‘Tragic’ plans to rip up hedgerow

Local television wildlife expert Iolo Williams has called plans to rip up around 200 metres of hedgerow for the new Primary School in town as “tragic”.

Over the past few weeks, large swathes of hedgerow running alongside the high school playing fields have been enveloped in green netting.

It is to stop birds nesting ahead of the hedgerows being removed to provide better access to the multi-million pound English-medium Primary School to be built on the fields.

But it hasn’t gone down well with Iolo, who is currently filming a new BBC Spring Watch, telling us: “It’s tragic. I’d expect them to re-plant at least 200 metres of new hedgerow with native species to replace what’s being lost.”

Powys County Council explained: “The green netting is to stop birds nesting before they are removed as part of the proposed new English primary school on the grounds of the high school. All the hedges will also be inspected by an ecologist prior to removal to check that there are absolutely no birds in the hedgerow.”