West Berkshire Council 'is wrong' about hedgehog numbers claim

Campaigners say West Berkshire Council is hiding behind wrong facts about dwindling hedgehog numbers in the district.

More than 1,800 people have now signed a petition lobbying the council to put planning conditions on new developments to make holes in fences for hedgehogs to get through.

“The public response to the petition was overwhelmingly supportive," said Jill Hoblin, the petition sponsor.

"Many people shared their personal experiences with the hedgehogs in their gardens and expressed dismay at the council’s decision not to mandate hedgehog highways on new developments.

"We heard stories from people where hedgehogs have now disappeared from their gardens and allotments, which points even more firmly to the need for something proactive needing to be done to reverse local decline.”

The number of signatures means the council has to allow the matter debating time the next time it meets – as members of the public can only present petitions at the executive committee of the council.

Earlier this year, Newbury Town Council had its attempts to get holes put in fences in new developments to help save the creatures thwarted by West Berkshire Council, which is the planning authority.

It has said no, citing the National Planning Policy Framework as a reason, claiming planning conditions forcing developers to put holes in fences would be ‘over burdening’.

West Berkshire Council claims a blanket policy for hedgehog highways would not meet the requirements of national planning legislation because "... there is no specific evidence of a fall in the district’s hedgehog population, making it difficult for council to introduce such a policy”.