Private Surveying starts at Chruch Street

20th January 2014
PRIVATE SURVEYING STARTS AT CHURCH STREET.

Today sees the start of the surveying on the Church Street site . We are told this was being done to survey the entrance and road way in to Church Street . East Sussex Highways had previously told us that is now an Un-adopted Road.

Contractors start on fencing the Church Street site today.

14th January 2014
CONTRACTORS START ON FENCING THE CHURCH STREET SITE TODAY.
Today the sub-contractors of Land Scape Services the Council Contractor ; SJ Fencing in Eastbourne started placing fencing 2.5metres away from the wall to make a wildlife corridor.  This was decided by the Council Ecologist.  This is very peculiar as we are told the Council representatives in a High Court Case action Hastings Badger Protection Society v Hastings Borough Council, that the evidence presented by their own expert witness, told the Court that best practice was, 5 metres if the corridor was used solely by badgers and 10 metres if the corridor was shared by humans, ie, a dog walking footpath around a new development. The Wildlife Corridor is 2.5meteres wide so understandably we are not sure what or who  the Council expect to use it. The Councils Estate Manager was again on leave and could not comment.

Church Street back under threat

13th January 2014
The Charity has learned from the Council Estates Department that :  

We will now be proceeding with erecting a close boarded fence along the length of the site. The first stage is for the line of the proposed fence to be cleared using hand tools.  This is due to commence in the next couple of weeks with the fence installation to start after.  Once the fence is in place the remainder of the site will be cleared of scrub and rubbish (the trees will be left). When the site has been cleared we will be able to proceed with getting a topographical survey undertaken and use this to draw up a proposed development scheme. 

The Council Estates department has supplied a new ecology letter from their ecologists which we have sent to the Independent Specialists in the area. The Letter explains that in line with Natural England wishes this fence will create a corridor along the wall.  We are awaiting comment from the Independent Specialists who were invited to comment last year.

Background last year in October 2012  the Police where involved with this site following complaint to the Wildlife Crime Prevention Office. This complaint  was not  prosecuted.

Community Helps to keep woodland paths open

06th January 2014

With the worst Gail's and rain hitting he South East the Woodland has not fared well with several pathways being blocked.

The Community in Ore has been brilliant helping keeping as many pathways open as we can . The woodland is very boggy and has sustained several hits.

The Trust wants to thank everyone who helped with their chainsaws to clear the pathways. There is still much more to do.