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To: RSPB

RSPB to stop accepting money for loss of Bird Habitats

We would like the RSPB to stop taking money from Housing/ Commercial Developers to mitigate for the destruction of Birds and their habitat

Why is this important?

The Curlew (red listed for endangered species) population on the River Exe could be seriously affected if the RSPB do not object to a proposed Planning Application in Starcross.
The Developer's Ecological Assessor identified Cirl Buntings on the planning application site. Initially the RSPB accepted the proposed mitigating grants of over £73,000 per Cirl Bunting pair, even though buried in the Assessors report were flocks of Curlews and Oystercatchers (amber list) were identified on site (see photo for December observations) .
This is a lot of money for the RSPB which they use to try and develop isolated pockets of habitat for Cirl Buntings.

Unfortunately it will encourage the RSPB to see the money and not the birds.
The RSPB are consulted by the Local Authority Planning, Natural England, Wildlife Trust and many other organisations so their advice is crucial.

Local people contacted the RSPB with photos and details of Wading Birds that use the field. Reluctantly the RSPB, via the Council, asked the Developer to conduct a winter survey.
Unfortunately it is once a month and done by the Developer's Ecologist who can pick the weather conditions to suit his Client (not that he will).

A local RSPB member has been doing his own survey which shows this site is a major feeding ground for Curlews and Oystercatchers (some days with flocks of over 50). In fact you stand a chance seeing more Curlews here than anywhere on the Exe Estuary.
See his observations for December and January :-
https://col659.wixsite.com/exe-estuary-lovers/brickyards-lane-starcross

This must be happening on Proposed Planning Sites all over the Country.
The RSPB advice needs to be totally independent and this will not be the case if the RSPB will lose funding if they object to planning.

So sign this petition to ask the RSPB not to accept money for the loss of Habitat so there will be no conflict of interest for the RSPB.

How it will be delivered

To the Regional and National RSPB Office

Category

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Updates

2019-03-18 13:33:05 +0000

100 signatures reached

2019-03-06 12:15:19 +0000

50 signatures reached

2019-03-04 07:44:51 +0000

25 signatures reached

2019-03-03 20:17:40 +0000

10 signatures reached