Say farewell to the butterflies and the bees! More bushes come a cropper on seafront

 

The butterfly bushes on the seafront were just coming in to flower - then the chainsaws arrived

SCORES of ‘butterfly bushes’ have been ripped from a site on Cleethorpes seafront.

The row of buddleia were attracting red admirals, peacocks, tortoiseshells and other butterfly species, not to mention passing bees and other pollinating insects

But now they have been lost to the perimeter of the former Waves pub site, opposite the pier, after workers  moved in with the chainsaws.

This  latest latest habitat removal action comes while anger still simmers over the similar fate that, earlier this month, befell the privet maze opposite The Knoll, also on the seafront.

NELC has plans to develop the former Waves site with an ‘amenity’ building, possibly a fast-food outlet, and says it has reached agreement with a tenant.

But it still has not identified the prospective 'taker', nor named the contractor lined up to put up the building.

So, given the absence of construction activity, why the haste to destroy valuable wildlife habitat at such a critical time of year?

Bleak - the site following habitat removal

The Grimsby News says: Given the furore over the recent destruction of the hedge maze during the middle of the bird-nesting season, you would have thought NELC might have reconsidered before this latest act of destruction. But no. If there is a tree or shrub that gets in the way - or might get in the way - then it must be destroyed. That seems to be the mantra. The authority issues endless high-minded press releases about its commitment to safeguarding nature, but they are just fine words. And, as we all know, fine words butter no parsnips. At the current rate of habitat destruction, how long before North East Lincolnshire is the most nature depleted borough in the country?