Halliday Close: Investigation looks into habitat issues

As previously reported, Quadron Investment Ltd has applied to Basingstoke and Deane Borough council to build six new homes on a piece of land previously used as a car park in Halliday Close, Cranbourne.

The company submitted plans in 2020 to build six homes on the same piece of land, which were originally refused by the council after more than 40 residents objected.

Quadron appealed the decision in April 2021, but this was refused by a planning inspector, who said the development would “result in materially harmful effect on the living conditions of neighbouring occupiers, in respect of privacy impacts”.

READ MORE: New plans to build six homes in Halliday Close submitted

An ecological investigation, commissioned by Quadron Properties Ltd, was undertaken at the site in March and it was found that the main protected species potentially present was birds and hedgehogs.

The general advice in the report is that no vegetation should be removed during the bird nesting season as all bird nests are fully protected by law.

The report, undertaken by Andrew S. Waller, Consultant Ecologist at ASW Ecology Ltd, states that the trees, garages and bramble all have nesting bird potential. It adds that it was unclear if any active bird nests could have been present in the garage units or hidden in the bramble.

It also states: "Hedgehog potential is present within the bramble next to the garages and it is understood that this protected mammal species is present in an adjacent rear garden."

The report continues: "Hedgehogs are present in the wider area, as shown in the desk study but there were no field signs such as droppings to suggest they have visited the application site very recently, although this species will be hibernating mostly at the moment."

It also noted that the garage units did not appear to have any bat roosting potential but there was no internal access into these units due to the dense bramble blocking any entry.

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The report concludes: "It will clearly be important that the garage units can all be checked internally before demolition commences, once the bramble can be carefully cleared outside of the nesting bird season first. Just to ensure no bird nests are present within and no bat evidence is present.

The main bird nesting season in the UK, currently runs mainly from mid-January to September, but sometimes birds can start breeding before or after this period.

The development would include two one-bedroom flats, two one-bedroom maisonettes, and two two-bedroom maisonettes along with associated private gardens, car parking, cycle parking, bin storage and landscaping improvements.

The area was previously used by residents as a car park. However, after residents objected to the plans, Quadron fenced it off to prevent them from using it. 

Residents previously objected to the proposals for a variety of reasons including that an increase in homes would exacerbate the current parking problems, with concerns also raised about emergency access.

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Halliday Close is listed by the borough council as a location with ‘reported parking issues’ and is included in its ‘Parking in Residential Areas’ programme of parking improvement works, which identifies the worst 125 streets for parking in the borough.

However, the road is listed as having ‘no solution’ yet implemented.

The council said: “Although the council does not have a statutory responsibility to providing parking solutions in residential roads and is not the highway authority, the impact that parking problems can have on the local environment and resident’s quality of life is recognised.”

The plans have not yet been approved. 

To read the report and see the full planning application visit the borough council website and use the reference number 24/00094/FUL.