Redrow’s most recent plans to build 160 homes at the Allerton Priory site has the potential to destroy the habitat and feeding grounds of protected wildlife.
At a hearing today it was revealed that feeding grounds for owls and other birds of prey could be lost forever if the plans are to go ahead. An expert also said that the field is home to small mammals and butterflies – meaning that the land should be nominated as a designated wildlife site.
The hearing came as part of an appeal that Redrow has launched against Liverpool Council’s decision to prevent the land from being built on.
Rachel Rhodes, an expert from Merseyside Evironmental Advisory Service said “The proposal represents an inappropriate and unjustified form of development within designated Green Wedge which will cause an intrusive and urbanising impact on the landscape, affecting the predominantly open character of the Green Wedge and will physically and visually reduce the Calderstones/Woolton Green Wedge between existing built up areas.”
Mrs Rhodes added: “The site provides a mosaic of habitats which are of ecological value.
“Development will result in the loss of five individual mature trees and three groups of trees from the woodland to allow the formation of access to the site.
“The semi-natural, unmanaged nature of the appeal site provides greater habitat diversity which supports a greater range of species than managed amenity sites.
Woodland and scrub on site provides nesting sites for bird species whilst the associated tall herb and grassland habitats provide foraging areas for these bird species.
“The woodland provides a habitat corridor for bird, small mammal and invertebrate species to move through the site to adjacent sites within the Green Wedge.
Species of bird found on the Allerton Priory site include song thrush, cuckoo, dunnock, house sparrow, starling, herring gull, cinnabar moth, noctule bat and the soprano pipistrelle bat.