About Save Dumbleton | Why We’re Protecting Local Wildlife

Our Story

The Full Story - Introduction

Dumbleton is a small village with a big responsibility. A housing development at a site known as Golden Hay has been approved within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, despite years of objections and clear evidence of wildlife value including important bat foraging and commuting routes linked to Dumbleton Hall. Local residents have come together as Save Dumbleton to ask simple but vital questions: Why was this development approved now, after more than a decade of rejection? Have protected species and habitats been properly considered and safeguarded? How can we stop further harm to our countryside and wildlife? This is not about opposing all housing. It is about balance, transparency, and stewardship making sure development does not erase the very landscape and wildlife that make this place home

WHO ARE WE

We are a group of Dumbleton residents who care deeply about the village, its landscape, and the wildlife that depends on it. Many of us have lived here for years; some for generations. All of us believe we have a duty to protect this countryside for those who come after us.

WHAT WE STAND FOR

Thoughtful, genuinely sustainable planning

Protection of protected species and habitats

Transparency in decision-making

Respect for the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

🦇 WHAT NATURAL ENGLAND’S REPLY MEANS FOR OUR CAMPAIGN

Natural England has now confirmed something crucial for our community: Tewkesbury Borough Council alone is responsible for ensuring protected species are properly surveyed and safeguarded before planning consent is granted. This includes verifying that ecological reports are accurate, up to date, and legally compliant.

This matters because the Council relied on an ecological report with significant gaps and outdated information, even though Golden Hay sits within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and supports at least 11 species of bats, including highly sensitive horseshoe and barbastelle species. These bats rely on the hedgerows, treelines, dark corridors and open foraging grounds that the development threatens to remove.

Natural England has made it clear that:

• They do not assess every planning application for species impacts.
• Instead, the Local Planning Authority must ensure that all surveys, assessments and mitigation meet national standards.
• Protected species such as bats are a material consideration, meaning they cannot be ignored or dismissed.
• Even with planning permission, the developer must still obtain a bat licence, which will not be granted unless the ecological evidence is robust.

In simple terms, if the surveys are incomplete, out of season, missing dawn or dusk counts, or fail to meet Bat Conservation Trust standards, then the planning decision is not legally secure, and the Council must revisit its conclusions.

This reinforces what our community has said from the beginning: the ecological assessment used in this case does not meet the standard required to protect one of the most important bat networks in the county. Natural England’s reply does not close the matter, it strengthens it. It confirms that the burden of ensuring legal protection for these species lies squarely with the Council, and that they must demonstrate their decision meets the law.

Our campaign continues because this is bigger than a single field. It is about preserving the ecological integrity of Dumbleton, protecting our AONB, and ensuring future decisions respect wildlife, residents and the law. With your support, we will keep pressing for transparency, accountability and genuine protection for the creatures who cannot speak for themselves, but whose survival depends on what we do next.