I keep telling the ole woman, but she no risten!
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Not sure if it's the same company but there was something recently on the telly about councils employing tree cutting contractors on 'payment by results', this often lead them into conflict with tree conservators when trees were being removed just to make up the numbers, cutting teams would often leave their depots at the crack of dawn or undercover to avoid confrontations, obviously once the tree is removed there is no undoing it.
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Yes Rudedog, I suspect this will be the case but FDC employees were on site on Saturday afternoon when I got home from work along with a team from a contractor.
Only the contractors were there on Sunday.
Pat
Last edited by: Pat on Tue 11 Apr 17 at 02:53
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Tree Cutting in April? - Old Navy
