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How development can help wildlife

Building with wildlife in mind can have big benefits for people as well – research has shown that contact with nature is good for our health and wellbeing. Green spaces can also improve air quality, lower flood risk and provide places for the local community to come together.
Species

Common duckweed

The vast, green mats that sometimes cover the surface of still water, such as ponds, flooded gravel pits and old canals, are actually Common duckweed. A tiny, single plant, it groups together to…

Species

Crosswort

Crosswort gets its name from the position of its leaves - they surround the stem in groups of four, making a cross shape. The tiny, yellow flowers sit atop these crosses and bloom from April to…

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Speaking at Planning Committee

Larger and more complex developments are usually decided by the planning committee. Each local planning authority will have its own rules as to which applications will be decided by the planning committee (called the scheme of delegation). You can find out if an application is going to be decided by committee by looking at the application information or by asking the case officer.
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Wildlife Watch

Watch groups are for children aged between eight and twelve years old and their families. All groups operate within a monitored framework of child welfare and safety and all Watch leaders undergo a thorough recruitment process to check their suitability to work with young people.
Species

Himalayan balsam

As its name suggests, Himalayan balsam is from the Himalayas and was introduced here in 1839. It now an invasive weed of riverbanks and ditches, where it prevents native species from growing.

Species

Giant hogweed

As its name suggests, giant hogweed it a large umbellifer with distinctively ridged, hollow stems. An introduced species, it is an invasive weed of riverbanks, where it prevents native species…

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Beguiled by blues

Butterfly expert Alan Sumnall offers a thorough guide to one of our most enchanting groups of butterflies – the blues.

Species

Japanese knotweed

Introduced from Japan in the 19th century, Japanese knotweed is now an invasive non-native plant of many riverbanks, waste grounds and roadside verges, where it prevents native species from…

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How to create a mini pond

Even a small pond can be home to an interesting range of wildlife, including damsel and dragonflies, frogs and newts. Any pond can become a feeding ground for birds, hedgehogs and bats – the best…