Concern over path construction at nature reserve

Environmental campaigners and a parish council say pets have been hurt and wildlife could be blocked as work to built a path at a nature reserve continues.

Newcastle City Council approved plans for a route through the Havannah Nature Reserve, to connect the Great Park estate to Hazlerigg earlier this year.

Save Newcastle Wildlife and Hazlerigg Parish Council said the works had been accessed via a private road without permission and there were reports of pets being injured on discarded barbed wire.

The Labour-run local authority said use of the private road had stopped and barbed wire was removed.

It added the path was being constructed so pupils could access Great Park Academy safely.

Save Newcastle Wildlife said it was told the "essential" work would be completed for the start of the school year, but it is still ongoing.

"That wildlife corridor is just being repeatedly severed and fragmented," a spokesperson said.

"There's virtually no connectivity now for wildlife to move through the landscape."

They added light pollution from lighting at the path would be "detrimental" to moths and insects in the reserve.

A city council spokesperson said impacts on the reserve had been "fully considered" during the planning process.

They added the route would not be fenced off and lighting had been designed to provide prolonged periods of darkness for wildlife.

A spokesperson for Hazlerigg Parish Council said construction traffic had accessed the works via a private road without permission, "disturbing residents and damaging the road".

They added public rights of way had been diverted and blocked, which had caused "confusion and disruption for local people, particularly when trying to walk children to school".

"We are also concerned about litter and construction waste and have had reports that carelessly discarded barbed wire has injured people's pets, despite repeated requests for hazardous material to be removed," the spokesperson said.

They called on the city council's planning and enforcement officers to ensure work was "undertaken with greater care and attention to detail".

Newcastle City Council said the it had been made aware of "some access" being made via a private road in Hazlerigg but this had stopped after the matter was raised with contractors.

Barbed wire had also been removed, the local authority said.

"The current public right of way has a temporary closure notice to allow for the upgrading of the route," it added.

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