The Trust was out picking up two bags of litter from Church Street Today

26th November 2012
THE TRUST WAS  OUT PICKING UP TWO BAGS OF LITTER FROM CHURCH STREET TODAY.

Members of the Trust were out today in the sunshine picking Litter from Church Street. 2 large sacks full of rubbish mostly containing energy drink and beer cans, miscellaneous bottles, surgical gloves, dog poo bags, carrier bags and many unmentionable objects. A member of the Trust was delighted to see a fox run across the green, across the HCA land and disappear.

Update on Edge Fund Application

25th November 2013

UPDATE ON EDGE FUND APPLICATION.

The Edge Fund  has contacted the Charity  with a quick update:

A quick update for you. Our Advisory Group, who are the first to look at applications, have been through all them all and given feedback to the rest of the members. The Advisory Group specifically look at applications relating to their own background/ identity. The rest of our members are now doing their scores. Their deadline for doing this is the 28 November. Within two weeks of this date we'll be able to let you know if you have been short-listed for funding or not. If you have requested £1,000 or less, you will receive the funds at this stage. If you have requested more than this, you'll be asked for some further information and will then be asked to join us on 11 January to decide on the allocation of funds between the final groups. We'll be distributing £40,000 in total to around 30 groups.

Planning Fiasco In Speckled Wood

24th November 2013
PLANNING FIASCO IN SPECKLED WOOD.
The Trust has been told this morning that there has been a delay in the planning meeting of  the Victoria Avenue Planning Application (HS/OA/13/00600) which has lead there to be over a month where consultation could have been collected . The Trust has been told by the Planner responsible this was due to close the 9th September 2013.

The Trust has placed its consultation back online . Please use it to place your comment. This delay has given the planner opportunity to put a more recent ecological survey. This is actually in four parts so the link her refers to the main planning application were it is located. The Survey looks quite good from first look but will need a full read to see what is the main content of it. It seems to call for more studies.
 
You know what to do
http://www.friendsofspeckledwood.org.uk/consultation/

The Trust were out clearing back paths this morning

23rd November 2013
THE TRUST WERE OUT CLEARING BACK PATHS THIS MORNING.
The sunshine was smiling this morning and members of the Trust were busy in the Woodland clearing back pathways as part of its Management plan it proposed to the Hastings Cabinet last year. The Pathways in the upper section are looking better  and are accessible again. The Trust is hoping to clear the last wet foot path in the upper area next week as this has become badly overgrown with bramble.

A skip full of rubbish removed

13th November2013
A SKIP FULL OF RUBBISH  REMOVED

The Charity successfully removed another large skip of rubbish with the help of French's Skip Hire the best skip hiring company in Hastings.

A spokesperson for the Charity said " This is another ground breaking event as the rubbish in the woodland is slowly coming back out. The Charity appreciates the help it gets with this removal process everyone plays their own part in making this possible."

Volunters working in the Woodland

13th November 2013
VOLUNTEERS WORKING IN THE WOODLAND.

The woodland was a beautiful sunny place today and the volunteers were back in the woodland cutting back the hedge along the back of the Salvation Army to allow the skip to be removed.

The volunteers also cleared one of the upper pathways which had a tree fallen across it and removed and cut up some of the fallen timber that had been put to one side on their last visit.

There is still much work needed to deal with the fallen trees. The charity is hoping for a generous donation from the public to allow them to put back some of the trees which have fallen in the heavy winds of October.

FOSWMT and SSPT clear more rubbish from Speckled Wood

30th October 2013

FOSWMT AND SSPT CLEAR MORE RUBBISH FROM SPECKLED WOOD.
This morning the charity was busy with volunteers from SSPT clearing rubbish from the upper woodland in Speckled Wood a whole skip was filled with this rubbish and the charity hope that they can arrange for another skip to be delivered as there is still more material to be removed .

The manager of SSPT was on site assessing the work today. The skip is looking very full of tipped rubbish.

This is part of the charities on going clean-up of the Speckled Wood Woodland . The charity want to thank Frenches Skip Hire and SSPT volunteers for their help in this matter. The charity has confirmed some Saturday dates with SSPT pending on a empty skip being available.

Update on Speckled Wood

29th Oct 2013

UPDATE ON SPECKLED WOOD.
The Hasting Borough Council Development Plan has failed to be delivered to the inspector this year.

We understand that the reason for this position is that the South East Plan was abolished, by the government. The SE Plan was a strategic development plan for the whole of South East England, drawn up by the South East Regional Assembly, which has also been abolished.

We understand that this was what the Council had based its 3,200 homes housing target on, and meant that they had to go through a lengthy process of that being replaced (in effect) with a target of 7,000 homes, and having to provide new evidence to show that they could only make room for 3,400 new homes. Yes it seems this figure has increased.

Because of the abolition of the South East Plan we have been informed that the planning inspector thinks the Council should consult on the DMP again, because of the time that’s elapsed since the original consultation. We understand the consultation will pretty much be a repeat of the last one last year, although probably over a shorter period. As it says in the Shaping Hastings Newsletter, previous comments will be taken into account, but it’s an opportunity to add new ones (or even withdraw previous ones). It’ll take place early next year, we don’t know exactly when yet.

This could be good news if the Victoria Avenue Planning Application is not approved but it does mean the whole process will start from last year again. We really would benefit from the general public helping with this matter taking Speckled Wood through the next consultation to help us increase the public objection to the planning in Speckled Wood.

The Trust inspected Plans for the Work House site

28 Oct 2013
THE TRUST INSPECT PLANS FOR THE WORK HOUSE SITE.
The Trust members went to Aquila house today to examine the files they had requested from Archive for the Work House Site. It seems as some file information was not sent through a further request will be made to obtain the missing Wildlife Constraints and map folders. The visit was quite successful and photographic records where taken of documentation the Trust will forward on to the relevant parties.

The Trust are busy this morning clearing paths

28th Oct 2013
THE TRUST ARE BUSY THIS MORNING CLEARING PATHS.
After the met office warned of strong winds last night, members of the Trust arrived at Speckled Wood early this morning to see if the strong winds had caused any damage.

The members cleared away a lot of debris from fallen tree canopies. Further into the Woodland a tree had fallen across a pathway. The members of the Trust and a supportive group member cut  the fallen tree into pieces so that it could be moved off the pathways. The Trust was very happy with the progress of this and hope to be back to cut this into more manageable pieces in the near future.

WSP Publish Ecology Report for Victoria Avenue

28th October 2013
WSP PUBLISHES ECOLOGY REPORT FOR VICTORIA AVENUE.
WSP has submitted a 2012 ecology report for the top of Speckled Wood. This is available on the planning application.

Church Street Update

19th October 2013
CHURCH STREET UPDATE.
The Trust has been actively meeting with specialist on the Church Street site over the past two weeks. The reports from these Ecologists and Wildlife Welfare Consultant have now come in and they have been forwarded to the Police Wildlife Officer , Natural England and to Cllr Peter Chowney.

The Trust is waiting for further information from the planning office and a further report to arrive in relation to this matter and it is expected  that there will be a meeting on site with all the interested parties in the near future, when this final information becomes available. We are told the Police investigation is ongoing. We will report more information as it becomes available.

The Trust meets with an Ecologist at the HCA site

10th October 2013

THE TRUST MEETS WITH AN ECOLOGIST AT THE HCA SITE.
The Vice Chair of the Trust, Mr Dave Hemsley arranged for the Trust to meet a leading ecologist Mr Johnson today at the Church Street Site. In attendance was also Secretary Mrs Pelaou and Chair Mr Newbold. The intention was to lay their own sand traps .  This was deemed not necessary after new information was discovered on boardering properties.

Fresh badger excrement was also found on site making it not necessary to put sand traps down. Mr Johnson will be writing a report which will be shared with all interested parties.

Anguis fragilis thriving in Church street in amonst the badger foraging

05th October 2013
ANGUIS FRAGILIS THRIVING IN CHURCH STREET IN AMONGST THE BADGER FORAGING.
This morning whilst out early a member of the trust was looking at the foraging marks left wby the badgers on the HCA site and spotted a further Anguis fragilis in the ground. This is fabulous news and is the second siting on the HCA land which has been destroyed by an over zelaous contractor at the hands of The Hastings Borough Council Estates Department.

The Trust is extremely pleased to see the badgers foraging and the Anguis fragilis are sill on site.