The Wildlife Trusts have published a report on the status of Local Wildilfe Sites (LoWS) in England in 2017/18. Local Wildlife Sites are part of the country's ecological network and form important links between statutory sites such as SSSI's. They are not legally protected in their own right, although national planning policy requires Local Authorites to give them some level of protection from development.
It is a statutory requirement for local authorities to consider the ecological impact of developments, but often potential developers may be unaware of potential ecological implications of a development until after a planning application has been submitted. This can lead to costly delays for developers or householders, greater impacts on wildlife populations, and a reduction in biodiversity.
Orchards East are looking for voluntary orchard surveyors to help with parish and district surveys of historc orchard sites across Essex! For more information contact the Orchards East project manager Howard Jones on 07854 701363, or email Howard.Jones@uea.ac.uk.
