If you were worried about the potential widespread environmental damage caused by the enormous Plasdŵr development in north west Cardiff you can finally relax.
Initially when the plans for 7,000 homes bordering Radyr, Fairwater, Pentrebane and St Fagans were unveiled there was a real fear that nature in the area would be badly affected.
Stunning hedgerows and a countryside teeming with animals are rarely helped by having an enormous dollop of concrete poured on top of them.
But never fear! You and the great crested newts that live in the area can sleep easy. This is because the £2 billion suburb’s developers have tweeted their assurances that “ecology is being considered at every stage of Plasdŵr’s development, from the earliest master-planning stages.”
This tweet was followed by a tree, owl AND bat emoji to really put you at ease.
“Although only a few hedgerows around the site are protected as being ‘important’ for local wildlife, we won’t remove any hedgerows we don’t need to.
“Wherever hedgerows do have to be removed, we time the removal to cause as little disruption as possible to local wildlife – for example not removing them during bird nesting season or reptile hibernation season.”
Unfortunately for the birds, actions speak louder than words and the actions of the developer Bellway, which is responsible for this part of the Redrow-led Plasdwr scheme, would have meant the only tweets heard in the area will be from smartphones.
Earlier this week people living near the site awoke to find some of the hedges covered in green netting.
The use of this netting on developments has been widely criticised across the UK with a petition to restrict its use reaching 344,000.
Nick Green is the chair of the Welsh Ornithological Society which has supported the restricting the use of this netting on hedges.
He said: “Developers who do this are trying to circumvent planning and environmental protection laws by restricting birds from nesting.
“They want the hedges free of birds so they can remove them when they want.
“These nets often have holes in them so birds can get in but are then unable to get out.”
So why are developers, who lets not forget have a “masterplan” which “considers ecology at every stage of development”, putting nets on these hedges?
Potentially it may be because it is an offence under section 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981 to intentionally take, damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while it is in use or being built.
You can see the logic – if there are no birds nesting in the hedge you are free to rip it up.
However you would expect these nets to be put up much earlier.
We are well into spring and many bird species are raising their young as the nesting season is March to August.
“A lot of birds will already be nesting especially with the warm weather in February,” said Mr Green.
“To put up nests now would be very bad practice.”
This is to say nothing of the fact that the nets can affect the already struggling species like hedgehogs, butterflies and field mice.
I approached both Plasdwr and Bellway to ask about the nets.
They responded by saying that the netting is being taken down this afternoon (Thursday).
A spokeswoman for Bellway said: “Netting trees is a common procedure for house builders, but following feedback we have reviewed this and going forward we are removing any netting from our developments.”
Wow that was quick. Perhaps my inquiry and the outrage on social media had done its job or perhaps ecology had moved even closer to the masterplan’s heart.
If you are annoyed that they did it in the first place don’t be. As Bellway depressingly says in their statement: “Netting trees is a common procedure for house builders”.
This is by no means the first controversy surrounding the new development. Just 200m away as the crow flies (unless it is caught in netting) is a tenant farm where the long term occupants are being turfed off their land by the relentless expansion of the Welsh capital.
Now don’t get me wrong. I know we need new homes and this is not about criticising expansion per se.
But we must protect our wildlife at all cost. Instead of composing online posts about how ecologically minded we are why not just stop making it so hard for the animals now indirectly under your care to live?
It turns out £2 billion in the hand is worth far more than two birds in the bush.
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