Curlews threatened by holiday park expansion

The expansion of a holiday park is set to threaten a Eurasian Curlew breeding site in Northamptonshire.

Rockingham Forest Park opened in April 2021 with 55 lodges within an area of ancient woodland. Site owner Landal GreenParks has submitted an application to North Northamptonshire Council to go ahead with the second phase of the retreat, 80 further lodges on nearby brownfield land.

There are only an estimated 66,000 pairs of Eurasian Curlew left in the UK (Paul Bateson).

Eurasian Curlew, which is on the Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern in the UK, has been recorded at the proposed site in the breeding season since at least 2014.

Landal GreenParks announced its intention to gain full accreditation from Building for Nature last year, stating its 'commitment to the highest standards of landscape-led design to complement its rural surroundings'.

Rockingham Forest Park signed its own pledge with Building with Nature, saying it is committed to delivering a .biodiverse setting. for visitors.

North Northamptonshire Council said: "NNC officers are aware of the nesting curlews on-site and have consulted with the council’s in-house ecologist on the application to ensure nothing is overlooked in this regard."

In addition, statutory consultants Environmental Protection UK have raised concerns about the possibility of unexploded ordnance on the land, which was formally an RAF airbase. They said: " With any previously used land there is the possibility of contamination being present that may pose a risk to the proposed development and this instance the presence of UXO (unexploded ordnance). Having looked through the submitted information no assessments have been submitted in this respect."

No date has been set for the application to be discussed at a planning meeting, but all consultation comments to date have objected to the proposed holiday park extension.