Petition to protect dormice at Bedford Purlieus Nature Reserve between King’s Cliffe and Wansford as The Church Commissioners for England submits planning application to turn stables into houses

A nature-lover has launched a petition to ‘save the dormice’ at a woodland reserve.

Bedford Purlieus Nature Reserve between King’s Cliffe and Wansford has been home to one of Britain’s rarest mammals, the hazel dormouse, since the species was reintroduced in 2001.

Over the years the dormice have been monitored by volunteers from the Wildlife Trust and they have migrated to the west of the nature reserve, which is a site of scientific special interest.

But Sandra Beale, who lives between Wansford and King’s Cliffe, worries this progress could be halted if a planning application to turn the stables next to the site into houses is approved by Peterborough City Council.

She is concerned heavy lorries travelling to the site during the construction phase will scare off the nocturnal creatures, which are sensitive to noise.

“They are becoming extinct nationally,” said Sandra, who is self-employed.

“I’m a big nature lover and believe they need to be protected.

“The Environment Act of 2021 was all about nature recovery and bringing back from the brink.

“This development is not proposing that.”

The 65-year-old added that with good habitat management it is possible for dormice migration towards Fineshade Woods and Great Collyweston Wood.

Sandra has created a petition, named Save the Dormice in Bedford Purlieus, urging planning officers to take her concerns into account.

The plans to convert the 19th Century stable building, which is currently home to horses, were submitted by The Church Commissioners for England, which is in charge of the property assets of the Church of England.

Each of the three proposed homes would be single storey, with one three-bedroom and two four-bedroom, and they would be accessed via the same private track off King’s Cliffe Road.

Although a preliminary ecological appraisal and bat survey were submitted with the planning application, Sandra feels further investigation is needed into the environmental impacts on Bedford Purlieus Nature Reserve - which is also home to black hair streak and chequered skipper butterflies.

She added that the planning application inaccurately refers to dormice last being found in the nature reserve in 2013, when they remain at the site today.

To sign the petition visit: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-the-dormice-in-bedford-purlieus-sssi-cambs?share=e3a02a5c-25d7-4e5e-bbf8-508e1cf4d82d&source=&utm_source=.

Or to view the planning application search for 25/00122/FUL on the Peterborough City Council planning portal.

Applicant The Church Commissioners for England was approached for a comment.

This isn’t the first time Sandra launched a petition to protect wildlife.

In 2022 she campaigned to protect endangered curlew birds from the expansion of Rockingham Forest Park.