Plans to broaden a scheme to reintroduce an almost-extinct chicken to Norfolk look set to be turned down.
Conservationist Andrew Crean utilized to build aviaries and a warden’s bungalow at Marsh Farm at Deepdale, close to Burnham Market, final 12 months.
But a decision was deferred by councillors last November pending extra info relating to highways points and “to make clear the justification for a brand new dwelling”.
Deepdale Marsh, the place Andrew Crean hopes to broaden efforts to reintroduce the ruff (Image: David Hosking)
While points relating to the access street onto the principle A149 have now been resolved, West Norfolk’s planning committee has been really helpful to show down the plans once they meet on Monday, March 4.
A report back to councillors says: “While the precept of recent aviaries is appropriate, inadequate info has been offered as a part of this utility to reveal that there’s an current purposeful want for a everlasting new dwelling in affiliation with the venture or that the necessity couldn’t be met by way of current dwellings or by different means.”
Mr Crean, who has restored former farmland at Marsh Farm to freshwater marsh, hopes to encourage ruff to breed by introducing young waders reared in aviaries to the location.
Young ruff being launched into an aviary at Deepdale Marsh (Image: Chris Bishop)
He says after small-scale reintroductions of ruff, the venture requires an on-site warden “to offer 24-hour care and safety for the welfare of birds and to facilitate ongoing scientific analysis”.
But the report back to councillors says council insurance policies state the place a brand new home is deemed important to help a brand new rural primarily based exercise, it ought to usually for the primary three years, be offered by a caravan, or different momentary lodging.
A male ruff performs its distinctive mating show (Image: Mark Andrew)
It provides: “The agent has constantly declined the chance to contemplate the availability of a brief residential unit (caravan or in any other case) to offer lodging wants while the Ruff venture continues to broaden.”
Small numbers of ruff imported as young birds from Germany have already been reared in an current aviary on the location and launched onto the marsh.
A young ruff at Deepdale Marsh (Image: Chris Bishop)
The wading chicken is virtually extinct as a breeding species within the UK because the mid-Nineteenth century, whereas round 800 over-winter annually earlier than returning to the Continent to breed.
