Petition to save 10 acres of land at Low Farm Allerston for nature, by giving it to Allerston Wildlife Enthusiasts.
• Allerston Wildlife Enthusiasts (AWE) is a group of
individuals from Allerston and the surrounding area who want to
improve the local area for wildlife and nature through direct
action, which includes acquiring land in Allerston to create a
haven for wildlife.
• North Yorkshire Council (NYC) owns two farms in Allerston
which have been rented for decades to tenant farmers but are both
now vacant. New South Farm consists of 98 acres and on 6th March
2024 it was put on the market for sale by Public Online Auction.
Low Farm consists of approximately 100 acres and it is understood
that discussions have taken place with a developer about the
redevelopment of some of the buildings to create housing, a play
area and allotments and that the remainder of Low Farm is expected
to be put on the market for sale in the near future.
• There has been a national decline in wildlife habitats and
the Allerston area is no exception.
• North Yorkshire Council itself has a biodiversity action
plan that identifies habitats and species that may need
conservation help. Their website states that sites of importance
for nature are, as a result of increasing pressures, often small
isolated and fragmented and that their Environmental Team is
working with partners to protect 750 sites in the County. [http://www.northyorks.gov.uk
Ecology and wildlife].
• The Ryedale Biodiversity Action Plan (RBAP) pointed out that
the world is losing biodiversity at an alarming rate and provides
some examples : just seven hectares of acidic oak woodland exists,
less than 4% of the area estimated to exist 20 years ago; surveys
of great crested newts in the 1990’s suggested that around
one third of field ponds had disappeared during the last 20 years.
Loss of biodiversity is not inevitable and it is possible to take
action on a small and local scale, the accumulation of which can
make a real difference to wildlife. [RBAP 2007-2012 p.7]
• In Yorkshire in recent times more than 98% of traditional
meadows and woodlands that are two key butterfly habitats, have
been lost. Many butterflies are in decline and a quarter are facing
extinction; the Duke of Burgundy and Pearl Bordered Fritillary are
particularly vulnerable due to habitat loss and are increasingly
susceptible to extinction. [Butterfly Conservation at http://www.yorkshirebutterflies.org.uk].
• The sale of Low Farm provides a one time opportunity to
safeguard a significant area of land which AWE would protect from
the vagaries of farming and development to create a habitat where
wildlife, flora and fauna can thrive for the benefit of the
community now and be a legacy for future generations.
• We the undersigned who reside, work or study in North
Yorkshire therefore present this Petition to request North
Yorkshire Council to give 10 acres of land at Low Farm to AWE to
create a haven for wildlife.
Started by: Laura Stephenson
This ePetition runs from 11/03/2024 to 11/06/2024.
14 people have signed this ePetition.