This is one a a series of articles published in Longstanton Life between February 2016 and the present, showing just how often dire warnings were issued about the destruction of Longstanton’s groundwater, and just how often they were ignored by those whose duty it was to take timely action.
Hilary Stroude wrote:
Not long ago Jeff Harrison, our very own wildlife photographer, reported that he had successfully captured images of Kingfishers breeding in a pond situated somewhere in the old Golf Course area. Jeff then provided the LLife with exclusive photographs of these delightful, wonderful little birds with their iridescent blue/ green wings and orange/ chestnut under parts. This pond is now part of Northstowe (Phase 1), hence now comes under the responsibility of Gallagher.
Quoting directly for the RSPB website, “As a fairly rare, easily disturbed bird, the kingfisher is afforded the highest degree of legal protection under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 … It is an offence to take, injure or kill a kingfisher or to take, damage or destroy its nest, eggs or young. It is also an offence to intentionally or recklessly disturb the birds close to their nest during the breeding season. Violation of the law can attract fines up to £5,000 per offence and/or a prison sentence of up to six months.”
By all recent accounts this pond has been decimated; now virtually empty, its small fish – the food for the Kingfisher – killed, and vegetation is now reclaiming it. Equally, an overflow pipe that once ensured the water level did not exceed a maximum level thus swamping the Kingfisher nests, has been blocked. Unless the pond is re-instated and restocked with fish, kingfishers will not be attracted to breed there. Has this all been caused by the dewatering of the area to provide adequate drainage for the Phase 1 development? By the extraction of water from the gravel seam that lies just below the surface to the north/ east of Longstanton High Street, lowering of the local natural water table has been achieved; but this is also at the expense of the destruction of ponds and wells in this area, not to mention possible other long term more serious consequences.