ADVANCED NOTICE

I have been informed by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust that the contractors for Northern Powergrid are widening the wayleave strip in Sprotborough Plantation this autumn. The strip directly under the powerlines will be cut on a 3 year rotation, and a couple of trees either side of the original strip will be felled (probably on a 10 year rotation). This widening will provide a good graded edge along the woodland and will also widen the track to improve access.

Signs will put up in the autumn to explain that the work is necessary to protect the power lines, and that the following benefits to the wildlife can be expected:

·         Variety of ages of trees - some insects and birds need/prefer young trees

·         More dead wood created - places for bats to roost (standing dead trees) and beetle larvae to grow

·         More butterflies and other insects

·         More light to the woodland floor, so more flowers

SALMON WILL POPULATE THE DON AGAIN!

Following years of fruitless planning and endless disappointments, the fish pass is on course once again.  The first steering group meeting was held on the 27^th June, when it was announced that plans had been passed and a contractor had been appointed.  It is hoped that the project will be completed before the end of the year and that it will take no more than 12 weeks.  It will be situated on the south side of the weir.

The scheme, led by the Canal & Rivers Trust and the Environment Agency, is supported by the owner of the land, as well as the Don Catchment Rivers Trust, the Doncaster & District Angling Association and, of course, the Don Gorge Community Group.

The only thing holding up the start date is archaeology relating to the mill which stood on this site for many years, but discussions with DMBC are in hand and it is hoped they will not hold up the work for too long.

The pass will allow course fish to swim upstream, but the ultimate aim is to encourage salmon into the river.  Once salmon are enabled to swim to new breeding grounds, their young will return there each year and they will gradually become established.  Eels are also declining in numbers and it is hoped the population will increase as a result of easier access.  Sprotborough weir is critical in this process as it the first one in the chain of weirs going upstream and one of the last to have a fish pass installed.

The current structure of the weir will be unchanged and the pass will be similar to one being constructed at Adwick-on-Dearne.  A photographic/video record of the build process will be undertaken.

There will not now be a canoe pass, but conversations with the relevant clubs about portage above and below the weir are ongoing.

Topics put forward for discussion by the community group were:

Car Parking – this remains a priority for us, but will it ever be achieved?

Viewing Platform - likely

Landscaping of the area – possible

Signage and Interpretation Boards, QR signs, etc - likely

Educational Aspects - possible

Water meadow - possible

Tree Planting - likely

Volunteer involvement in maintenance of the site on completion - likely

Raised walkway – this may be a dream too far!

All these items were discussed with a view to incorporating whatever was possible, finance allowing.  They may not all be possible immediately, but could become future projects.

It was agreed that Newsletters would be produced at different stages of the build to keep people informed of progress and these will be reproduced on this blog.  Press releases and information boards will also be erected on the site.

NATURE LOVERS, BUT ONLY WHEN IT SUITS!

The number of people who visit the countryside is many and varied and their reasons for doing so unpredictable.  Living in a well-known beauty spot, I am for ever amazed that those who come to enjoy the peace and tranquility of an area of special scientific interest can be so neglectful of it. 

Litter and inappropriate car parking are two particular cases in point.  Visitors often can't be bothered to carry their plastic bottles further than the place where they drink from them, nor do they put chocolate wrappers or empty cigarette packets in their pockets to deposit them in the next litter bin.  It's much easier to put them in a hedge or just drop them on the floor for the next, more thoughtful passer-by to care about.

Going out yesterday, it was very easy to see that the fishing season has started again, as vehicles were everywhere.  Nobody wants to spoil their pleasure, but why can't they take up the offer of parking on the island where they would bother no-one, the safety of pedestrians would be increased and the grass verges would be protected.  At the bottom of the hairpin bend, bollards have been put in to protect the new verge going up the hill, but someone just had to park beyond them, didn't they - and this wasn't the first time someone had done this.  At the top of the bend, there were signs of a vehicle having been burnt out with damage to at least one tree.

It is just so disheartening to see all these things happening.  And it's likely to get worse.

Plans are once again going ahead for a fish pass to be constructed on the Warmsworth side of the Falls.  This is great news for fish and other wildlife, but will planning for more parking be considered.  It is bound to attract more visitors and so it should as it is fascinating and worthy of interest, but where will they park?

The first meeting of the steering group is due to be held on the 27th June and there is no doubt we as a group will be raising this issue once again, but will anyone listen or help us to do something about it?  We have a possible parking area in view, but need statutory backing to make it a reality and we also need visitors to realise that if they want to visit the Don Gorge they will have to walk a bit further to do so.  

BIRDS IN MY GARDEN

It's not often we get to see Red Polls in the garden - in fact this is a first.

Chaffinches are regular visitors

Goldfinches arrived when we put Niger seed out

NOW YOU SEE THEM, NOW YOU DON'T

It was quite a shock to discover last weekend that the landscape within the woods at Lower Sprotborough had been changed out of all recognition.  If, when you commenced your walk, you were expecting to find the usual winter landscape of leafless trees and shrubs lining the footpath, you will have been disappointed to find that in parts they have been completely decimated.

It was understood a year or more ago that Yorkshire Wildlife, the contractor appointed to manage the woodlands by Lafarge Aggregates, hoped to prune out some of the trees and reinstate the hedge, but we understood that scheme had fallen by the wayside due to lack of funds.  However, we now discover that since the quarry closed, Lafarge has been selling off parts of the land and that the farmer who has rented the fields for many years has now purchased them.  Presumably the trees, etc, were included. 

It is rumoured that the farmer intends to either fence the land or allow the remnants of trees and bushes to re-grow into a hedge.  

The loss of such a swathe of habitat all in one go is quite devastating, but it had been neglected for a long time and, if a hedge is allowed to re-grow, it shouldn't mean a permanent loss.   It is sad to lose the archway of  trees by the 'leg o' mutton' field, but hopefully it too will recover in time. 

Wind Turbine on the Cadeby Road Landfill Site

This application was considered by the DMBC Planning Committee this morning.  The case was presented by Eizabeth Maw for DMBC and the argument for was put by Mr Stuart Markham on behalf of the applicant (which I am informed is a Spanish company).  Quite a number of people and organisations had objected and their arguments were put by Cllr Alan Smith representing Sprotborough & Cusworth Parish Council and Cllr Doreen Woodhouse on behalf of nearby residents who have an epileptic daughter.

Suggestions were raised that solar power might have been used instead or, alternatively, that the power generated by the methane gas could have been used to service the need for electricity on the landfill site.  These were countered by Mr Markham who said that the electricity produced went directly into the national grid and that a wind turbine had been considered the best option for the location.  He admitted that no consultations had been thought necessary for such a small scheme and had therefore not been aware of the epilepsy of the neighbour's daughter..

However, yesterday, an objection had been received from Robin Hood Airport on the grounds that:

"the wind turbine would be detected by the airport's radar.  Detection of the turbine by the airport radar would create clutter in the form of twinkling on the radar screen.  This clutter can cause confusion when trying to distinguish between real aircraft and false targets."

Following discussion, the Planning Officer recommended that the application should be approved in principle, but subject to the applicant satisfactorily resolving the objection with Robin Hood Airport.  However, Cllr Jonathan Wood raised a number of questions and proposed that agreement should be deferred until further investigations could be made about the various community objections.  In the absence of a seconder, he then amended his proposal to:

"Refuse the application based on Robin Hood Airport's late objection."

A vote was taken and this was agreed.

Thanks, therefore, seem to be due to Robin Hood Airport as no other argument seemed to hold any weight in the minds of the Members.  It seems likely that the application might be re-submitted at a later date and a close watch will need to be kept on the situation if the communities of Cadeby and Sprotborough are to succeed in their aim of keeping this wind turbine away from the landfill site.

RIVER DON TOPS ITS BANK - AGAIN

6.00 pm  The river seems to be going down again at present, so hope things will soon be back to normal. 

Got up this morning to the news that Mick had been up since the early hours, warning canal boat owners that they were likely to find themselves settled on the island if they didn't move soon.  In fact one of them couldn't move and the owner was left high and dry with the fire service and police in attendance.  They were eventually left to their own devices with the expectation that someone would come to see that their immediate needs were met (in fact the Red Cross did arrive later), but after standing around in the cold for some hours, we took them in and gave them coffee to warm them up.  I later took them home to Rotherham as there was nothing to be done until the water goes down.  Hopefully their boat will float off as the water recedes.

In the meantime, we have had to have water pumped out of the lane again (big thank yous to the Environment Agency) so we are left with a muddy mess once more.  Not to worry, at least we are still warm and dry which is more than can be said for some others around the country.