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To: Larkfleet Homes, South Kesteven District Council, Rutland County Council. Justin Johnson (Service Manager- Development RCC), Roger Ranson (Planning Policy Housing Manager RCC) Jeff Upton (Head of Planning Policy SKDC)

Save the Wild, Wooded & Biodiverse Areas of the Quarry Site Development in North Stamford!

We are petitioning regarding current plans for building developments in North Stamford at the old quarry, referred to by the prospective developers as 'Monarch Park', to which I will formally object when plans are officially submitted (due to unacceptable strain on all local services and infrastructure).

We are petitioning to fully commit to protecting the biodiverse, wild and natural landscape. This means ongoing protection of all wooded areas and ponds (leaving all trees and ponds undisturbed and unencumbered), and at least 30 hectares of wild meadow.

Why is this important?

As local residents who love the outdoors and respect the importance of our rural landscape, we want our local authorities to commit to meaningful and substantial protection of existing wilderness and biodiversity. Once it's gone it won't come back! We certainly do not want tokenistic, uninspiring tamed landscapes commonly found in crammed into housing developments; insultingly labelled as ‘green spaces’ and 'country parks'.

As a local resident, my family visits the quarry multiple times a week, as do my local friends. This wild, natural site is a beautiful, unspoiled place for wooded walks, mountain biking, picnics, birdwatching, sunsets, and general outdoors greenery, nature and wellbeing, away from populated areas. It clearly has high biodiversity. We frequently see a variety of butterflies, bees, dragonflies, frogs, and protected wildlife such as bats, newts and a wide range of wild birds. Further development would harm these precious, vital natural systems. We must protect them properly and give them space to thrive.

My family, friends, and I are devastated at the prospect of this special place being so unfairly reduced. My daughter is the most confident little track/mountain biker at age 5, because of this perfect oasis on our doorstep. The rough, wild tracks and landscape have allowed her to become a warrior and nature-lover alike. She helps pick litter and cares very much. I seriously doubt she and her friends would have any such deep, meaningful respect for sterile, artificial environments.

We have recently adopted a child too, and a huge part of what we could offer as a family when chosen, were the natural surroundings on our doorstep; opportunities to experience wild adventure daily.

For us North Stamford residents, the quarry is very accessible, and it is a totally different place to parks and sites like Burghley, which are also wonderful in their own ways! The quarry site offers a wild and untamed landscape which is fantastic for instilling resilience, adventure, and respect for nature in our children. Such a wild landscape plays an important part in our responsibility to repair biodiversity.

‘Development’ and 'growth' should NOT mean paving over precious wild spaces and cramming in housing. It SHOULD mean preserving natural environments and the wholesome enrichment they offer.

I am aware local authorities plan for functional, safe and pleasant surroundings. However, my petition goes beyond this. It aims for you to commit to meaningful and substantial protection of existing wilderness; certainly not tokenistic, uninspiring tamed landscapes commonly found in housing developments; insultingly labelled as ‘green spaces’ and 'country parks'.

As a practicing Child and Educational Psychologist, I strongly advocate for our children's mental health and resilience flourishing with true nature and physical adventure. Mountain biking, walking, scrambling, bush craft, nature conservation, birdwatching and countryside appreciation are all wonderful things our community can do in these woods and meadows. Such a wild landscape plays an important part in our responsibility to repair biodiversity.

‘Development’ and 'growth' should NOT mean paving over precious wild spaces and cramming in housing. It SHOULD mean preserving natural environments and the wholesome enrichment they offer. We should embrace and protect our rural heart.

Join me in taking a stand and having a voice, to protect and embrace our rural heart, landscape and biodiversity!

How it will be delivered

I will email the signatures and visit in person to check they have been received. I will inform the local press.

Stamford PE9, UK

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Updates

2021-07-14 23:45:34 +0100

1,000 signatures reached

2021-07-08 14:55:02 +0100

500 signatures reached

2021-07-08 09:35:00 +0100

Thanks so much for everyone's support so far!!! A cracking result in under two days! This is clearly a pertinent and passionate issue that local people care a great deal about.

Looking at the proposed plans by Larkfleet Homes, I worry about the closeness of the planned development to the woodland and meadow. I would hate to see litter and pollution affecting these areas, which it most certainly would being so close. I am unable to adapt the content of my petition but this is an addendum to say that the protection of the wild areas of the quarry site should mean that the distance between the edges of woodland/ponds and housing developments should be considerable, for example no less than 500 metres.

2021-07-07 16:40:53 +0100

100 signatures reached

2021-07-07 13:43:43 +0100

50 signatures reached

2021-07-07 11:32:35 +0100

25 signatures reached

2021-07-07 09:57:37 +0100

10 signatures reached