“Foxie, you are quite right the Council Officers and those in charge of the project have followed the laws and regulations as required by a Local Authority. What concerns me is that Counci Leaders who are elected and therefore do not always have the skills and knowledge are not supporting the Officers who do. Also the spin put on this by the politicians and the Mercury is all negative against the wildlife instead of seeking to congratulate the Officers for doing their jobs correctly.”

“Kauto, when these schemes are drawn up, the enviroment and habitat impact of them is a major consideration and something that the county councils enviroment and wildlife team, make contractors stick to.(as in a condition of them winning the contract to do the work) Believe me when i say that the raft of legislation in this industry concerning wildlife and habitat protection is long and strict ! and as with all the other bypass jobs that ive worked on in the county (western, Oakham, Rearsby)the county council team have made sure the contractors adhered to the rules, guidelines, and any special measures put in place so as to have the least impact and the most protection as possible for the enviroment and wildlife. And before you ask or was wondering. No i didnt work for the cc on any of those jobs.”

“Foxie, if what you're saying is true then I'm pleased the council has done something right for a change. People always talk about progress, but you have to remember where that developed from! progress too far and we may destroy ourselves. I'm glad they're people finally thinking about protecting our wildlife and natural heritage.”

“And what lack of awareness for the wildlife along the length of the bypass would that be then? The newt fences are still in place, badger runs were put in under the road so they wouldnt get squashed trying to cross it. The brook was cleaned up widened and capped with stone to stop soil erosion and bank collapse. Rather than a total lack of it, a lot of thought has gone into protection of the wildlife along the bypass.”

“Perhaps the most worry element of this story is the total lack of awareness that the Charnwood Borough Council Leader and other councillors have shown for the law and the duties local authorities have to protect wildlife. Great Crested Newts are protected specifically by the Wildlife and Countryside Act. Also, al local authorities have a duty under the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 to conserve biodiversity. These laws are there to protect an every decreasing and depleted diversity of wildlife. Would a Council Leader talk about those ¿dreaded¿ children because the council had to pay to provide child protection services? It is about time that people really understood that wildlife s being decimated in the countryside and what little protection for it needs to be supported not undermined by political leaders. Shameful behaviour all round including the Leicester Mercury who at the time went for the sensational headline rather than bothering to establish the facts.”

“As being someone who worked on the bypass from start to finish i can definetly state that no newts were seen let alone found, tho we knew where they were, and that was about a quarter of a mile away from the job. In some residents back gardens. But i suppose the cc had to fence the site off and put buckets down, just in case the little blighters came over for a nose around or wanted to settle at the bridleway balancing pond.”