|WOOD MAN SPARE THAT TREE

Almost the moment I awoke I heard the dreaded sound of chainsaws coming from the graveyard behind our house. For almost four years we battled to have the place designated a conservation area and we were successful. Unfortunately the Local Authority and the contractors have neglected to inform the crews that no work is to be carried out at sensitive times of the year.

I arrived to find them actually cutting away the cover from around a bird box, I asked them to stop,they refused.

After remonstrating with them for some time and even showing them the plans they insisted that they were going to proceed,This left me with no choice but to drive my mobility scooter in between their lorry and the shredder in to which they were feeding the branches,I refused to budge,they stopped work.

They had felled heavy branches directly on to ground cover in with Robins and Wrens were nesting,the pair of |Robins flew frantically about attempting to reach their nest which was totally crushed,it was heartbreaking.

My son arrived at this point and we both stood firm, the men remained aggressive, I called a friend and asked her to ring the contractors coordinator and a few moments later the coordinator called me. She had even less idea as to what was going on, she asked me to move, I refused.

Then the head of the department was sent for, a smarmy little tick with a narcissus complex, he arrived and began to through his weight about,I began filming. He insisted that “His men were not leaving the site until they had finished the job.” I told him that he had better fetch the police as I was not going away.

Instead he sent for the company Ecologist, a vague , ineffectual character who blustered for a few minutes before giving up,I continued to film.

At last after a long exchange of words the Narcissus admitted on tape that his men were acting negligently and that admission was enough,he had admitted that the damage had been done by his men,I needed no more. Realising his blunder he attempted to cover it up,to late ,I had him bang to rights and I told him so. He asked for a copy of the tape.

By now I was exhausted and my brilliant son took over,he offered then a means of extracting themselves from the trouble le they were in and they grabbed it like drowning men.

The work stopped,the men left. Now an all party consultation will take place before any further work is done,there is to be no more strimming and no more felling at nesting time.

Should they go back on their word there is always the tape which is enough to lose the lot of them their jobs at best, and a t worst a very hefty fine.

I told them that they would have to leave the site before I would go and I was the last person to leave.

This proves the utter futility of attempting to gain a result with the local authority by being reasonable. It also proves to utter futility of trying to get the better of a little old lady on a mobility scooter....can you imagine the press coverage. They had lost before they began to argue.

Another bunch of bullies bit the dust,and it looks as if I have dropped back in again.(see yesterdays blog)