ploughing up a wildflower meadow

teabag · #1 (**permalink**) 12-05-2009, 07:18 PM

Hello,
Wonder if any one can give me some advice please. I have heard some land near me is to be ploughed up in the autumn. This land is home to lots of wildlife and there are lots of wildflowers and birds etc. it is alongside a small river and I have seen what I think are water voles there.
My question is can it be ploughed up?
It seems such a shame to lose land like this.
Any advice would be welcome. thanks

Jim Ford · #2 (**permalink**) 12-05-2009, 07:25 PM

The difficulty with which land can be developed or ploughed up is inversely proportional to the size of the owner's bank balance!

Jim

ron1863 · #3 (**permalink**) 12-05-2009, 07:32 PM

I think the Water Vole is a protected species and if so, you could seek advice on any action you could take to prevent the destruction of their habitat.

I am sure someone with more knowledge will answer your query in more detail soon.

Oh! a warm welcome to WAB

Billy Wobble Dagger · #4 (**permalink**) 12-05-2009, 08:06 PM

Certainly the water vole and their burrows are protected by law. The Scottish wildlife trust should be informed quickly so they can carry out surveys to find the extent of the water vole colony. Unfortunately this alone won't save the meadow. Good land management for water voles says keep a minimum of 3m from the river bank untouched or fenced off.
Check to make sure the field isn't a SSSI, they can be as small as a field and if there are some rare plants in the meadow they maybe protected, unfortunately as we've seen with the SSSI and the golf course in Aberdeen even these aren't safe. Finally public opinion and outcry might save the day. Certainly inform the wildlife trust though

Good luck and welcome to WAB.

BWD

teabag · #5 (**permalink**) 13-05-2009, 08:01 AM

Thanks for replys so far. I will be looking in to the water voles and speaking to wildlife trust

Jez · #6 (**permalink**) 13-05-2009, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by teabag

Hello,
Wonder if any one can give me some advice please. I have heard some land near me is to be ploughed up in the autumn. This land is home to lots of wildlife and there are lots of wildflowers and birds etc. it is alongside a small river and I have seen what I think are water voles there.
My question is can it be ploughed up?
It seems such a shame to lose land like this.
Any advice would be welcome. thanks

Can I ask what the reason for ploughing is teabag please

teabag · #7 (**permalink**) 13-05-2009, 08:27 PM

The field is to be rented to a arable farmer along with some other land and he wants to plow it up.
Can I ask why it is the scottish wildlife trust need to be informed the land is in the midlands would it not be better to try the local wild life trust?

Jez · #8 (**permalink**) 13-05-2009, 09:43 PM

Can't see any reason not to get intouch with your local Wildlife Trust!

kiwi · #9 (**permalink**) 13-05-2009, 11:19 PM

Midlands ? oh dear .... where about's is this? I want to protest!

JoulesH · #10 (**permalink**) 14-05-2009, 11:32 AM

Teabag
under the current agricultural support programme, in England, if a farmer is going to destroy any semi-natural /uncultivated land areas in excess of 2 ha, they must obtain permission from Natural England. Uncultivated generally means not grassland not being fertilised or sprayed, ploughed etc for 15 yrs, Semi-natural land includes species rich meadows. NE can then demand an environmental impact assessment. NE has the power to insist on surveying areas less than 2 ha too. However, unless the land or species present have special protected status then the farmer NOT doing this could lead to loss of support payment but not a prosecution. The farmer may have already started this process, but NE are the people to contact.

teabag · #11 (**permalink**) 14-05-2009, 06:24 PM

Thanks I have contacted natural england and they are looking in to it have not had any responce from local wildlife trust as yet but as I am sure there are water voles there i will be trying to find out more about them i have seen holes on the river bank and caught glimpses of what i think are water voles

teabag · #12 (**permalink**) 31-05-2009, 11:10 AM

Just a update on this I have contacted wildlife trust etc and it appears that the land is a psinc.

I am waiting for more information but hopefully the land may be able to have some protection.

dont know if anyone knows more about this and how much protection it may get etc.

Thanks

Adam Cheeseman · #13 (**permalink**) 31-05-2009, 12:22 PM

I know what a SINC is, but does PSINC mean Potential SINC.

Cheers,

Adam

Tursiops2 · #14 (**permalink**) 31-05-2009, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by teabag

Just a update on this I have contacted wildlife trust etc and it appears that the land is a psinc.

I am waiting for more information but hopefully the land may be able to have some protection.

dont know if anyone knows more about this and how much protection it may get etc.

Thanks

Info on SINCs here:Naturenet: Local Designations

The Hants CC link on that page is worth looking at too.

Good luck with this, teabag.

T2

teabag · #15 (**permalink**) 31-05-2009, 04:50 PM

Thanks, yes i think it does mean potential sinc. I think it has to have a survey to confirm if it is able to become a sinc.

Adam Cheeseman · #16 (**permalink**) 31-05-2009, 06:33 PM

Yep, at least a Phase 1 survey, most I know have a Phase 2.

Cheers,

Adam

sometimes · #17 (**permalink**) 06-07-2009, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoulesH

Teabag
under the current agricultural support programme, in England, if a farmer is going to destroy any semi-natural /uncultivated land areas in excess of 2 ha, they must obtain permission from Natural England. Uncultivated generally means not grassland not being fertilised or sprayed, ploughed etc for 15 yrs, Semi-natural land includes species rich meadows. NE can then demand an environmental impact assessment. NE has the power to insist on surveying areas less than 2 ha too. However, unless the land or species present have special protected status then the farmer NOT doing this could lead to loss of support payment but not a prosecution. The farmer may have already started this process, but NE are the people to contact.

While I can see the positives in this system, if 'prevention' becomes too.... common... I suspect that farmers will run a plough over fields every 7 years or less, just to make sure their rights to the use of their land isn't compromised.

Shirley Roulston · #18 (**permalink**) 14-08-2009, 10:32 PM

We had the same type of problem, the village pond was surrounded in trees and the owner started to cut all of them down and pull all the plants out, he called them weeds, we called everyone we could think off, the council, the RSPB even the police and all that we were told that because it was private they could do what they like, now the pond is like a huge bowl of murky water. No Moorhens nest or winter ducks come in, just what one foolish person can do, I do have photos of before and after somewhere!