Conservationists call for rare acid grassland in Essex to be protected from housing plan

It is the second-best place for nightingales in the country, a sanctuary for rare barbastelle bats and home to nearly 1,500 invertebrate species, including a quarter of all Britain's spider species. But Middlewick Ranges on the edge of Colchester in Essex is set to be sold by the Ministry of Defence for 1,000 new homes.

- Patrick Barkham

Conservation scientists have written to the defence secretary, John Healey, urging him to reverse the decision to sell the 76-hectare (188-acre) site for housing. Experts who have fought the proposals for eight years say the housebuilding is based on faulty and flawed environmental evidence and must be reversed.

A freedom of information request by campaigners has revealed an ecological report that in 2017 identified large swathes of rare acid grassland at Middlewick, which has been untouched by a plough for at least 200 years and contains more than 10% of Essex's remaining acid grassland.

This report was not seen by Colchester city councillors when they allocated 1,000 homes to Middlewick in their local plan. A subsequent ecological report produced for the MoD in 2020 then downgraded almost half of the acid grassland. Conservation scientists say this vastly underestimates Middlewick's natural riches, and makes it easier to build houses.