Allotment owners and residents near a new Ruddington housing development are calling for the builders behind it to pay compensation after a historic hedgerow was destroyed. One of those already living at Wilbur Chase says its residents now feel "unwelcome" because of the developer's actions.
The Wilbur Chase project will eventually see 175 houses built in Ruddington, with many having already been completed. The development site backs on to the privately-owned Buttercup Allotments, with a hedgerow having separated the two.
In April, a contractor working on behalf of Avant Homes was seen tearing out around 30 metres of this hedgerow, which was home to wildlife including nesting birds, grass snakes and badgers. The developer has acknowledged this should not have taken place and has just re-planted what it destroyed.
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But Brian Booker, 80, the owner of the Buttercup Allotments, said: "They have now been and put a fence up between us and them, which we don't mind, and they've re-planted. But it will take years and years for the hedgerow to grow back and for the habitats and wildlife to recover.
"I'm not somebody who has got their head in the sand. There have got to be houses and they have got to be in somebody's back garden, but you don't go round ripping out established hedgerows." Mr Booker estimated that the destroyed hedgerow had been in place for at least 80 years.
An email from a senior Avant Homes employee, seen by Nottinghamshire Live, says: "Avant accepted that removal of that hedge wasn't following correct protocols." An Avant Homes spokesperson said: "We have replaced the hedgerow and can confirm it has been inspected to the local authority’s satisfaction."
But a letter signed by scores of local residents calls on Avant Homes to take further action in the wake of the hedgerow destruction. It asks Avant Homes to offer a donation to Ruddington Parish Council and the Buttercup Allotments as compensation for the damage caused.
Avant Homes were also asked to create a wildflower meadow within the new Wilbur Chase development, alongside the installation of bird nesting boxes. Avant Homes did not address whether it would take any of these actions.
The letter to the developer says: "This action has deeply upset the owner, Brian Booker, the patrons of the allotments, and other villagers. It is seen as clear evidence that the developer does not prioritise the well-being of our new village and its environment.
"Furthermore, the developer's actions have made the new residents of the Wilbur Chase estate feel unwelcome in Ruddington, as we are seen to have contributed to the destruction of our natural heritage and disrupted the sense of community that we cherish. As concerned residents, we believe it is imperative to take action to protect our village's wildlife and habitat."
Andrew Seggie, who lives on the new Wilbur Chase development and organised the letter to Avant Homes, added: "The other developments haven't caused too many problems, but a lot of people were upset by this one. The developers should have put the homes up and said 'look, these are all nice people and they will be good neighbours', but instead they have come in and destroyed local wildlife."
Mr Booker says he now hopes Avant Homes will leave the remaining hedge alone as work continues. Announced in 2020, the expectation was that work on Wilbur Chase would take four years to complete.
