RESIDENTS in Pickwick are outraged after a developer removed several small stone walls from the boundary of a site where they plan to build 150 homes. David Taylor, chairman of the Pickwick Association said that the work by Redrow South West to remove the walls which protected species use to hibernate on the Bath Road site was "outrageous." The concerns for the number of bats and greater crested newts on the site have been echoed by ecologists working with the association, who believe that the animals should be relocated if planning permission is granted. Mr Taylor said: "This is premature; not only has a mitigation licence yet to be applied for in respect of the newts, the developers own consultants FPCR made clear that should a licence be granted, any newts on the site will need to be trapped and relocated. "Relocation can only happen between late March and early October of any year; now that we have had the winter's first frosts, the protected species - bats as well as newts - will already have hibernated and cannot be disturbed until next spring." The concerns have been downplayed by the developer, who invited the group to discuss their fears about the site several weeks ago, and have said that they would like to reassure local residents that the environmental considerations of the site are a priority for them. A spokesman for Redrow South West said: "We understand there are queries regarding the ecological work we are doing at our Corsham development and would like to reassure local residents that environmental considerations are always a priority for us. "With regards to this site some areas of the dry stone walls have been removed to create an access point for the development. Details of all work has been provided to the Council and they have confirmed the work undertaken is permitted development under the Town & Country Planning Order 2015. "The reason for the timing of the wall removal is due to the hibernation habits of the greater crested newts which have been identified in the area. They start to hibernate when the temperature drops below a certain level therefore it has been vital to make sure that the sections of the wall have been removed before they start to hibernate. "We have worked under the close supervision and direction of an independent ecologist at every stage." The developer has also confirmed that the stone has been taken off the site and stored so that it can be reused to fill gaps in walls and around the entrance of the site. Members of the Association have declined to meet with Redrow citing fears of transparency.
Redrow has addressed concerns about the removal of several stone walls from its Pickwick development site , where 150 new homes are due to be built . The construction company has said that any ecological issues have been taken into account , and that any permissions required for the site have been taken . The removed stone has been prepared for reuse on the site at a later time and the work will be overseen by an independent ecologist . The Pickwick Association has expressed concern for the bats and greater marsh bats that live on the site .