FRIENDS of Lye Valley are delighted to see the growing number of objections to yet another proposal for development which would threaten the Lye Valley Site of Special Scientific Interest in Oxford.
Objections by individual local residents, the Bullingdon Community Association, Natural England and the Lye Valley Residents’ Association are all very welcome.
The new planning application for development threatens another part of the Lye Valley SSSI (see 16/00968/FUL, Land West of 75 Town Furze on the city council website).
It is right above the rare fen springs. A water infiltration Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SUDS) is proposed ‘to protect the springs’.
However, no SUDS system proven to protect fen springs is known to Natural England in the whole of England (Freedom of Information request RFI 3296).
Also this is before we have any evidence whatever that the nearby proposed Warren Crescent development SUDS actually will work to protect the fen springs from a decline in water quality.
Friends of Lye Valley are objecting (see our website friendsoflyevalley.
org.uk/threats) and we encourage all concerned with wildlife to do the same. The deadline for comments is May 26.
Future meetings of Friends of Lye Valley with Natural England and other agencies will, we hope, secure a future for this special place.
It is, after all, the home of 22 of the rarest plant species in the whole of Oxfordshire.
This is a treasure we really do want to pass on to future generations.
DR JUDY WEBB Chairwoman, Friends of Lye Valley
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