Ecology and Environment
The landscape at Furtho Pit has now been shown, by every ecological body involved, to be far more important for wildlife than the developer ever acknowledged. What was once dismissed as “poor‑quality brownfield” has been confirmed as a nationally significant habitat, supporting rare species, a Priority Habitat, and an exceptional invertebrate community found in very few places in the country.
The site is home to, or immediately adjacent to, habitats used by badgers, otters, bats, reptiles, amphibians, and a wide range of birdlife. Otters are regularly recorded along the Great Ouse, and herons, egrets, swans and other species nest where the Dogsmouth Brook meets the river. The floodplain downstream is a thriving wildlife corridor. All of this would be placed at risk from the light, noise, earthworks and water‑borne pollution associated with the proposed development.
In 2023 we commissioned
Bioscan to review the ecological submissions. Their findings revealed serious errors and omissions in the developer’s assessments, and both the Environment Agency and the Wildlife Trust subsequently changed their positions, asking West Northamptonshire Council to take Bioscan’s concerns into account. WNC then required the developer to undertake a further year of ecological surveys. Those surveys, carried out by the developer’s own subcontractors, confirmed exactly what Bioscan predicted.
The updated surveys showed that the western part of the site contains Open Mosaic Habitat on Previously Developed Land (OMHPDL), a Section 41 Priority Habitat of national importance. This habitat supports a rich mosaic of bare ground, early‑successional vegetation and scrub, the very conditions required by many rare invertebrates. Independent experts from WNC Ecology, the Wildlife Trust and Buglife all agree that the developer has under valued the true extent of this habitat, partly because key surveys were carried out in December, when indicator species are not visible. Bioscan’s October 2025 review describes the developer’s interpretation of the habitat as “flawed, contrived and prejudicial”.
The invertebrate surveys undertaken in 2024–25 identified 565 species, including 35 scarce or threatened species, 46 priority bee species, and six Red Data Book species. In Bioscan’s 2025 review of the newly uploaded planning documents, they note that Furtho Pit is the only known location across both Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire for five species, and the only location Northamptonshire records for eight more. This places the site at county to regional importance, and all ecological consultees now agree that it meets the criteria for designation as a Local Wildlife Site (LWS).
Protected species have also been confirmed. Slow worms and grass snakes were recorded, and the Wildlife Trust has highlighted the presence of the Small Gorse Mining Bee, provisionally listed as Vulnerable to extinction in Britain. A rare plant, Aira praecox, was recorded by Bioscan but missed entirely by the developer due to surveys being carried out at the wrong time of year.
Despite this, the developer still proposes to destroy the Priority Habitat and recreate it in the new Country Park. Every ecological consultee has rejected this approach. The Wildlife Trust warns that the soils in the Country Park are too fertile to support OMHPDL; Buglife states that habitat creation is “unlikely to be successful”; and Bioscan concludes that substrate translocation would likely result in “wholesale failure”. Even the developer’s own most recent documents (Sept ‘25) now admit that significant impacts cannot be avoided. In response, Bioscan wrote to WNC once again stating that the latest findings from Aspect, acting on behalf of the developer, achieved very little progress towards addressing the long-standing inadequacies in the application material on ecology and the flawed assessments that arise from those omissions and errors and that a number of matters material to determination and the planning balance continue to be ignored outright.
The Dogsmouth Brook, which runs through the site into the Great Ouse, is another area of concern. The developer proposes widening and straightening the brook and constructing a reservoir that would hold effluent‑rich water during storms. Surface run‑off from the proposed vehicle‑washing station could contain detergents, oils, fuels and antifreeze, all of which pose a serious pollution risk. Any accidental leak so close to the river could have catastrophic consequences for wildlife and for local people who use the river for recreation.
Taken together, the evidence from Bioscan, WNC Ecology, the Wildlife Trust and Buglife shows that the Furtho Pit site is an irreplaceable ecological landscape. The proposed development would result in the permanent loss of Priority Habitat, the degradation of a qualifying Local Wildlife Site, and the likely disappearance of rare and threatened species. The ecological harm cannot be avoided, cannot be mitigated, and cannot be compensated for.
This is why the ecological case against the development is now stronger than ever and why protecting this landscape matters not just for wildlife, but for the character and wellbeing of the whole area.
Ecology and Environment
The landscape at Furtho Pit has now been shown, by every ecological body involved, to be far more important for wildlife than the developer ever acknowledged. What was once dismissed as “poor‑quality brownfield” has been confirmed as a nationally significant habitat, supporting rare species, a Priority Habitat, and an exceptional invertebrate community found in very few places in the country.
The site is home to, or immediately adjacent to, habitats used by badgers, otters, bats, reptiles, amphibians, and a wide range of birdlife. Otters are regularly recorded along the Great Ouse, and herons, egrets, swans and other species nest where the Dogsmouth Brook meets the river. The floodplain downstream is a thriving wildlife corridor. All of this would be placed at risk from the light, noise, earthworks and water‑borne pollution associated with the proposed development.
In 2023 we commissioned
Bioscan to review the ecological submissions. Their findings revealed serious errors and omissions in the developer’s assessments, and both the Environment Agency and the Wildlife Trust subsequently changed their positions, asking West Northamptonshire Council to take Bioscan’s concerns into account. WNC then required the developer to undertake a further year of ecological surveys. Those surveys, carried out by the developer’s own subcontractors, confirmed exactly what Bioscan predicted.
The updated surveys showed that the western part of the site contains Open Mosaic Habitat on Previously Developed Land (OMHPDL), a Section 41 Priority Habitat of national importance. This habitat supports a rich mosaic of bare ground, early‑successional vegetation and scrub, the very conditions required by many rare invertebrates. Independent experts from WNC Ecology, the Wildlife Trust and Buglife all agree that the developer has under valued the true extent of this habitat, partly because key surveys were carried out in December, when indicator species are not visible. Bioscan’s October 2025 review describes the developer’s interpretation of the habitat as “flawed, contrived and prejudicial”.
The invertebrate surveys undertaken in 2024–25 identified 565 species, including 35 scarce or threatened species, 46 priority bee species, and six Red Data Book species. In Bioscan’s 2025 review of the newly uploaded planning documents, they note that Furtho Pit is the only known location across both Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire for five species, and the only location Northamptonshire records for eight more. This places the site at county to regional importance, and all ecological consultees now agree that it meets the criteria for designation as a Local Wildlife Site (LWS).
Protected species have also been confirmed. Slow worms and grass snakes were recorded, and the Wildlife Trust has highlighted the presence of the Small Gorse Mining Bee, provisionally listed as Vulnerable to extinction in Britain. A rare plant, Aira praecox, was recorded by Bioscan but missed entirely by the developer due to surveys being carried out at the wrong time of year.
Despite this, the developer still proposes to destroy the Priority Habitat and recreate it in the new Country Park. Every ecological consultee has rejected this approach. The Wildlife Trust warns that the soils in the Country Park are too fertile to support OMHPDL; Buglife states that habitat creation is “unlikely to be successful”; and Bioscan concludes that substrate translocation would likely result in “wholesale failure”. Even the developer’s own most recent documents (Sept ‘25) now admit that significant impacts cannot be avoided. In response, Bioscan wrote to WNC once again stating that the latest findings from Aspect, acting on behalf of the developer, achieved very little progress towards addressing the long-standing inadequacies in the application material on ecology and the flawed assessments that arise from those omissions and errors and that a number of matters material to determination and the planning balance continue to be ignored outright.
The Dogsmouth Brook, which runs through the site into the Great Ouse, is another area of concern. The developer proposes widening and straightening the brook and constructing a reservoir that would hold effluent‑rich water during storms. Surface run‑off from the proposed vehicle‑washing station could contain detergents, oils, fuels and antifreeze, all of which pose a serious pollution risk. Any accidental leak so close to the river could have catastrophic consequences for wildlife and for local people who use the river for recreation.
Taken together, the evidence from Bioscan, WNC Ecology, the Wildlife Trust and Buglife shows that the Furtho Pit site is an irreplaceable ecological landscape. The proposed development would result in the permanent loss of Priority Habitat, the degradation of a qualifying Local Wildlife Site, and the likely disappearance of rare and threatened species. The ecological harm cannot be avoided, cannot be mitigated, and cannot be compensated for.
This is why the ecological case against the development is now stronger than ever and why protecting this landscape matters not just for wildlife, but for the character and wellbeing of the whole area.
“...a place where we have modern towns but where rural character is cherished”
West Northants Council Vision Statement
"The application site is the only known location across both counties for five species, supports the only Buckinghamshire records for five species, and the only Northamptonshire records for eight....There can be no doubt that this supports Local Wildlife Site status."
Dominic Woodfield,
CEcol CEnv MCIEEM,
Bioscan (UK) Ltd,
October 2025
Ecology and Environment - Reasons to Object
- Destruction of Nationally Important Habitat: The site contains Open Mosaic Habitat (OMHPDL) a Section 41 Priority Habitat. All experts (WNC Ecology, Wildlife Trust, Buglife, Bioscan) confirm the developer has under‑valued it and that it cannot be recreated.
- Site qualifies as a Local Wildlife Site (LWS): Independent bodies confirm the site meets LWS criteria due to its rare species and Priority Habitat. Local policy requires LWS quality sites to be protected, not built over.
- Exceptional Wildlife at Risk: 565 invertebrate species, including 35 scarce or threatened and 6 Red Data Book species.Reptiles (Slow Worm, Grass Snake), rare plants (Aira praecox), and Vulnerable bees confirmed.
- Mitigation Hierarchy Ignored: Developer has skipped avoidance and gone straight to compensation. All consultees say this breaches national and local policy.
- Country Park “Compensation” Will Not Work: Soil too fertile to recreate OMHPDL, translocation likely to fail, specialist species will not survive the move. All experts (WNC Ecology, Wildlife Trust, Buglife, Bioscan) call the plan unachievable.
