Hanham District Green Belt Conservation Society

18/02/2023

Come and speak to us TODAY outside the shops opposite Hanham Common, Memorial Road; here from 10am-2pm.
Find out about proposal to build on green belt behind Hencliffe Way, how/when to make your views known, join our group - the more households we represent the stronger our voice.
The land known as “The Batch” is situated between the woods, Bickley Close/Hencliffe Way, Water Lane & Castle Farm Road, used to be meadows although maize has been grown there in recent years.
Photo credit to Caroline

17/02/2023

Newsletter article I wrote a few years ago. (Remember to record backdated wildlife sightings as well)

Is Hanham Green Belt rich in Wildlife?
People who do not support our green belt have been known to state that there is little or no wildlife inhabiting it; some have even suggested that perhaps brownfield sites provide better homes for wildlife. Do you agree? We don’t.
Perhaps we should all be recording the diverse wildlife that we know thrives in areas in and around Hanham, Willsbridge & Longwell Green? From pollinating insects and flowers, birds of prey, newts, bats, badgers and deer, to name just a few.
Please record any wildlife sightings, no matter how insignificant or common they may seem, as this helps to demonstrate what a fantastic place the green belt is for wildlife as well as for the health and wellbeing of humans.

How do you record? There are lots of national and local organisations that would like people to record sightings via their websites, such as
- the National Biodiversity Network (NBN) - https://nbn.org.uk/record-share-explore-data/start-recording-wildlife/
- the Biological Records Centre (BRC)’s iRecord website - http://www.brc.ac.uk/irecord/
iRecord is also available as a mobile phone App. The aim of iRecord is to make it easier for wildlife sightings to be collated, checked by experts and made available to support research and decision-making at local and national levels. Wildlife sightings for non-sensitive species will also be made available to Local Environmental Record Centres such as Bristol Regional Environmental Records Centre http://www.brerc.org.uk/
- BRERC also allows you to record directly via their website, or send your sightings via e-mail or post (although you need to first obtain the form from their website).

You don’t need photos in order to record sightings but do add any that you have.

Not sure what you have seen? There are lots of websites that produce guides to help you identify flora and fauna, for example:
- Woodland Trust’s naturescalendar.org.uk has a range of straightforward and interesting ‘fact packs’
- or try iSpot which is a website aimed at helping anyone identify anything in nature, you can add a photo, location and get help with identification -http://www.ispotnature.org/communities/uk-and-ireland

Keep a look out for surveys that you can take part in which relate to particular species or times of year, e.g. search on NBN’s database of surveys -https://nbn.org.uk/tools-and-resources/nbn-toolbox/database-of-wildlife-surveys-and-recording-schemes/

07/02/2023

We are strongly opposed to building on green belt land including “The Batch”, green belt land behind Hencliffe Way, Water Lane/Bickley Close and Castle Farm Road in Hanham.
This area of green belt land has been under threat of development for many years.
We have been in contact with South Glos Council and our local MP for some time and will be taking legal advice if required. More information will follow.

You may or may not be aware of a questionnaire from private developers fishing for information from residents, in order to help the developers finesse a proposal to build on the land.

(Any developer would have to submit a planning application to South Glos Council which is when the public has the opportunity to raise objections with the council. You can sign up for notifications about planning applications on SGC website).

A public consultation has been launched over plans to build up to 149 homes on Green Belt land at Hanham. Ashfield Land, which owns the three-field site known locally as The Batch, has partnered with Redrow Homes to unveil plans …

05/11/2022

The impact of climate change measures on community over next 20 years - presentation and opportunity to ask questions of Senior Environmental Policy officer from South Glos Council at our Annual General Meeting WED 9th Nov 7.30pm at the New Rooms Hanham Baptist church, Hanham High Street

13/06/2021

Register to attend Thurs 17th public consultation & plans for the former Kleeneze site Anstey's Road / Martins Road in Hanham, Bristol. event is held online on 17 June at 5.30pm. Please visit www.ansteysroad.co.uk. On behalf of Homes England

As a government agency, Homes England has responsibility for accelerating new residential development, to help meet the much recognised local and national need for new homes, improve neighbourhoods and grow communities. Homes England is committed to helping unlock land where the market will not, to....

12/06/2021

If you like yellow...and need to lift your spirits why not go for a walk this weekend around Hanham Hills and the meadows...there are so many buttercups this year it looks beautiful. Share your photos and let us know what other plants and wildlife you see?
A few I spotted - oxeye daisies, eggs & bacon 😁 (birds-foot-trefoil), dainty reddish pink sorrel seed heads, red and white clovers, selfheal (prunella vulgaris), hogweed and cow parsley. For help to identify plants try websites such as magnificentMeadows, woodland trust, botanicalKeys, PlantLife plus there are apps that suggest plants based on your photos

13/05/2021

Conham Hill quarry steps closed Monday 17 - Wednesday 19 May.

We're carrying out essential work to improve safety at Conham Hill rock face from Monday 17 May.

We'll be removing some large pieces of unstable rock and the quarry steps will be closed to the public for 3 days while this takes place.

We are sorry for any inconvenience.

05/10/2020

MPs will be debating the government’s damaging proposals to deregulate planning on Thursday 8 October - just a few short days away. 

26/09/2020

If you / your community want to continue to have a say in what gets built and what gets protected in your area...
Please take 30 seconds to sign this CPRE petition...otherwise new planning policy means that developers will be able to do as they wish.
Please ask others to sign as well, thank you.

Senior Conservatives are poised to ambush the Government with a series of backbench debates over the coming weeks

03/05/2020