NEWS AND VIEWS: Sainsbury’s had planned to cut down 67 trees in a designated green space in order to triple the capacity of its Guildford supermarket which is surrounded by trees. They wanted to meet a growing demand for online purchases and home deliveries. The woodland surrounding their store was known to be a habitat for hedgehogs. A campaign was started to put a stop to Sainsbury’s plans. They had made an application to the local authority. The campaign was supported by Brian May, a known conservationist and a high-profile celebrity, the former Queen guitarist.
He had accused Sainsbury’s of sacrificing hedgehog conservation (which is required at the moment because of declining population numbers) in the interests of financial profit. Sainsbury’s have backed down and listened and they have agreed to work with Save Me Trust, Brian May’s wildlife charity, with the intention of revising their proposal. Brian May is sure that a compromise can be found to allow the store to expand while being mindful of hedgehog conservation and indeed of the trees. Trees are vital to the welfare of the world and local people in my view.
SOME MORE ON HEDGEHOGS:
