2:20pm Friday 27th August 2010
By Julian Robinson
VANDALS are wrecking an ecologist’s bid to save endangered animals on a Hampshire field earmarked for a controversial 800-home urban village.
Special fences, posts and buckets designed to help move great crested newts have been ripped out of the ground on a daily basis on the Abbotswood site in Romsey.
Now the man charged with relocating the rare creatures has begged those responsible for the damage to let him complete his work before construction begins.
Though there is no evidence of who carried out the vandalism, Matthew Clarke said he had received reports that it may have been caused by youths or even dog walkers.
And he fears some may have mistaken his work as the first steps in construction on the site, which was controversially given outline planning permission in January.
About 25 per cent of the hundreds of metres of plastic fencing has been kicked over or torn out. Now police have been informed.
Dr Clarke, who works for Ecological Planning and Research, said: “We are just the ecologists – our job is to take care of the wildlife, but people are wrecking it.
“If we can’t trap properly, we are not going to be able to clear the newts to a safe place before the construction begins.
“We are only just trying to get started and this vandalism is really hindering our progress.”
The first phase of the Abbotswood scheme will see 150 homes built on the site – off Woodley Lane – in 2011. A further 150 homes are then set to be built each year until 2015/16.
Campaigners battled for years to prevent development on the site, trying unsuccessfully to have it classified as a village green.
Ecological work is currently taking place in the western section of the field in an area earmarked as a conservation zone, including ponds and woodland. Pedestrian access has been maintained, with signs directing the public away from sensitive areas.
Dr Clarke added: “We have spoken to police because it is criminal damage, but they have not taken it further because we are keen to work with people to stop it happening.
“The developers are not stopping people coming on to the land, but we want to get the message across that we are here for ecology.”
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