Ecological survey for Grange Hill
Dear Wirral Metropolitan Borough
In March Cheshire ecological services ( CES) carried out a survey on Grange Hill covering the war memorial garden area with the aim to help with decisions re the proposed alterations to the garden by the Friends of Grange Hill. This had been requested by several residents for many years.
Thank you for disclosing the results, which highlited the need for more protection re several LWS species
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/5...
Can you please let me know :
1. Who paid for the survey : friends of Grange Hill or WBC?
2. Why wasn't fauna included in the survey?
3. As 2 animal species were already identified to be at risk even via the flora habitat survey, will you carry out a fauna survey as well for the memorial garden - as local residents have requested an in depth survey for many years?
4. Do you intend to carry out a comprehensive flora and fauna survey for the WHOLE of Grange Hill?
If not, why? If yes, by when?
5. What are the implications of the March 2018 survey : how will they influence the garden plans, will the FofGH and WBC take the recommendation on board and only alter the garden the way CES suggests?
6. What will happen to the LWS areas which have already been altered and don't qualify for LWS status anymore ( like the leveled grass area,where topsoil has been added and non qualifying grass has been sown) or to the whitebeam which should not have been felled.
7. If the garden renovation goes ahead, when will work start?
Yours faithfully,
Birgitta Kuhlmann-Müller
Dear Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council,
Your response to my request re the ecological survey on Grange Hill is delayed. By law, Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council should normally have responded promptly and by 24 September 2018.
Could you please send me answers to my questions.
Yours faithfully,
Birgitta Kuhlmann-Muller
Dear Ms Kuhlmann-Muller
We write in response to your Freedom of Information enquiry and apologise
of the delay in providing you with a response. Please see below.
1. Who paid for the survey : friends of Grange Hill or WBC?
Answer - WBC paid for the survey.
2. Why wasn't fauna included in the survey?
Answer – The study was initiated to provide information about all wildlife
aspects relevant to the development of the garden.
3. As 2 animal species were already identified to be at risk even via the
flora habitat survey, will you carry out a fauna survey as well for the
memorial garden - as local residents have requested an in depth survey
for many years?
Answer – At this stage, there is no plan to undertake any more survey
work. If it is felt necessary however, this will be reconsidered.
4. Do you intend to carry out a comprehensive flora and fauna survey for
the WHOLE of Grange Hill?
Answer – A further study is not under consideration at the moment.
5. What are the implications of the March 2018 survey : how will they
influence the garden plans, will the FofGH and WBC take the
recommendation on board and only alter the garden the way CES suggests?
Answer – This is under consideration by the Parks Service, and the Friends
of Grange Hill.
6. What will happen to the LWS areas which have already been altered and
don't qualify for LWS status anymore ( like the leveled grass area,where
topsoil has been added and non qualifying grass has been sown) or to the
whitebeam which should not have been felled.
Answer – No work has been planned at the present time.
7. If the garden renovation goes ahead, when will work start?
Answer – No date has been agreed for any work to the Memorial Garden.
Yours sincerely
Lynette Paterson
Principal Information Management Officer
Business Management
Treasury Building
Argyle Street
Birkenhead
Wirral
CH41 1AH
[1]Tel: 0151 691 8201
[2][Wirral Borough Council request email]
[3]LGC Awards15_Winner_MIP
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Dear Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council's handling of my FOI request 'Ecological survey for Grange Hill'
1. Who paid for the survey : friends of Grange Hill or WBC?
Answer - WBC paid for the survey.
Thank you.
2. Why wasn't fauna included in the survey?
Answer – The study was initiated to provide information about all wildlife
aspects relevant to the development of the garden.
Reply : point 2.2 in the CES survey states that a fauna survey was not commissioned.
Could you please answer my original question why fauna was not commissioned although WBC is aware that there are least 2 protected animal species living on Grange Hill?
3. As 2 animal species were already identified to be at risk even via the
flora habitat survey, will you carry out a fauna survey as well for the
memorial garden - as local residents have requested an in depth survey
for many years?
Answer – At this stage, there is no plan to undertake any more survey
work. If it is felt necessary however, this will be reconsidered.
Reply : what would be considered as necessary?
4. Do you intend to carry out a comprehensive flora and fauna survey for
the WHOLE of Grange Hill?
Answer – A further study is not under consideration at the moment.
Reply : as point 3 : which circumstance would need to happen in order for WBC to commission a survey for the WHOLE of Grange Hill?
5. What are the implications of the March 2018 survey : how will they
influence the garden plans, will the FofGH and WBC take the
recommendation on board and only alter the garden the way CES suggests?
Answer – This is under consideration by the Parks Service, and the Friends
of Grange Hill.
Reply : please clarify ( as asked before) whether the CES recommendations will be binding for WBC as the authority to protect the LWS status of Grange Hill.
6. What will happen to the LWS areas which have already been altered and
don't qualify for LWS status anymore ( like the leveled grass area,where
topsoil has been added and non qualifying grass has been sown) or to the
whitebeam which should not have been felled.
Answer – No work has been planned at the present time.
Reply : why does WBC not instruct FofGH to restore the damaged sites?
7. If the garden renovation goes ahead, when will work start?
Answer – No date has been agreed for any work to the Memorial Garden.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/e...
Yours faithfully,
Birgitta Kuhlmann-Muller
Dear Ms Kuhlmann-Muller
Thank you for your request for an internal review in relation to your
enquiry regards the [1]'Ecological survey for Grange Hill' by Cheshire
ecological services CES.
You have requested a review of Q2 – Q6 of your original request.
Wirral Council have revisited these queries and taken note of your further
comments made. Please now find a review as follows:
Your original request and response to Q2
2. Why wasn't fauna included in the survey?
Answer – The study was initiated to provide information about all wildlife
aspects relevant to the development of the garden.
You have now asked within your request for an internal review:
“Point 2.2 in the CES survey states that a fauna survey was not
commissioned.”
“Could you please answer my original question why fauna was not
commissioned although WBC is aware that there are least 2 protected animal
species living on Grange Hill?”
Internal review response:
The Report was commissioned to give us feedback on any wildlife present,
this includes fauna, as noted in 1.1 and 1.6 of the Report.
Your original request and response to Q3
3. As 2 animal species were already identified to be at risk even via the
flora habitat survey, will you carry out a fauna survey as well for the
memorial garden - as local residents have requested an in depth survey
for many years?
Answer – At this stage, there is no plan to undertake any more survey
work. If it is felt necessary however, this will be reconsidered.
You have now asked within your request for an internal review:
“What would be considered as necessary?”
Internal review response:
If a reason is identified, we would undertake further work. However, we
believe that the report fulfils the current requirements.
Your original request and response to Q4
4. Do you intend to carry out a comprehensive
flora and fauna survey for the WHOLE of Grange Hill?
Answer – A further study is not under consideration at the moment.
You have now asked within your request for an internal review
“As point 3 : which circumstance would need to happen in order for WBC to
commission a survey for the WHOLE of Grange Hill?”
Internal review response:
The survey was commissioned with the purpose of assessing the impact on
wildlife for the whole of Grange Hill, in regard to the work on the
Memorial Garden. We do not envisage any significant change to the
management of the Hill and its status as a natural area which would
require a further full report.
Your original request and response to Q5
5. What are the implications of the March 2018
survey : how will they influence the garden plans, will the FofGH and WBC
take the recommendation on board and only alter the garden the way CES
suggests?
Answer – This is under consideration by the Parks Service, and the Friends
of Grange Hill.
You have now asked within your request for an internal review
“Please clarify ( as asked before) whether the CES recommendations will
be binding for WBC as the authority to protect the LWS status of Grange
Hill.”
Internal review response:
The Report was undertaken in an advisory capacity. Any recommendations
within the report will be used to guide further management and the garden
restoration.
Your original request and response to Q6
6. What will happen to the LWS areas which have already been altered and
don't qualify for LWS status anymore ( like the leveled grass area,where
topsoil has been added and non qualifying grass has been sown) or to the
whitebeam which should not have been felled.
Answer – No work has been planned at the present time.
You have now asked within your request for an internal review
“Why does WBC not instruct FofGH to restore the damaged sites?”
Internal review response:
As per our original response the Council has no recorded information to
provide in relation to this query.
You have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner, if you are
dissatisfied with the outcome of any internal review
[2]www.ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/ .
Yours Sincerely
Tracy O'Hare
Information Management Officer
Business Management
Treasury Building
Argyle Street
Birkenhead
Wirral
CH41 1AH
[3]Tel:0151 691 8397
[4][Wirral Borough Council request email]
This information supplied to you is copyrighted and continues to be
protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. You are free
to use it for your own purposes, including any non commercial research you
are doing and for the purposes of news reporting. Any other reuse, for
example commercial publication, would require our specific permission, may
involve licensing and the application of a charge
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