Another NWN non-story with a catchy headline grabber, "West Berkshire roads have most crashes in county" Options

[Andy Capp]

That maybe true but building in urban areas is a very small percentage of the reason for the overall decline. Could it have anything to do with insect decline due to pesticides along with changes to farming practices, major decrease in the cereals crops and the loss of our hedgerows. We could mention, and it's always a good one, climate change, which may also have had a detrimental effect on insect population. Perhaps a better solution might be to turn over fields to the production of buddleia, that would be good for all our natural resources, bees, butterflies, bats but not bikes. Have you noticed that the swift and swallow visitation has also been in decline, they are insect eaters too.

I'm sure that as we are a bit short of caves in the UK, we might need to control the change of use of barns and the like out in the countryside but developments like Parkway were never bat habitats and if they were, the occupants would surely move on.

This is no reason why conservation should be ignored.

[Exhausted]

This is no reason why conservation should be ignored.

But that's the point, it is being ignored. A few bats that nest in the urban area and which various departments get their knickers in a twist about and for which they draw a nice comfortable salary, is small change. Deal with the problems of pesticides, intensive farming and leaving fields fallow in return for a nice subsidy.

Urban bats can easily be accommodated with a Morrison tile or slate and most developers would do that without bullying by the authority. It's bad enough being bullied by the bike shed brigade and every man and his dog wanting an S106 payment. All these things add to the cost of a development and the final price the purchaser has to pay.

Government want/demand new build but the local authorities seem to need their sound bite and often refuse for the wrong reasons.

[Andy Capp]

But that's the point, it is being ignored. A few bats that nest in the urban area and which various departments get their knickers in a twist about and for which they draw a nice comfortable salary, is small change. Deal with the problems of pesticides, intensive farming and leaving fields fallow in return for a nice subsidy.

Urban bats can easily be accommodated with a Morrison tile or slate and most developers would do that without bullying by the authority. It's bad enough being bullied by the bike shed brigade and every man and his dog wanting an S106 payment. All these things add to the cost of a development and the final price the purchaser has to pay.

Government want/demand new build but the local authorities seem to need their sound bite and often refuse for the wrong reasons.

I trust developers no less or more than I trust authorities to make the right choice. How many developments have been turned down because of the birds, bats and bikes brigade? If developments readily employ Morrison tile or slate than it won't be because of bat conservation.

[Turin Machine]

I think its 'Morris Tile'.

[Exhausted]

I think its 'Morris Tile'.

Yes, you are correct of course. just watched a TV advert for Morrison and it was in my head.