Erbistal building area: Bumblebees have to move

In the Erbistal, the Reichling community wants to designate more building land.

But now there is suddenly a hint that protected bumblebees live there.

Reichling

- If the community wants to pursue its plans further and to create space for two single-family houses on the southern edge of the already grown building area in the Erbistal, it must now consult a biologist.

Because the Lower Nature Conservation Authority has announced that there may be protected bumblebees in the meadow.

In the first statement by the nature conservation authority, the insects had not yet been mentioned, said head of administration Wolfgang Hentschke in the most recent meeting of the Reichlingen municipal council.

But now there is a second opinion with the reference to the bumblebees.

The issue here is species protection, and this cannot be weighed up, Hentschke underlined when the municipal council dealt with the comments received at the latest meeting on the participation of the public and the authorities.

Since the meadow - i.e. the future building land - will probably serve as a habitat for protected bumblebee species, the community would have to offer the insects an alternative, i.e. compensation area.

The bumblebees would therefore have to move.

“A biologist has to examine the area and see how the bumblebees can be relocated,” said Reichling's Mayor Johannes Leis.

“The young bumblebee queens fly out of the nest in spring and then look for a new home,” the mayor has learned.

"If you build a bumblebee hotel in spring, you can relocate the insects." According to Leis, the nature conservation authority had received a tip from the population that bumblebees were protected in the meadow.

The municipality itself received three statements from the population within the framework of public participation.

Among other things, with reference to the bumblebees and other animal species.

However, the nature conservation authority has not adopted these other animal species, Hentschke informed.

As for the existing houses in the Erbistal: It is clear that the northern neighbors of the new single-family houses would have to accept a disadvantage in terms of solar radiation, the head of administration admitted.

The municipal council would then have to weigh this up.

As far as monument protection is concerned, it is a "suspected area", explained Hentschke.

"It may be that the soil removal has to be accompanied." There is no evidence that there is actually a monument there.

However, should monuments be found during the excavations, the buyer could be given a right of withdrawal.

But what then occupied the municipal council even more intensively was the effects of further development on the landscape.

Ute Steininger in particular was concerned that the landscape could be adversely affected and preferred to leave the "hilltop that defines the place" as a green area.

The local council at the time also made a conscious decision 35 years ago for this “round conclusion” as it is now available.

She learned this from a previous local council, said Steininger.

At the suggestion of Hans-Jürgen Korn, a site inspection should now take place.

The municipal councils want to discuss the effects of further development on the landscape again.

Only then should the next steps be voted on.

Manuela Schmid