Clay pigeon shooting worry

PLANS for a clay pigeon shooting club close to homes and an important nature reserve at Warrington have alarmed a local amenity group.
Nigel Balding, chairman of the Friends of Gorse Covert Mounds, says clay pigeon shooting on land at Prospect Farm, in Prospect Lane, Rixton will cause disturbance in the residential areas of Oakwood and Gorse Covert and affect wildlife and visitors to the Risley Moss nature reserve.
It could also be potentially dangerous for the adjacent railway line.
Mr Balding said: “The proposal may have merit in terms of providing a recreational facility, but it is in a terrible location and it develops very productive farmland, designated as green belt.”
He is urging Birchwood residents to make their views known to Warrington Borough Council by July 7 – the closing date for representations.
The plan has been submitted by Lee Durney, of Prospect Farm, Prospect Lane, Rixton and is for a change of use of land for a clay pigeon club, with clubhouse, parking for 62 vehicles and nine shooting ranges.
Shooting would take place from Monday to Saturday and one range would be only 850 metres from Palliser Close, Birchwood.
Mr Balding added: “I believe that clay pigeon shooting will disturb Birchwood residents, particularly in Oakwood and Gorse Covert.
“It will affect the wildlife and visitors to the very important nature reserve of Risley Moss and potentially be dangerous for the adjacent railway line.
Gorse Covert Mounds is an area of woodland arising from a mid-1970s landscape project developed on spoil mounds from the demolition of the former Risley Royal Ordnance Factory.

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Geoff Settle on 6th July 2011 8:22 am 8:22 am

Objections to proposed Clay Pigeon Shooting Club 2011/18349

I have only just heard about this but my initial reaction are that I also have strong objections to this application being sited next door to at least two sites of significant Nature Reserves in Warrington that have such a fantastic diversity of wildlife. There is also a third yet to be named and developed at the Risley Silver Lane site entrance.

I am appalled that in section 13, there is no recognition of the in the Biodiversity and Geological Conservation or local definitive footpaths – the applicant appears to denies that there is:

· Any protected land and priority species adjacent to or near the proposed development;

· Any designated sites, important habitats or other biodiversity features; or

· Any features of geological conservation importance

· No recognition of the definitive right of ways (footpaths) that pass alongside the farm

ALL four points have been totally ignored by the applicant.

This is an area of great importance to Moss lands as well as an area of fantastic and important habitat for the bird population of which there are a number of key species under threat.

There are very few places left in the North West where these conditions exist and wildlife is already under daily threat from the existing waste tip expansions. This club will propose in my view yet another and different threat not only from the noise and actions of the leisure pursuit but also from the new traffic flow.

You only have to talk to members of the RSPB to hear from their members about the wide variety of birds that frequent the reserves and surrounding area. The flight path of the clay pigeons and ammunition will be directly above nesting sights during the breeding season and will disturb them in many other ways throughout the year.

As the Chair of Warrington Nature Conservation Forum and Parish warden for Woolston and Rixton I would therefore like to formally lodge my objections. The new site will impinge on the tranquillity of the area for visitors, wildlife, local people and footpath users.

Geoff Settle, Chair Warrington Nature Conservation Forum and local parish warden.

5 Comments

Geoff Settle on 6th July 2011 8:22 am 8:22 am

Objections to proposed Clay Pigeon Shooting Club 2011/18349

I have only just heard about this but my initial reaction are that I also have strong objections to this application being sited next door to at least two sites of significant Nature Reserves in Warrington that have such a fantastic diversity of wildlife. There is also a third yet to be named and developed at the Risley Silver Lane site entrance.

I am appalled that in section 13, there is no recognition of the in the Biodiversity and Geological Conservation or local definitive footpaths – the applicant appears to denies that there is:

· Any protected land and priority species adjacent to or near the proposed development;

· Any designated sites, important habitats or other biodiversity features; or

· Any features of geological conservation importance

· No recognition of the definitive right of ways (footpaths) that pass alongside the farm

ALL four points have been totally ignored by the applicant.

This is an area of great importance to Moss lands as well as an area of fantastic and important habitat for the bird population of which there are a number of key species under threat.

There are very few places left in the North West where these conditions exist and wildlife is already under daily threat from the existing waste tip expansions. This club will propose in my view yet another and different threat not only from the noise and actions of the leisure pursuit but also from the new traffic flow.

You only have to talk to members of the RSPB to hear from their members about the wide variety of birds that frequent the reserves and surrounding area. The flight path of the clay pigeons and ammunition will be directly above nesting sights during the breeding season and will disturb them in many other ways throughout the year.

As the Chair of Warrington Nature Conservation Forum and Parish warden for Woolston and Rixton I would therefore like to formally lodge my objections. The new site will impinge on the tranquillity of the area for visitors, wildlife, local people and footpath users.

Geoff Settle, Chair Warrington Nature Conservation Forum and local parish warden.

Silver Surfer on 6th July 2011 9:52 pm 9:52 pm

I thought that the idea was to preserve wild life, that is why they are shooting clay discs.

I would have thought that the birds would put up with a “small” amount of noise occasionally in preference to being shot. We are talking disturbance here, not life threatening. Should the wildlife have to put up with a bunch of townies walking through their peaceful area? Should people have to put up with runners pounding along their nature trails? Come on, lets have a bit of give and take. STOP the NIMBY attitude. No-one is getting hurt!!!!!!!!

swede on 7th July 2011 1:05 pm 1:05 pm

I think you might have missed the point – this is close to people’s homes, right next to Risley Moss and they want to operate it six days a week. It’s not being a NIMBY, it’s being sensible about amenity and quality of life!

council tax payer on 7th July 2011 11:04 pm 11:04 pm

There was a Public Enquiry a few years ago when a tip was propsoed for an area of land adjacent to the Nature Reserve at Rixton. The evidence with which the residents were successful included the very special newts and other species. Perhaps WBC could make this evidence available to support the objections to this development. Good luck!

DIRK on 7th January 2014 3:50 pm 3:50 pm

Apart from the obvious objections to the noise, possible danger to trains etc. here is a link worth reading about the theft of guns from a shhting club. THERE ARE A LONG STREAM OF SIMILAR REPORTS, ABOUT DIFFERENT SHOOTING CLUBS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY ON GOOGLE., if you type in stolen guns. Is this not enough reason alone to object. Link below: http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/10578809.Rifles_stolen_in_hammer_raid_on_gun_club/