East Sussex council accused of damaging rare species

East Sussex county council contractors have been accused of damaging an internationally-important habitat for the second year running.
Spiked Rampion only grows in East Sussex ENGSUS00120131223133507Spiked Rampion only grows in East Sussex ENGSUS00120131223133507
Spiked Rampion only grows in East Sussex ENGSUS00120131223133507

The Species Recovery Trust claims the ‘most important site’ for Spiked Rampion has been damaged threatening its survival.

The plant only occurs in a handful of sites in East Sussex, growing nowhere else in the UK.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Its stronghold is on a quiet road verge site, where it is supposedly protected by East Sussex County Council as part of their protected road verge programme,” said trust director Dominic Price.

“During the summer of 2015, a section of the site was mowed while the plants were still in flower, meaning some of the plants were unable to set seed for the following year.

“Detailed negotiations were held between the Species Recovery Trust and the council to make council staff aware of the importance of the site, and assurances were made that this damage would not be repeated.

“Members of the Rampion steering group, a committee of conservation experts from the Species Recovery Trust, Sussex Wildlife Trust, Kew Gardens and the Forestry Commission, visited this site this spring and found that a large ditch had been dug through another section of the same site.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Species Recovery Trust said it had now confirmed the damage was again caused by council contractors.

“The damage caused by these two reckless acts is hard to quantify at this stage, but we are deeply worried about the longer-term effects on this population,” said Mr Price.

“This road verge site has the highest numbers of this plant seen anywhere in the world, a similar type of Spiked Rampion occurs on the continent but is now recognised as a different variant of the English plant, and Spiked Rampion is protected by law, so to see it damaged two years in a row is completely unacceptable.”

Spiked Rampion is also known as the Rapunzel plant, after its appearance in the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Rapunzel’s mother had a terrible craving for the plant and so her husband was forced to steal one from an enchantress, who retaliated by taking their daughter.

However, anyone craving a Spiked Rampion today would struggle even to find one, as it is so rare in the wild.

It is protected by law against intentional uprooting or damage.

East Sussex County Council has been contacted for comment.

Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on.

1) Make our website your homepage

2) Like our Facebook page

3) Follow us on Twitter

4) Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

And do share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out!

Always the first with your local news.

Be part of it.