An alleged assault has taken place at a protest involving campaigners camping on a Derbyshire field to prevent the construction of 200 houses over concerns for wildlife.
The group of campaigners has set up what they have dubbed Camp Badger – comprising two tents, a gazebo and a number of garden and dining chairs – on land known as Nether Farm off Birchwood Lane in Somercotes.
This is to prevent Avant Homes and their chosen brownfield specialists Sirius from remediating the site and constructing 200 homes, following final planning approval from Amber Valley Borough Council in November.
However, this morning (February 27), campaigners reported an alleged assault to the police, with a man and a woman arrested, on suspicion of assault and driving offences respectively, with six police cars attending in response.
A police spokesperson said: “We have attended Birchwood Lane in Somercotes on a number of occasions since Friday, February 23, in relation to a small protest at a housing construction site.
“We will continue to liaise with contractors at the site and those protesting to ensure everyone involved is kept safe and to minimise disruption as much as possible.”
The November planning decision over the development followed years of protests, including a High Court battle, over contamination on the site, stemming from its location next to an historic toxic tip named LS01.
Cllr Steve Tomlinson, a member of Somercotes Parish Council, is among the campaigners taking part in the occupation of Nether Farm.
He and his fellow campaigners have been occupying the site and blocking access to construction staff and equipment since Friday, February 23, and day they will continue to do so until further notice.
Cllr Tomlinson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “We are a group of local people who are fed up with developers getting away with causing environmental and ecological damage.
“The group, including the Mid Derbyshire Badger Group, have recorded at least five badger sets, bat roosts and a barn owl on the site.
“Derbyshire Wildlife Trust told Amber Valley Borough Council (AVBC) that there was no ecological reason to stop the development but they have admitted that they have never been on-site in recent years.
“We have taken a decision to take over and keep a careful eye on Sirius who are starting remedial work on the site.
“Not only are they interfering with badgers’ sets, they will also be digging up the land and destroying the badger’s tunnels.
“Along with the wildlife situation there are also health worries for local residents because of what is buried in the fields and the adjacent landfill.
“The aim of the group is to make sure that all reticent licences are obtained and that a full ecological assessment has been carried out.
“We are aware that planning consent does have conditions placed in it, however, given that AVBC has a track record of not enforcing conditions we felt we had no other choice but to take action.”
In response to the protest and the issues of ecology and wildlife, an Avant Homes spokesperson said: “We understand our obligations to wildlife when it comes to the ecology of our residential development sites.
“At Somercotes, we have therefore been working collaboratively with Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and the local police whilst adhering to Natural England guidelines.
“Similarly, all the works undertaken on site are being done so in accordance with our planning obligations and to the satisfaction of local planning officers.
“We will continue to adhere to our obligations throughout the construction phase as we deliver 200 much-needed quality new homes for the local community.”
The borough council confirmed it is awaiting a badger survey which forms part of the conditions for the scheme’s approval in November, and is currently assessing a submitted ecological enhancement plan which Avant submitted in December.
A spokesperson for Derbyshire Wildlife Trust said: “As part of our service level agreement with Amber Valley Borough Council, we reviewed the ecological assessment submitted as part of the planning application for the development of agricultural land off Birchwood Lane in 2019, and on the basis of this we did not raise objections.
“We did make recommendations regarding conditions and we were aware that the site was subject to ongoing ecological checks and monitoring by the applicant.
“Recently, we have been liaising between different groups and organisations to ensure that information on the ecology of the site is shared to try and ensure that full account is taken of any issues.
“We are continuing to liaise with representatives of the developer, local residents and the council to ensure the needs of wildlife are taken into account in accordance with legislation, best practice and Government guidance.”
When the 200-home Nether Farm homes were approved in November campaigners warned councillors of “corporate manslaughter” if a resident were to die in connection to health hazards linked to the site.
Cllr Tomlinson had told the meeting: “Corporate manslaughter is the least of your worries because this council will be bankrupt through all the compensation claims.”
Cllr Tomlinson, whose wife Hannah suffered a severe stroke after suspected exposure to contaminants, being the only case declared investigated by the UKHSA, had said “people getting ill is being ignored”.
Mrs Tomlinson discussed her health ailments at length with the LDRS in April in a bid to raise concerns.
