Conservationists are warning that the sale of Essex's Middlewick Ranges for 1,000 new homes would set a "catastrophic precedent" and irreparably harm the site's rich biodiversity. The Ministry of Defence is poised to sell the 76-hectare site, which is home to rare barbastelle bats, nearly 1,500 invertebrate species, and the second-best place for nightingales in the country. Ecological experts argue that the sale would be based on faulty environmental evidence and contradict the principles of biodiversity net gain.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/oct/19/middlewick-ranges-sale-essex-acid-grassland-catastrophic-precedent