Published 14/11/2026 By William Turtle-Clark

A Herefordshire wildlife researcher has explained why she brought a barn owl into a major public planning inquiry examining proposals to build 265 homes next to Hereford’s historic Lugg Meadow.

Dr Sasha Norris, who runs Herefordshire Wildlife Rescue, attended the opening session of the inquiry at Belmont Abbey accompanied by Willow, a barn owl, drawing surprise from planning inspectors, legal teams, and local residents.

The appeal hearing, which continues into next week, is determining whether developer STL Energy should be permitted to build the 265-home estate on land immediately bordering the Lugg Meadow to the east of the city.

Explaining her appearance, Dr Norris noted a personal connection to the area, saying her father spent his youth birdwatching on the Lugg flats and had his ashes scattered there, a connection that inspired her career as a zoologist.

Highlighting the ecological stakes of the development, she emphasized that barn owls rely directly on open grasslands to hunt and survive. With only an estimated 3,000 to 9,000 breeding pairs remaining in the UK, and around 75 per cent of young barn owls killed on roads annually, Dr Norris warned that habitat loss leaves the birds with nowhere else to go. She added that Herefordshire remains one of England’s last tranquil natural counties and argued it warrants stronger environmental safeguards, such as national park status.

While Dr Norris spoke alongside campaigners opposing the scheme, STL Energy has assembled a team of planning and legal specialists to press the case for the housing development.

A formal decision on the planning appeal is expected sometime after the inquiry concludes next week.