Manx Wildlife Trust Statement
Appendix 04
Expert Witness
Supplementary information from Mr Duncan Bridges
Duncan Bridges (Director)
- Manx Wildlife Trust
- 7-8 Market Place
- Peel
- Isle of Man
- IM5 1AB
- British Isles
homcastle:thomas
13th March 2015
Horncastle Thomas Architects and Designers 20 Athol Street Douglas ISLE OF MAN IM1 1JA
Dear Ms Horncastle,
Re: Planning Appeal – Application 14/0114/B: Beechcroft Farm
Further to our conversation of earlier today, please accept the following statement from myself for inclusion in your draft submission to the Planning Department next week.
Supplementary Statement by Mr Duncan Bridges of the Manx Wildlife Trust
The report Planting and Management Plan for Proposed Safari Campsite, Beechcroft Farm, Gansey, Isle of Man, (December 2014) was produced by myself, Mr Duncan Bridges, in response to a request from Horncastle Thomas Architects, on behalf of their client Mr Gareth Craig, for a planting and management plan for the land within which the proposed campsite is to be located.
The plans and recommendations contained within that report were put forward as suitable methods and layouts to address the issues of visibility, screening and habitat creation - as stated in paragraph 1.5 of that report: ‘... for the creation and management of hedges, shelter belts and sward management that maintains and enhances the current ecological value of the site as well as providing visual and aesthetic improvements to the site as a camp site.
The report was compiled after several site visits in 2014 during which detailed surveys of the existing habitat and ecology of the site were compiled. In my opinion the resultant recommendations contained within the report satisfy the requirements and specifications as laid out in the survey brief and provide suitable and adequate screening planting to supplement the thick vegetation belts that already exist on two sides of the application site.
Continued overleaf
Manx Wildlife Trust Treisht Vanninagh Y Doogys Feie 7-8 Market Place Peel IM5 1AB Tel 01624 844432 Email: [email protected]
Duncan Bridges Director 01624 844432 07624 421857 Email: [email protected]
Chairman Mr R. Higgins. Patron H.E. Mr Adam Wood Lieutenant Governor Registered Charity No 225 IOM Registered Company No 5297 IOM
With regards to specific matters arising within the appellants reasons for appeal, I offer the following comments and responses;
Para (c) Proposed Woodlands.
The appellants rightly points out that in the report we produced, in Section 2: List of constraints and other factors pertinent to the planting and management plan, we identified that the site was in a location where it was exposed to both high winds and salt spray. These facts, amongst others, were detailed as constraints that were duly and appropriately considered when drawing up the list of species to be used and the planting plan suggested. As a result the list of species, methods of planting and support staking and the recommendation of maximum size of tree to use as well as aftercare management were all put forward to ensure the optimal conditions for successful establishment and growth of the planted trees.
The estimated establishment time of 5-6 years for these hedgerows and screening belts, as mentioned in the report (but contested in para 5 of the appellant’s statement) is in my opinion a fair and reasonable estimate based on experience of planting trees in similarly exposed and salt sprayed locations on the Isle of Man where recommended methods of support, planting and aftercare have been used and successful establishment and forward growth of the trees has resulted.
(e) Other Issues
(ii) Sensitive Verge
The assessment of the sensitive verge and subsequent proposed method of dismantlement of the bank and restoration of the verge and bank habitat contained within section 3.2 of the report is based on experience gained from other sites and is a method that has been successful when used on other verge / bank habitats in the past by the author.
Yours
Duncan Bridges Director Manx Wildlife Trust
