Legal dispute
This project aims to raise funds to resolve a claim, or other type of dispute.
Protect Middlewick - A Test Case for Nature
Colchester, Essex, United Kingdom
Aim
To protect Middlewick Ranges, a nationally important wildlife site, by funding urgent legal action to secure statutory protection as a SSSI.
Summary
Middlewick Ranges in Colchester supports a stunning array of nationally important wildlife, yet the site is deteriorating from poor management, and the Ministry of Defence as landowner is intent on selling the site.
Despite overwhelming expert evidence that it qualifies as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Natural England has decided not to act.
Misleading and poor-quality assessments led to Middlewick Ranges being allocated on the Colchester Local Plan. Natural England advised the housing allocation should be removed from the revised Local Plan, but this is not yet adopted and Middlewick Ranges is currently still an allocated site.
In recent responses to Freedom of Information requests, the Defence Infrastructure Organisation who manages MOD land confirmed that they do not have an ecological management plan for the site and that “the site is due to be sold”.
We are now aiming to raise £55,000 to fund urgent legal action to ensure this nationally important site is protected — not just for Essex, but to defend how nature is safeguarded across England at a time of accelerating biodiversity loss.
The Middlewick Story
For nine years, Middlewick Ranges has lived under the constant threat of destruction. Friends of Middlewick formed in 2016 when the proposal by the Ministry of Defence to sell the land quickly escalated into a planning allocation for up to 1,000 homes. Middlewick was added to the Local Plan at the last moment, without proper ecological surveys, and based on a presumption that development was inevitable.
A report commissioned on behalf of the MOD severely downplayed the true ecological value of the site, misclassified ancient acid grassland as poor-quality habitat, and claimed it could be “recreated” elsewhere by artificially altering soils with sulphur — a claim now widely discredited by ecologists and contrary to Natural England and Defra guidance. That flawed assessment hung like an axe over Middlewick for years, shaping planning decisions and placing the site on a path towards irreversible loss.
Against the odds, local people, naturalists and national experts refused to accept this. Hundreds of surveys were carried out. Thousands of volunteer hours were given. Independent specialists documented nationally important invertebrate communities, rare fungi, breeding nightingales, bats and habitats now scarce across England. There were moments of real despair — when the Local Plan was adopted, when expert warnings were ignored, when Middlewick was formally put up for sale — and moments of hope as evidence mounted and the truth could no longer be denied.
In 2025, after nine relentless years, the argument was finally won at council level. Colchester City Council accepted that Middlewick should never have been allocated for development and recommended the removal of the allocation from the emerging revised Local Plan. It was a landmark victory — but not the end of the story. Middlewick remains undesignated, remains up for sale, and is deteriorating under the poor management which has affected acid grassland, woodland edge and invertebrate habitat. This legal action is the final step needed to secure permanent, statutory protection for the site.
Summary of the Legal Case
Natural England has a statutory duty to notify land as a Site of Special Scientific Interest when they are of the opinion that it meets criteria set out by the JNCC (Joint Nature Conservation Committee)
Middlewick Ranges clearly meets those criteria for multiple features. Natural England’s own specialists and independent experts have confirmed this.
Despite that, Natural England has chosen not to designate the site, citing lack of capacity and and the possibility of securing a management plan rather than basing their decision on the ecological evidence.
Our legal case argues that this decision is unlawful and that Natural England must comply with its statutory duty. If Natural England do not respond to the request for notification in our Pre-action Protocol letter, we will be filing a Notice of Application for Judicial Review.
Call to Action
We are raising £20,000 to bring an urgent Judicial Review if Natural England does not change its position.
This is time-critical and delays could mean losing the chance to protect Middlewick Ranges forever.
Please donate if you can.
Please share this page widely.
Nature needs us to act now!
What are We Trying to Achieve?
We are seeking one clear outcome:
Full statutory protection for Middlewick Ranges as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
This would:
- legally protect nationally important habitats and species;
- require proper long-term management;
- prevent damaging activities;
- ensure decisions are guided by science, not convenience.
More broadly, this case matters because it raises a question of national importance:
If a site that clearly qualifies for SSSI status is not protected, what protection does nature really have?
At a time when many important wildlife sites remain undesignated and vulnerable, this case could help strengthen how environmental law is applied across England.
Why This Matters at a National Level
Middlewick is not an isolated case.
Across the country, high-value wildlife sites are being lost through:
- development pressure,
- weak planning protections,
- and delays in statutory designation.
A recent report on national security warned that biodiversity loss is a growing threat to national resilience, food security and environmental stability.
The irony is stark:
We expect the Ministry of Defence to defend our land and safeguard our national interests, yet the biodiversity at Middlewick is under threat.
The case for designating Middlewick Ranges a SSSI has inadvertently been made by Luke Pollard MP, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, argued that as it is not a designated site, Middlewick “does not, therefore, warrant a detailed conservation management plan”.
Not only are the MOD not meeting their statutory duty to conserve and enhance the nationally important biodiversity at Middlewick, they are also failing to understand and safeguard the link between healthy ecosystems and thriving biodiversity to national security.
What is the Next Step in the Case?
We have already issued a Pre-Action Protocol letter — the formal legal step required before a Judicial Review.
This gives Natural England the opportunity to:
- reconsider its decision,
- and act lawfully without court proceedings.
If they do not, we must be ready to file a Judicial Review within strict deadlines. That is why fundraising must happen now, not later.
How Much are we Raising - and Why?
We are raising £20,000 to cover:
- preparation and filing of a Judicial Review by specialist environmental lawyers;
- barristers’ fees;
- court costs and required legal safeguards.
All funds raised will be used solely for this purpose, with full transparency.
If the case is resolved without court action, supporters will be updated immediately and next steps clearly explained.
THANK YOU
This project closed unsuccessfully on 19th February 2026