Curlew nests in eco-town area (From This is Hampshire)

Curlew nests in eco-town area

9:28am Thursday 28th February 2008 in News

ONE of the UK's most endangered birds could help thwart plans for an eco-town at Micheldever Station.

Between one and three pairs of the rare stone-curlew have been discovered within 5km of the Hampshire Downs site, which is proposed for 12,500 new homes.

Once widespread, there are now just 348 breeding pairs, according to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

The elusive bird is about the size of a crow, with striking long yellow legs and big eyes.

It nests on the ground which makes the bird vulnerable as farmers can destroy the eggs or run over the chicks with tractors.

Micheldever is included in a Government-funded conservation project run by the RSPB and Natural England since the 1980s.

Campaigners have warned ministers that approving Eagle Star Estate's plans for a new town there would be disastrous for the breeding success of pairs nesting in the Micheldever area.

The stone-curlew is protected under schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which means it is illegal to kill the bird or "recklessly disturb" it during the breeding season.

Phil Sheldrake, project manager for the RSPB Wessex Stone Curlew Project, said: "The stone-curlew has disappeared from many areas, but they hung on in Micheldever until the RSPB came along and ensured the continuity of suitable habitats for them."

Mr Sheldrake added: "We are in the business of trying to stop the bird disappearing and, so far, we have been successful, but a building project of this scale is going to undo all that good work."

A report commissioned by the Dever Society lists other protected "red-listed" bird species in the rolling chalk downland, including skylark, swallow, linnet and yellow-hammer.

The area is also rich in "amber-listed" cuckoo, kestrel, goldcrest and dunnock.

Bill Bromwich, project director for Micheldever Station Market Town, said: "Eagle Star is very aware of the stone-curlew. "We have been setting aside land specifically designed to attract the stone-curlew. Our estate manager and tenant farmers have done stirling work in protecting them.

"It is a shame last year there was only one pair recorded by the RSPB, and they did not breed successfully. That was probably the worst year on record, but they were not on the site proposed for the new town.

He added:"We will continue to put our best foot forward to defend the stone-curlew and have done so in the past."

The new town proposals have been rejected four times since 1994 by planning authorities.

But Eagle Star Estates is now seeking to get the plan through under the government competition for eco-towns.

Eco-towns are intended to be new settlements of between 5,000 and 20,000 homes where housing and infrastructure are zero-carbon and where up to 50 per cent would be affordable housing.

Nearly 60 schemes have been put forward to the Department of Communities and Local Government with those accepted due to be announced within three weeks.