Golden Hay Development Could Violate Wildlife Protection Regulations

Golden Hay Development May Breach Wildlife Protection Laws

Charming homes sit peacefully among lush green fields and hedgerows, embodying a perfect blend of rural tranquility and modern living.

Campaigners opposing the Golden Hay housing development have uncovered serious concerns that the project may violate the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017.

These laws protect species such as bats, which have been confirmed on and around the site through acoustic monitoring and ecological surveys. Destroying or disturbing their roosts and feeding habitats is a criminal offence that can lead to unlimited fines and imprisonment.

A major legal precedent was set in 2020 when Bellway Homes was convicted and fined £600,000 for

unlawfully destroying bat roosts. The law is clear: developers who ignore ecological protections can and will face prosecution.

Local residents are calling for an urgent legal review by Tewkesbury Borough Council’s Solicitor and for independent confirmation from bat ecology expert Professor Anna Goodenough.

The community insists that development cannot come at the cost of irreplaceable wildlife habitat.