County Wildlife Sites should be saved.

The Kingskerswell Alliance believes that more attention should be paid to the adverse environmental impacts that the building of the bypass would have.

The proposed route runs right down through a flood plain made up of meadows, wetlands and pastures which are very important to local wildlife.

The scheme threatens four County Wildlife Sites, these are recognised as being significant for their wildlife in at least a County context, ie. it may be of county or regional importance.

Guidelines for their designation have been set nationally by The Wildlife Trusts and in Devon CWS's are identified and 'confirmed' by a panel of wildlife experts operating as a Working Group for the Devon Wildlife Trust.

A CWS is not a statutory designation, but does comply with the Government's Planning Policy Guidance note 9. This means there should be a presumption in favour of protecting CWS's from development.

Here is a list of the sites that are under threat:

• SX86/65 Kerswell Down and Whilborough Common (38.8ha) is a CWS (Country Wildlife Site) for "unimproved limestone, grassland, secondary limestone, broadleaved woodland and scrub".

• SX86/92 Yannon Lane fields (14.3ha) is a CWS for "mixed farmland with bird interest" ie cirl buntings.

• SX 86/68 Edginswell Farm (2.1ha) is a CWS for " wet unimproved neutral grassland, rush pasture and tall herb vegetation".

• SX 86/73 Aller Bridge (5.0ha) is a "potential" CWS for semi-improved neutral and marshy grassland" - being a "potential" CWS means that it is thought to be valuable for wildlife (eg. when seen from a distance), but proper survey information isn't held for it at this time.

If you feel strongly about these environmental issues; if you believe there are alternatives to building the bypass, then you will have the chance to vote at the local elections on the 1st May 2003. Please support the Alliance candidates.