Wildlife trust fears for birds at Wolverhampton Halfpenny Green Airport

Staffordshire Wildife Trust says the airport is thought to be of county significance for birds including lapwings and skylarks and is one of the last breeding sites in lowland Staffordshire for the declining curlew.

The county’s leading nature conservation charity says that other important wildlife – including bats and other mammals – will be impacted if the plans to create an airport village at Halfpenny Green, near Bobbington, are given the green light.

The trust, which has its headquarters at Wolseley Bridge, near Stafford, has sent an objection to South Staffordshire District Council over the plans which are part of efforts to regenerate the Crab Lane site.

The scheme is also close to the trust’s Highgate Common nature reserve.

The charity’s planning team believes the plans should be refused due to a lack of information on protected and priority species and a likely net loss of biodiversity.

Kate Dewey, senior planning officer for the trust, said: “There would be an overall loss of semi-natural habitats on the site under the current proposals.

“This would appear to result in a net loss of biodiversity – contrary to local planning policy which encourages enhancement of nature.

“The airfield is a key piece in the jigsaw of semi-natural habitats in the area, which connect and support nationally protected sites such as Highgate Common Site of Special Scientific Interest. A lot of the surrounding farmland is in stewardship schemes so landowners are managing with wildlife in mind. The airfield is secure from people and predators so that is perhaps why we see so many birds here.

“The proposals would extend into the open grassland on the site and this could be critical to the bird species that breed there.”