New Local Plan for London Borough of Sutton- more trouble

Sutton Council are currently renewing the local plan that will dictate development in the local area for the near future: More here

During a pre-consultation meeting recently we had a look at the plan and note the following threats to the Bedddington Farmlands Site of Importance for Nature Conservation:

1) 9 hectares at risk following calls for sites from developers, mainly along the Beddington Lane Frontage
2) The sites include the area fragmented by the incinerator, Pongo Park and also the Go-cart track. S77, S76, S78
3) These sites have been put forward for MOL de-designation. (There are also two other green belt sites in Sutton which have been presented for de-designation)
4) 9 hectares loss is equivalent to a 5% loss of the SINC. This follows the recent loss of SINC as a result of the building of the incinerator and also the school in the field north of Bedzed.
5) The threat to the SINC will depend on the growth scenario forecast- the higher the forecast the greater the risk.

The full assault on Beddington Farmlands is now as follows:

1) 300,000 tonne incinerator currently being built on an area original proposed for wet grassland
2) A primary school on semi-natural grassland in the field north of Bedzed (the proposed site of the future main gateway to the reserve)
3) The demolition of Irrigation Bridge (the main access from the proposed future gateway to Beddington Farmlands)
4) 9 further hectares at risk if draft of Local Plan is adopted
5) Loss of the Tree Sparrow population in recent years
6) 80% of the target species in the conservation management plan have also disappeared