Northamptonshire Expansion:      

SHLAA  Feedback  -  Additional information

Following on from the first page of SHLAA Feedback, additional information has been documented which may be worth considering as feedback for selected sites.

Some topics affecting the suitability of land for development may already be reasonably documented.

This is the case with the location of roman settlements, more recent deserted villages, and other archaeological sites, However, smaller sites may be known locally but remain unrecorded. Therefore:

• Talk to people who have lived in the area for a considerable number of years to discover areas for research
• Ask farm workers, or those who worked on the land, but have retired, or changed jobs, for information
• Check aerial photographs looking for shadows of remains in the crops
• Look up Google, and other maps and aerial views for interesting areas
• Consult those who use metal detectors for advice on where items were found in the past
• Consider areas that may not have been farmed or left undisturbed for years
• Record the details you find, and where necessary contact experts

However, other topics that could affect land suitability may not be well recorded in detail.

This is particularly true where the situation changes over time, or the location may not be fixed.

In particular, wildlife populations change over time, and they may move from area to area.  Therefore, the importance of specific pieces of land to particular species may not be known or fully appreciated.

In Brafield we are very lucky in that various types of wildlife are regularly seen around the village.  For example, in and around the wooded areas of Lower End you can see:

• Muntjac Deer, with their young, and occasionally Foxes, who watch and then wander off.
• Bats, on most warm evenings, weaving amongst the trees and houses
• Numerous birds, both common and rare:
  • Buzzards circle above, Kestrels hover, and Sparrowhawks pounce
  • Green Woodpeckers and Greater Spotted Woodpeckers voice and show their presence
  • More importantly, rare species that are on the RED endangered list can be seen:
    • Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers are seen occasionally amongst the trees
    • Cuckoos call and lay their eggs, as young birds have been seen
    • Song Thrushes sit on the tree tops and sing their heart out.
         

If you have observed any interesting wildlife, especially rare and endangered species, on any of these SHLAA proposed sites, then you should consider recording the details, and logging this information with the Joint Planning Unit and other interested organisations.

For details of birds on the Red endangered list, try these sites:

www.rspb.org.uk                                www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/status_explained.aspx

www.garden-birds.co.uk                      www.garden-birds.co.uk/birdindex.htm

For information on other wildlife there are many sites on the internet:

www.britishwildlifecentre.co.uk            www.britishwildlifecentre.co.uk/contact/links.htm

www.animalcorner.co.uk                     www.animalcorner.co.uk/endangered/endangered.html

Friends of the Earth have also raised an important topic:

• Wildlife Corridors:   Strips or areas of  that allow wild life to move under cover from one habitat to another.

                                        These need to be documented and protected from development to allow wildlife to prosper.

The WNJPU site states that the Draft SHLAA will only be available for you to view the information and maps, and for anyone to provide feedback until 11th Feb 2010.

Link back to main SHLAA page on the village website

Date last updated:  08 Feb 2010                                                                                          Valid until:  31 Dec 2010