Wildlife experts have been left devastated by the continued intentional destruction of dune habitat on the Ardeer Peninsula in Ayrshire by its landowners – despite the dunes being ear-marked as part of a potential Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Local community groups and national wildlife organisations called on Scottish Government agency NatureScot to designate the special habitats of the Ardeer Peninsula as part of a Garnock Estuary SSSI back in 2022, building on a long-running local campaign to protect its wildlife. As it stands, much of the Ardeer Peninsula remains under threat from a Special Development Order dating back to 1953 which removes the requirements for planning permission that are needed almost anywhere else in Scotland.
In a welcomed move, NatureScot has been reviewing the potential boundaries for a SSSI in recent years, a vital step towards protecting its mosaic of dunes, grassland, woodlands, scrub and wetlands.
However, the local community has reported that despite NatureScot engaging with landowners about the potential designation, precious and irreplaceable sand dune habitat continues to be subject to sand extraction and further degradation through the dumping of soils, while large areas of biodiverse woodland have also been cleared.
Roger Hissett from the Ardeer Action Group said, “After more than a decade of campaigning by local naturalists it is tragic to see a developer determined to destroy the special and rare habitats and wildlife of this part of the Ardeer Peninsula. It is so sad that this attitude still persists into the 21st century just when the area is being considered for protection for the benefit of future generations.”
Rebecca Lewis, Buglife Scotland and Northern Ireland Manager said, “The Ardeer Peninsula has an important role to play in supporting the Scottish Government’s commitment to reversing biodiversity loss and NatureScot’s strategic goal of protecting 30% of Scotland’s land for nature by 2030. We are delighted that NatureScot agree that it is worthy of consideration for SSSI notification, but the ongoing activity is a blow to the integrity of this nationally important wildlife site- which has been called Scotland’s best site for bees.”
It is hoped that some of the damage that has taken place could be reversed with appropriate management and funding. The Garnock Estuary, which includes the Ardeer Peninsula in Stevenston and Garnock East in Irvine, is a unique mosaic of dunes, grassland, woodlands, scrub and wetlands. Although it has been modified by the site’s complex industrial past, it remains an incomparable haven for wildlife, including species that have been lost across much of the landscape. It is home to over 1,000 invertebrate species, including at least 99 of conservation concern and some found nowhere else in Scotland. The estuary is one of the most important breeding bird populations on the Lower Clyde coast and supports at least 46 rare plants, including endemic sub-species and those for which Scotland has an international responsibility.