Wildlife News 33:25 arrived in my email today. I had to laugh at one point as I have written about this so many times in the past:
"'Managing for Nature'
"This is BCC's rather vague term underlining their current policy designed to achieve 'an ecologically resilient, wildlife-rich Bristol by 2030'. There is more information about this on the webpages: Managing parks and green spaces for nature - in particularly there is a downloadable pdf about management of grasslands. There's also information about how to volunteer with the BCC rangers in the various parks which would be a way for people to get involved, if desired. (Thanks Katherine for this link).
The information on the site is helpful and interesting, but does not seem to answer the simple questions that Wildlife News has been asking.
"Perhaps in an effort to appear 'scientific' BCC's basic strategy includes various percentages and dates. For example, it is claimed that around 15% of parks and green spaces are currently being 'managed for nature' and the target is at least 30% by 2030. But, how is this calculated? Say, you have a 15 acre park and a third of it is being developed into a wild flower meadow, does that count as 5 acres or 15 acres towards the 30%? Does 3 square yards of wild flowers also count as 15 acres? And 30% of what: the whole city; land owned by BCC, land administered by Bristol Parks, something else? We've had different answers from various people.
"We know that some good work is being done. Many Wildlife News readers will be involved in helping with this process, both as paid staff and volunteers. All we are asking is a little more precision so that we know whether or not we are on track, failing badly or about to achieve a biodiverity dividend of staggering proportions. At the moment, all you can do is guess. What's your guess?"
There are two rules Bristol City Council (whether Labour or the Green Party) follows and this is based on 30 plus years of dealing with them.
1) If it costs nothing but there is a lot of publicity making us look good -go for it.
2) If it costs anything financially -ignore it.
Thousands of wild animals from deer, foxes, badgers, otters and others are killed in and around Bristol EVERY year and there are certain wildlife death hotspots we know. Mow back the tall grass and weeds at the sides of the roads so drivers can see wildlife and vice versa. Put up, as in most civilised European countries, signs reading "Drive Slowly Wildlife Crossing".
Simple but Labour said "We can't do that" (end of conversation and no explanation as to why they could not). Green Party "it would cost money" -BCC Highways people "We've looked at that -no money" so what if people donated for signs to be made and put up? "That would be illegal and you could be prosecuted".
The attitude does not change if you contact the Green Party HQ.... despite what you write they bounce it back to BCC so when it comes to the "Environmental emergency" the official Parties all have the same line "No money" to which can be added "Let it die".
At the moment BCC wants to have a £400K money grab by selling a part of Eastville Park for development very close to long established badger setts. It is eyeing up other Green Site areas and typical is the Longmoor development -a "new suburb" of Bristol and bang smack in the middle of ;land that was full of wildlife -who cares as it is money coming in.
Without getting involved I watch a Green Party canvasser and "name" locally being lambasted by a now former Green voter. The Green lady was challenged about attempts to build on green sites and all the new housing wanting developed on those sites while every other building in Bristol since 2000 has been converted for students (easy and guaranteed money) and why was the "affordable housing" in Bristol being pushed in London?
The responses were all the same: "We need to build the City for business and that money goes into housing and more development. The Green Party is committed to that" (I was actually told this same thing by a Green candidate that came to my door but walked off when I pointed out that build, build and build was not the stated Green policy.
When the woman continued on that the reason she voted Green was for a change she was told to contact her Green Councillor. Any policy is obviously false because, as I can tell you as I was involved in anti corruption work in the 1970s, BCC is all about making deals and earning money one way or another.
Since 2018 I have been telling all the "Save our green space" groups in Bristol that they need to unite to stop BCC tricks bu8t nothing has happened. As it stands we are likely to lose even more Green spaces because "divided we fall" and we have already seen that happen.
As far as the Labour and Green Party (shockingly) are concerned I am a "pain in the ass conservationist" (and I know from people at BCC that this is the politest I have been called). Re the Eastville Park money grab -BCC, Leader and Deputy leader as well as other officers involved are refusing to respond. That is their "ultimate weapon" in these cases where they cannot justify things. I have asked twice now on the Friends of Eastville Park group whether anyone is organising a protest or challenging the council.....the silence is deafening. Sell and build on it once and get away with it then build a second, third and fourth time.
After all these years I can tell you that Green sites are going to be lost. Wildlife and the environment are not as interesting as money.
I hope that clarifies things.
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