Never EVER wait until it is too late

 

When the environment and wildlife are under threat I have learnt after two decades that there are two ways to deal with authorities. The Left Hand and the Right Hand.

The Left is ever so polite and simply states facts trying to be as polite as possible.

The Right is the sledge hammer. I basically stop being "ever so polite" but am polite while showing my teeth. The Right Hand rarely fails.

I was alerted to a recent development but had no photos of badgers setts, no area plans showing where badgers were so as that stood I had nothing to back me up. However, I knew about badgers at the site in the 1970s and while people tend to be uninterested in them I am.

I found that BRERC had a record of badgers and though they would not give the exact location the term they used identified the spot.

The person from the old Avon Badger Group refused to allow me to see maps and info the group had gathered pre 1994 and told me "I shall proudly take them to my grave" -the logic there escapes me.

It happens that one person contacted me ands though unconnected to the group involved gave me a lot of info on badgers on the site in question.

THAT gave me ammunition.

I was polite for as long as possible but the council ignoring things I posted on all my blogs and social media, emailed and poked DEFRA, Natural England, and more for two weeks -even threatening exposure of the auction house (who claimed it was a Bristol company auctioning the site) trying to sell land illegally by not declaring badger setts.

I literally spammed several of the City Councillors who were involved with legalities and I posted here previously my "no more warnings" email to them.

Basically a couple weeks of morning until...morning and despite Chris Packham being seemingly uninterested (again) I tried everything.

I am now told that the auction is off. A little bird at the Council tells me I am a very unliked dirty word now. My big bow out fight back.

I am now awaiting the kick back ("they are going to be causing problems") as BCC do not like me and just lost £400K

Never EVER wait until it is too late to contact someone to help take action but if you do reach out you better make bloody sure you share the information you have.