Ten years ago a tiny snail almost stopped the Newbury bypass, but to get out of a legal mire the then Government translocated the snail to a new home. Now a wildlife charity has discovered that the snail has gone extinct on the translocation site and is in trouble elsewhere. This and the fact that the Government’s report evaluating the road scheme does not assess the impacts to wildlife raises questions about the current Government’s commitment to biodiversity conservation.
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| Desmoulin's whorl snail
(Vertigo moulinsiana)
© Roger Key |
In 1996 the Government was pushing through an increasingly controversial road building programme. The culmination of the battle was at Newbury where a bypass was given permission to cut through Berkshire, fields, heaths, woods and marshes. Human chains, tree dwellers and tunnellers all stood in the way, but the last legal hope for the wildlife rested on a tiny snail protected by international legislation living in the marshes on the route of the bypass – Desmoulin’s whorl snail (Vertigo moulinsiana).
In a storm of public attention and upset the Government pushed through a compromise – the snail would be moved and given a new home at a cost of £250,000, then this and other fragments of the snail’s habitat on the Kennet and Lambourn rivers would be given a secure future by being designated as a Special Area of Conservation – the highest level of protection.
Buglife – The Invertebrate Conservation Trust has discovered that the snail has gone extinct on the translocation site and is in difficulties on other parts of the supposed sanctuary. The Government’s report “A34 Newbury Bypass ‘Five Years After’” released on Tuesday states that the road is “not consistent with environmental policies” but it completely fails to assess the impacts of the road on wildlife and biodiversity conservation.
Matt Shardlow Buglife Director says “We are in the midst of a biodiversity crisis, the loss of Desmoulin’s whorl snail on its translocation site is a timely reminder of the fragility of the wildlife around us. Quick fixes rarely work, we need our leaders to take a brave choice that will protect natural resources for our descendants. The Newbury bypass cost over £100 million pounds; with a budget commitment equivalent to 30 miles of road our Government could halt the current loss of British habitats and species.”
Further Notes :
Buglife-The Invertebrate Conservation Trust is the first organisation in Europe devoted to the conservation of all invertebrates, and is actively engaged in saving Britain's rarest bugs, butterflies, snails, bees, wasps, ants, spiders, beetles and many more fascinating creatures. Set up in 2000, the charity now has eight members of staff working on diverse projects including a bumblebee survey and brownfield conservation. For more information on the work of Buglife go to: www.buglife.org.uk.
Other Newbury bypass information
A34 Newbury Bypass ‘Five Years After’ Evaluation (1998-2003) (Post Opening Project Evaluation report) is published today by the Highways Agency.
It states that the bypass is “not consistent with environmental policies”, but that “negative environmental impacts as a result of the scheme….could be mitigated to minimise impacts”. The report does not asses the impact on biodiversity but states that “Further study would be required to evaluate fully the full range of environmental impacts”.
New Roads: The Damage Done and the Lessons Unlearnt-
see CPRE Press release 3 July 2006
They found traffic on the Newbury Bypass has now reached or exceeded the levels forecast for the year 2010 and extra traffic had flowed onto local roads as a result of the schemes. Peak-time congestion in Newbury is back to original levels.
For further information on the plight of Desmoulin’s whorl snail call Matt Shardlow 01733 201210 / 07921 700151.
For Buglife's original press release please click here. 