Meeting with Kerry McCarthy, 21st November 2024
On 21st November, Friends of Brislington Brook’s Chair, Jo Bushell, and Vice Chair, Jackie Friel, met with local MP, Kerry McCarthy. As you may know, Kerry is Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero). She was accompanied by her Chief Communications Officer, James Austin. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the Nightingale Valley land sale.
Kerry touched on the Nature Recovery Strategy: https://naturalengland.blog.gov.uk/2024/11/07/working-together-for-nature-collaborating-on-the-first-local-nature-recovery-strategy-in-england/. This strategy involves mapping existing habitats and using ecological networks to identify where to manage land for nature. Our research has found it was initiated by the West of England Combined Authority in 2017. Kerry said she would look into it for us. She suggested that Friends of Brislington Brook volunteers keep a record of sightings (foxes, deer, badgers, kingfishers, etc). on the land in question. She also suggested we contact Wildlife and Countryside: https://www.wcl.org.uk/.
James produced an online map (pictured): the Council’s Site Allocation Plan. This sets out how land will be used and developed for the plan period. The areas shaded orange can potentially be developed. The areas shaded green are protected. Fortunately, Nightingale Valley is shaded green.
As we know, Nightingale Valley is a Site of Nature Conservation Interest, meaning it has been designated as an area that is important to wildlife. It is also an Important Open Space, meaning it has public value: it offers important opportunities for recreation and is a visual amenity. It is therefore protected in the Council’s Site Allocation Plan.
One of our volunteers (who formerly worked in Bristol City Council’s Planning Department) has since explained that these allocations are legally binding. They form the Development Plan for Bristol. The Planning Department is required by law (Town and Country Planning Act 1990) to determine planning in accordance with the Council’s Site Allocation Plan. So that’s good news!
Our meeting with Kerry was productive. She moved on from saying. ‘you could … (contact this person or that person)’ to ‘we could …’, clearly engaging with the subject. She went off to her next meeting saying she would be back in touch with some ideas.
