by Lesley Wilkinson
PLANS for a shooting club next to sensitive wildlife conservation areas near Warrington have caused a storm.
The proposed target shooting club at Rixton could cause serious harm to threatened wildlife species, according to Warrington Nature Conservation Forum.
The Forum is one of more than 40 groups objecting to the proposed Prospect Lane Target Shooting Club.
They say the site is next to existing and proposed nature reserves. some of which are Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) noted for their diversity of wildlife.
Cllr Geoff Settle (pictured), forum chairman, said: "These sites are home to many threatened species and activities such as clay pigeon and target shooting will add an additional threat to their existence.
"The site is also only two km from the Woolston Eyes SSSI, the patron of which is naturalist Chris Packham, of the BBC TV series Autumnwatch."
Cllr Settle said forum members were "appalled" that none of the sites were acknowledged and that the applicant had totally ignored the biodiversity and geological conservation issues.
He said the area was an important habitat for the bird population, including many species that were under threat such as the Lapwing, Grey Partridge and Skylark.
Cllr Settle said people in the area were concerned that the development would have a detrimental impact on the tranquillity of the area. There were already problems protecting paths from vandalism and youths on motorbikes.
Brian Martin, of the Woolston Eyes Conservation Area and a member of the RSPB, said: "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 new club will pose, 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. The noise levels will be a constant disturbance to the bird species especially during the critical breeding season."
The next forum meeting will be at Risley Moss on Saturday December 3 at 10.30am and all are welcome.
Follow @warringtonworld
The proposed target shooting club at Rixton could cause serious harm to threatened wildlife species, according to Warrington Nature Conservation Forum.
The Forum is one of more than 40 groups objecting to the proposed Prospect Lane Target Shooting Club.They say the site is next to existing and proposed nature reserves. some of which are Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) noted for their diversity of wildlife.
Cllr Geoff Settle (pictured), forum chairman, said: "These sites are home to many threatened species and activities such as clay pigeon and target shooting will add an additional threat to their existence.
"The site is also only two km from the Woolston Eyes SSSI, the patron of which is naturalist Chris Packham, of the BBC TV series Autumnwatch."
Cllr Settle said forum members were "appalled" that none of the sites were acknowledged and that the applicant had totally ignored the biodiversity and geological conservation issues.
He said the area was an important habitat for the bird population, including many species that were under threat such as the Lapwing, Grey Partridge and Skylark.
Cllr Settle said people in the area were concerned that the development would have a detrimental impact on the tranquillity of the area. There were already problems protecting paths from vandalism and youths on motorbikes.
Brian Martin, of the Woolston Eyes Conservation Area and a member of the RSPB, said: "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 new club will pose, 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. The noise levels will be a constant disturbance to the bird species especially during the critical breeding season."
The next forum meeting will be at Risley Moss on Saturday December 3 at 10.30am and all are welcome.
Follow @warringtonworld
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1 Response to "Gun club threat to wildlife" 
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said this on 25 Nov 2011 4:55:25 PM BST
2km away is hardly close, what sort of guns does Geoff Settle think will be fired here? Howitzers?
Maybe he hasn't heard that one of the riches, most diverse, and best protected wildlife areas in the country is actually Salisbury Plain, where the Army are constantly shooting and blowing things up.
Plus, I can't think of a better way of protecting and area from vandalism and youths on motorbikes than to have a bunch of people with firearms on site!
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