Plan bee: New measures to protect pollinators

4 November 2014 Last updated at 01:30

By Victoria Gill

Science reporter, BBC News

The Government has made an agreement with landowners including Network Rail and the Highways Agency to restore bee-friendly habitat throughout England.

It is part of a 10-year National Pollinator Strategy.

But some conservation groups say the plan does not go far enough.

It includes countryside stewardship schemes, worth a total of £900m, to provide financial incentives for farmers to plant pollinator-friendly crops and let meadows grow.

The plan is announced on Tuesday by Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss.

It will be the key policy announcement of her first major speech as environment secretary.

The coalition has been criticised for some of its actions on the natural environment, including the controversial badger cull and a plan to sell off forests, which was ultimately scrapped. So Ms Truss will look to move the debate forward.

She will say in her keynote speech that "our health, our jobs and our future prosperity and security depend on nature in this country".

Continued ...

Emu spotted on Lowestoft to Ipswich train line

Network Rail recorded a sighting of the exotic bird near Saxmundham at 11.20am (Monday July 9) – but it is believed to have caused little disruption.

A spokesman for Network Rail said: “It is not uncommon to have cows and sheep on the line, but an emu is rare.

“When there are reports of animals on the line trains are cautioned through, before being sped up later on to make up the time.”

The incident comes after an ostrich forced a train to slow down near Wickham Market on Thursday, May 24 when it wandered onto the line between Ipswich and Saxmundham.

Did you take a picture of the emu on your journey? Contact reporter Ben Woods on ben.woods@archant.co.uk, call 01502 525832, or message him on twitter @ben_woods01

http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/emu_spotted_on_lowestoft_to_ipswich_train_line_1_1439268

Network Rail endangers wildlife with scrub clearing

RSPB urges network rail to comply with bird protection laws - 1.5 million birds' nests in danger from ‘track clearing'June 2012. Network Rail, which manages an estimated 20,000 miles of railway line, has come into conflict with the RSPB, local residents and even British Transport Police over the destruction of trackside vegetation which provides a home for an estimated 1.5 million birds' nests.

"Creating wildlife habitat rather than destroying it by hiding behind health and safety would help nature to flourish and it would also go a long way towards establishing a better relationship with the estimated 20 million people who live within 500 metres of a railway line."

Although the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act protects all wild birds and their eggs and nests, Network Rail is potentially contravening the law by removing scrub and felling trees containing nests. The destruction of nests during the bird breeding season (March until August) is generally regarded as a criminal offence.

Darren Moorcroft is head of species and habitats for the RSPB. Commenting on the scale of the destruction and the impact on birds, Darren said: "Network Rail has a vital role in protecting public health and safety and we recognise this will mean removing trees occasionally. However, Network Rail also has a duty of care to local wildlife and residents. As a minimum, we expect Network Rail to comply with the law, but with such a vast estate it could do so much more.

‘Hiding behind health and safety'Mark Thomas is an investigations officer with the RSPB. He said: "In the last two months, RSPB has been informed about a number of cleared areas including high-profile incidents such at Whitstable and Islington, where members of the local community even chained themselves to rail-side trees in an attempt to protect their valuable green space and breeding birds. At Whitstable, work was postponed after a British Transport Police wildlife crime officer intervened and challenged the necessity to undertake the work during the bird breeding season."

The RSPB has written to Network Rail wanting to share good practice and it is urging Network Rail to be responsible custodians of their value wildlife corridors.

Mark Thomas added: "Network Rail has a real opportunity to improve its ways of working. It is in no one's interest for Network Rail to fall foul of the law, but this is what they currently risk doing."

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/network-rail.html

Protestors claim railway line trees victory in Network Rail fight... for now

Environmental campaigners have claimed victory in their fight to stop Network Rail from clearing trees close to a railway line - for now.

More than 100 protestors with placards gathered for a demonstration in Whitstable this morning.

Three women even chained themselves to trees in protest at plans to clear embankments beside the railway line.

They say the trees, which are behind Cromwell Road, are home to dozens of pairs of breeding birds as well as protecting residents from noise.

Network Rail bosses have now decided to delay any clearance work until September after finding evidence of rare birds nesting beside the track.

KentOnline reporter Jess Banham, who was at the protest this morning, said: "There are some very happy protestors here.

"Network Rail have done another walk of the track and have decided there is evidence of rare birds nesting, so they're going to delay any clearance work until the end of September.

"But it's not quite good enough for the women chained to the tree, though - they're going to stay there until they get everything in writing."

Alan Johnson, from the RSPB, said: "We think this is an important green corridor and we need to protect it.

"We need to make sure birds are, during the breeding season in particular, well protected."

Continued:  http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentonline/news/2012/may/28/trees_protest.aspx