Lydney councillor says rewilding making a mess of town

Calls have been made for a move away from "catastrophic" rewilding, following complaints about the "mess" it has made in a town.

Lydney councillor Alan Preest voiced concerns over the process of rebuilding a natural ecosystem at a Forest of Dean District Council meeting on 27 July.

He referred to recent comments made by broadcaster Alan Titchmarsh, who said rewilding can be bad for diversity.

Mr Preest said residents had complained about how it had been introduced.

The Conservative councillor told the meeting that rewilding efforts are blighting the Centurion Road area and had created a mess around Newerne Street car park.

"You may be aware that some residents are not happy with the way that this council has introduced the biodiversity areas along Centurion Road," said Mr Preest.

"Alan Titchmarsh, a noted expert in this area, has now issued a significant warning, 'trendy re-wilded gardens are 'catastrophic' for wildlife," he added.

Mr Titchmarsh has expressed scepticism over rewilding, which cuts human influence on the environment, and recently told a House of Lords investigation that it is an "ill-considered" trend.

Mr Preest questioned the Green Party-led council on what benefit the rewilding areas produce and asked if civic chiefs were making decisions driven by idealistic politics rather than representing the views of their residents.

"Are schemes such as Centurion Road being driven forward for political reasons rather than in the interests of the community and Britain's horticultural industry," he added.

Cabinet member for the environment, Jackie Fraser, said the council had declared a 'biodiversity emergency' and has clear objectives to safeguard and enrich biodiversity, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"Our biodiversity and climate crisis should not be a political issue.

"There needs to be a global, national and local action plan from everyone to ensure safe, connected and living habitats for both human and wildlife populations," she added.

Ms Fraser added she would be happy to go on a site visit in Lydney to hear Mr Preest's concerns.

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