Animals under threat in Brighton gardens

7:10pm Tuesday 13th November 2012 in News

Mike Dalley by the bushes in New Steine Gardens Buy this photo » Mike Dalley by the bushes in New Steine Gardens

A shopkeeper has accused council officials of endangering animals by cutting back bushes.

Mike Dalley, the owner of Cardome card shop in St James’s Street, said a family of rabbits was |living in bushes in New Steine Gardens.

But yesterday morning (November 12) council workers began cutting the foliage, putting them at risk, he believes.

He said: “We have lots of flora and fauna there.

“They just did it out of the blue.”

He added hedges were normally cut in thirds on a three-year cycle to ensure habitat is retained.

Mr Dalley said he had been told the hedges were too tall and needed to be cut on health and safety grounds.

He added: “It is such drastic action they have taken.”

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Comments(17)

den2il says...
8:11pm Tue 13 Nov 12

"the hedges were too tall and needed to be cut on health and safety grounds."

...and who's fault was that?

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Maxwell's Ghost says...
8:35pm Tue 13 Nov 12

Are there any communities left which the Greens have not cut a swathe through.
Humans, trees, wild flowers, rabbits....they must all be culled, cut and burned for they are evil.

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mimseycal says...
8:57pm Tue 13 Nov 12

Health and Safety needs to be cut back for common sense and sanity.

Do Brighton & Hove council no longer employ individuals with some horticultural know how in their the Cityparks department? Those shrubs look as if they have been razed to the ground instead of trimmed.

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ARealBessie says...
9:41pm Tue 13 Nov 12

Mr Dalley, you should come check out the 'sensitive' restoration of The Level. Forget cutting down the hedging bit by bit, it seems the council has opted for the shock and awe, blitzkrieg approach and destroyed the entire lot of hedging surrounding the old southern children's playground. The council yanked it all up in the space of two days! The northern lawns were sprayed with lawn killer before removal, and it won't be long before the all the hedging (along with all the healthy birch trees and rose bushes) lining the Rosewalk is all destroyed as well. So much for respecting local wildlife.
Such practice is not down to the Greens - we can thank BHCC's Parks Project Team, BHCC's 'conservation' dept', Land Use Consultants, and Heritage Lottery for that. However, the Greens have proved utterly spineless in standing up for 'green' principles. Rather, one green ward councillor after another simply jumped aboard the 'loadsa money' council bandwagon and, well, we're now all starting to see the results: Champayne Socialists! What a surprise.
Oh, and Bill Randall is no dog lover. Just thought I'd throw that it in.

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Maxwell's Ghost says...
9:41pm Tue 13 Nov 12

It's a Brighton Bush Brazilian minseycal

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Martha Gunn says...
10:12pm Tue 13 Nov 12

Green Party conservation practices?

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clubrob6 says...
10:51pm Tue 13 Nov 12

There is a area near me where 100s of sparrows roost at night,what a noise they make at dawn.Luckily the dense shrubs are on my land but im keeping it a secret .Birds need dense shrubs to roost as well as other wildlife the winter is nearly here so thought should be to leave somewhere for wildlife.I also dont know who the company are thats cutting large trees back on many streets they are over pruning doing away with roosting areas etc.

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BenUk says...
1:59am Wed 14 Nov 12

Health & Safty issue?? what?? people having buggerery in the shrubery, to right health & saftly needs to be cut back, and shop keepers are always moany stuck up people, moan about anything, seriously argos why waste time printing such crap this aint news, want to see a rabbit go take a walk in the country however if u want to see a fox stick you head out the window.

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plantwoman says...
9:01am Wed 14 Nov 12

BenUk wrote:
Health & Safty issue?? what?? people having buggerery in the shrubery, to right health & saftly needs to be cut back, and shop keepers are always moany stuck up people, moan about anything, seriously argos why waste time printing such crap this aint news, want to see a rabbit go take a walk in the country however if u want to see a fox stick you head out the window.
Judging by the time that this was posted, and the standard of spelling, grammar etc, you've obviously had a good night out!
Just to clarify - Argos is a retailer (that means they sell things).
By the way, just because you think 'this aint news', doesn't mean that we all share your opinion.

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plantwoman says...
9:02am Wed 14 Nov 12

The hoodie look is a bit scary on older people, isn't it?

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Morpheus says...
9:08am Wed 14 Nov 12

Do rabbits live at the top of shrubs? I thought they lived in burrows.

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qm says...
9:59am Wed 14 Nov 12

Maxwell's Ghost wrote:
It's a Brighton Bush Brazilian minseycal
A bit naughty but bl**dy hilarious :D

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MontyDon says...
10:00am Wed 14 Nov 12

Those council workers work jolly hard and are doing a splendid job. The community should get behind them and take them tea and donuts to keep them going through the day.

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Dano titchmarsh says...
10:01am Wed 14 Nov 12

I think they are doing a wonderful job, the rhs would b proud, the views are spectacular down there now. I agree with Monty don.

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JumboJimbo says...
10:47am Wed 14 Nov 12

CityParks is a disaster, run by meglomaniacs who have no time for conservation.. and think they are above politics or the wishes of the people and councillors..It wouldnt surprise me if this was a deliberate ploy by cityparks to create another anti-green story for the argus.

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MontyDon says...
6:38pm Wed 14 Nov 12

Buggering Bunnies in the Bushes........Thank god for the boys in green, saving us from such debauchery.

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good2bback says...
9:27pm Wed 14 Nov 12

The bushes have to be cut back.....because of all so say drinkers. I live and love (this area) but/butts are must...Rabbits hide and burrow............He
llo it is 2012

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