However, a dispute over a squirrel bridge on the new St Andrews Link Road was resolved after a government reporter ruled in favor of rodents.
As a victory for the city’s red squirrel population, a bridge will be built to supply a road between habitats in any aspect of the road, linking the A91 to North Haugh with the new Madras College in Langlands.
The bridge had been at the center of a row of plans since northeast planning committee advisers refused to remove it from planning situations in March.
The developers of St Andrews West LLP have referred the matter to the Scottish Government’s Division of Appeals and Environmental Planning, which showed last week that the bridge required the policies set out in the local progression plan.
Lib Dem’s local councilor, Jane Ann Liston, who had proposed a refusal to remove the condition of the squirrel bridge earlier this year, said: “It was that the developers suddenly seemed to give up. This doesn’t seem to be too expensive.”
Proponents had argued that a bridge opposite squirrels was not mandatory because there were no “significant populations of squirrels” in the area.
And the committee learned in March that applicants were “concerned that the only squirrels known in post-construction follow-up were grey squirrels.”
He said the bridge can inspire grey squirrels to access the Strathtyrum domain west of the link road, to the detriment of the red squirrel population.
But Liston said the populations of red and grey squirrels gave the impression of appearance to look in St. Andrews.
“The reds have their own habitat. Grey people don’t seem to like what reds like and vice versa,” he said.
As a component of mitigation measures, proponents had advised that squirrel tracking be conducted west of St. Andrews.
However, this considered it unnecessary through the journalist.
Ms. Liston added: “Because the roads are so bad, I’m afraid they would only count the red squirrels discovered crushed by cars on the road.”
Linda Holt, Independent Counsellor of East Neuk and Landward, added: “Environmentalists and red squirrels in St Andrews will be extremely happy if the reporter showed the decision of the councillors to maintain their bridge.”
“Development almost diminishes our herb-based flora and fauna, and we will have to do everything we can to mitigate its impact.”
The appeal of making partially permitted plans
The councillors had rejected the request for reflectors from St Andrews West LLP, to deter squirrels from coming to the road, for lack of blueprints.
Scottish government journalist Alison Kirkwood said reflectors were “generally more effective for mammals, such as deer.”
In his knowledge of the decision, he claimed that there were red squirrels in the progression before the start of work.
She added: “The provision of the bridge itself would inspire the red squirrels to return to the site.”
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