Category Archives: Environment

‘Developer’ Andersons to cram Erith Quarry reptiles into less than half the required space

Posted on 21/03/2015 by Chris Rose

Under pressure from sharply critical submissions by Bexley Natural Environment Forum and London Wildlife Trust, the Anderson Group, which is seeking permission from Bexley Council to build over 75% of the 22ha Erith Quarry, a Grade 1 Site of Importance … Continue reading →

Posted in Andersons Group, Bexley Council, BNEF, Common Lizard, Environment, Erith Quarry, Grass Snake, London Wildlife Trust, Open spaces, Planning, Reptiles and Amphibians, Slow Worm | Leave a comment

Cray Riverkeepers to launch boat blitz on lower Cray wash-out litter problem

Posted on 13/03/2015 by Chris Rose

As previously reported on BW, the lower Cray beyond Maiden Lane bridge is suffering from the large amounts of litter that gets washed into it as a result of the bankside undergrowth in which it was trapped dying back during … Continue reading →

Posted in Cray Riverkeepers, Environment, Fish, Litter, River Cray, River Thames, Rivers, Thames21, Volunteering | Leave a comment

Crossness team clear major roadside eyesore

Posted on 27/02/2015 by Chris Rose

Today (Feb 27th), despite a cold and frosty start, the sun shone on 9 of us as we undertook a major litter pick adjacent the Crossness Southern Marsh. Some recent illegal grazing under the flyover next to the southern marsh, … Continue reading →

Posted in Crossness Nature Reserve, Environment, Fly-tipping, Litter, Open spaces, Volunteering | Leave a comment

FotS cleans Shuttle and Wyncham in rain and wake of Council’s ‘extreme maintenance’

Posted on 26/02/2015 by Chris Rose

At FotS’ latest litter pick yesterday [Thursday 26th Feb] along the Hollyoak Wood section of the Shuttle and the adjoining Wyncham stream, volunteers worked stoically in pouring rain to extract 16 bags of rubbish, two safes and assorted bits of … Continue reading →

Posted in Bexley Council, Environment, Friends of the Shuttle, River Thames, Volunteering, Wyncham Stream | 2 Comments

Council open space sell-off list in full, and campaigner’s current position

Posted on 25/02/2015 by Chris Rose

Bexley Council has now made public the list of 27 pieces of land it is contemplating selling off (appended below), 10 of which are classed as ‘Open spaces’ and 17 ‘Highways land’. We have yet to see the ‘voting’ figures … Continue reading →

Posted in Bexley Council, Consultations, Environment, Housing targets, Land sales, Open spaces, Parks, Planning, SINC | 1 Comment

Danson dam wall shrubs cut back – emergency repairs necessary

Posted on 23/02/2015 by Chris Rose

Bexley Council’s vegetation ‘maintenance’ has received some sharp criticism of late. Now the shrubs on the dam wall at Danson are being cut hard back. The Council has issued a notice to local residents explaining that this is because urgent … Continue reading →

Posted in Bexley Council, Danson Park, Environment, Parks, vegetation management | 1 Comment

The River Cray project helps deliver Thames foreshore clean-up

Posted on 23/02/2015 by Chris Rose

Last week’s event at Erith (Feb 19th) in support of the Thames River watch Big Count clean-up was a great success for the Cray project thanks to all those attending and the team from the Erith Depot of Select Plant … Continue reading →

Posted in Cray Riverkeepers, Crayford Marshes, Environment, River Thames, Rivers, Thames21, Volunteering | Leave a comment

Residents revolt over Council ‘carnage’ on banks of Wyncham Stream. New row as Council describes heavy-handed management of Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation as ‘tree maintenance’.

Posted on 19/02/2015 by Chris Rose

Bexley Council is once again under scrutiny for an apparently budget-driven ‘scorched earth’ approach to vegetation management. Complaints from residents about the severity of an operation last week along the Wyncham stream, a tributary of the Shuttle, where it flows between Brookend … Continue reading →

Posted in Bexley Council, Biodiversity Action Plan, BNEF, coppicing, Environment, Friends of the Shuttle, Parks, River Shuttle, Rivers, RSPB, SINC, Trees, vegetation management, Volunteering, Wyncham Stream | 4 Comments

The River Cray is not for scrap – it’s our nature!

Posted on 18/02/2015 by Chris Rose

Cray Project Officer Michael Heath reports on last week’s (Fri. 13th) removal of car parts from the river just below Crayford town centre, following a second major fly-tipping incident: It was wonderful to be joined by old faces (returning volunteers) … Continue reading →

Posted in Cray Riverkeepers, Environment, Fly-tipping, River Cray, Rivers, Volunteering | Leave a comment

Over 2,000 Ring-necked Parakeets at Danson roost again

Posted on 17/02/2015 by Chris Rose

Eleven people attended the Friends of the Shuttle Danson Park Parakeet count on this sunny evening (Feb 17th), tallying some 2,125 birds into the roost area on the north side of the lake. Participants came from FotS, Bexley RSPB, BNEF … Continue reading →

Posted in Demonstration, Environment, Friends of the Shuttle, Open spaces, Parks, Ring-necked Parakeet, River Shuttle, roost site, RSPB, Volunteering | 2 Comments