So the City Fathers are trying to stop further improvement to Plymouth. Reasoning? Egrets nest there

Always some kind of reason to put the brakes on development!! For the first time in my near 40 years, I managed to get out to drakes island last summer and I have to say, it's a great place which is full of history and crying out to be used again!! So what if there are bird colonies out there, believe me, there is plenty of space for the Egrets and the development to go hand in hand!!

So what if there are bird colonies out there, believe me, there is plenty of space for the Egrets and the development to go hand in hand!!

Probably not on a place the size of Drake's Island for Egrets as they don't like disturbance. However, Little Egrets (which they're most likely to be) are not particularly uncommon in the UK so it's hardly as if D.I. is a rare site for them. Even the other Egret species are being found in the UK in increasing numbers, though they are still relatively rare.

I used to do seasonal work for a few summers in the early 80's taking visitors over to D.I. for day trips called - somewhat pompously by PCC - "The Intelligent Beachcomber" involving geology, zoology and botany of the island. It isn't (as far as I'm aware) that D.I. is an important breeding site for them. Generally I'm a conservationist - particularly where birds are concerned - but I think we have to be careful of stiffling much needed development in locations where there just happens to be rare/breeding species, particularly if such species are relatively widespread.

Of course, if D.I. was only one of a handful of UK breeding sites then that would be a different story.

Anything that winds up McAuley is good news in my book.

Anything that winds up McAuley is good news in my book.

How long has he owned it again?
How long did he tell the 'City Fathers' it would be before he redeveloped it?