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To
whom it may concern.
Damage
to the Knepp estate re-wilding project from
the threatened Laybrook landfill site.
The Sussex
Wildlife Trust (SWT) is gravely concerned by
the proposal for landfill on a site
immediately adjacent to the ground-breaking
Knepp estate re-wilding project.
The SWT is not
part of the Knepp Estate so we feel able to
comment on the project from the position of
an independent organisation.
From this position the SWT fully
supports and welcomes the re-wilding project
from the perspective of the conservation and
enhancement of biodiversity and regarding
the enjoyment, appreciation and
understanding of nature.
Furthermore we have been pleased to
provide direct support to the project by
offering advice and by helping in the
co-ordination of survey work (the baseline
survey has been published as English Nature
Research Report No 693).
The Knepp
estate is in the process of developing a
major, and nationally leading, nature
conservation initiative.
This is based on the idea of
“re-wilding”, an approach whereby
natural processes, such as naturalistic
grazing, are used to deliver nature
conservation and landscape benefits.
A major aspect of this re-wilding, is
the restoration of a significant section of
the upper reaches of the river Adur.
This is already a rich wetland area
but there are ambitious plans, supported by
the Environment Agency and Natural England
along with the SWT, to re-naturalise this
section of river.
This will significantly expand and
enhance the range of wildlife habitats and
ecosystem diversity on the estate.
The potential
benefits from the project in terms of
biodiversity could be large.
The project will deliver progress
towards biodiversity targets for habitats
including pasture woodland, fen, marshy
grassland and rivers, and targets for
species such as water vole, otter and black
poplar.
The re-building of an ecosystem in
this way will also lead to “emergent
properties” - the delivery of added
benefits that were not planned or perhaps
predicted but become apparent as the
ecosystem evolves.
(An example of this is the appearance
of barbastelle bat on the estate, one of
Europe’s rarest mammals).
The standing of
this project is reflected by the fact that
it is supported not only by the SWT,
Environment Agency and Natural England, but
also by the support given by numerous
academic institutions, RSPB, British Trust
for Ornithology, the European Large
Herbivore Foundation and many other
partners. It
is also significant that Charlie Burrell,
landowner of Knepp and driving force behind
the initiative, was asked to present his
project at an EU sponsored international
conference on re-wilding in Prague in May
2009.
The proposal
for a landfill site on the immediate
boundary of this nationally important
project is a major threat.
The proposed site is on Weald clay
and fills up with water when not pumped.
The risk from run-off of polluted
water into surrounding water courses is
extremely high.
It is probably inevitable that
run-off from the site will flow directly
into the water system running through Knepp
(it already does so), polluting a rich
wetland, undermining future plans and would
effectively negate one of the key features
of the whole re-wilding project.
A second
concern is the encouragement of aggressive
species by landfill sites.
It is common for gulls and rats to
become far more abundant around landfill
and, having gained an artificial boost
through forage on the landfill site, would
then compete with wildlife in the local
area. In
the Knepp estate we are working hard to
encourage the recovery of species such as
otter and water vole, along with many other
species.
This would all be put at risk by the
imbalance caused by the promotion of
aggressive species.
The SWT
therefore strongly supports the Knepp estate
in its objection to the proposals for a
landfill in this area.
We will be making our own
representations in due course but in the
mean time we are pleased for our position to
be noted by others involved in preparing
responses.
Yours truly,
Dr A Whitbread
Chief Executive
01273 497550
tonywhitbread@sussexwt.org.uk
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