I was delighted to discover this week a swallow nest at home. It was only due to the noise of the three hungry chicks that I spotted it – high up in a garage roof. Swallows are remarkable birds and are definitely natures aerial acrobats but their populations in the UK and across Europe are declining, largely due to loss of nesting sites in old buildings. It is one reason why you’ll often hear talk of conservationists or planners preserving eaves and roof cavities. The tiny birds have one of the longest and most demanding migrations in the bird world too - from Europe to sub-Saharan Africa, covering over 6,000 miles a year. There are certainly no shortage of the insects that they eat around!
What would you think is a reasonable scale of development. Perhaps 12 homes? 120 even? Well last week, the Lib Dem and Green controlled, Arun District Council approved a development of 1,250 homes near Barnham. There is only one word for this – insane! There will be a time when no green space remains between the A27 and the coastline. Our roads, GP surgeries and other facilities are already full and this area is plagued by flooding. When so much brownfield and older property needs redeveloping at better quality and density, this is disappointing and unimaginative.
Finally, I have been very concerned to see the images and reports of starving citizens coming out of Gaza. As Pope Leo XIV has said, it is an extremely grave humanitarian situation. Whilst Hamas are a recognised terrorist organisation, innocent residents of the Gaza strip are every much their victims as the Israeli’s massacred on 7 October. It is not possible to build a lasting peace without the trust of ordinary Gazans and one challenge in the region is how long memories are. I welcome the initiatives by western allies to increase the amount of aid getting in – including the use of air drops and more aid crossing the Egyptian border.
