Brompton bike factory approval a “dark day for nature”, says wildlife trust – while also slamming “puzzling” lack of car parking spaces

Kind of buried the lede.

However, despite the council’s approval on Wednesday, the plans still face an uncertain future, after Brompton revealed earlier this month that its pre-tax profits had plunged by over 99 per cent from £10.7m in 2023 to just £4,602 for the year ending March 2024.

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According to the agency, the proposed factory and headquarters, set to be built on a 100-acre Zone 3b floodplain, could be prone to flooding and lead to the loss of local wildlife. Flood Zone 3b refers to land known as a functional floodplain, where water from rivers or the sea has to flow or be stored during a flood.

So this isn't just wildlife preservation folks missing the mark; they have what seem to be legitimate concerns about the project. I used to work on a study that looked at the cost of active vs passive wetland restoration, and I can assure you, active restoration isn't cheap (which is what the company is proposing). If they're so cash-poor, will they even be able to afford restoring a wetland? What happens if they start on the construction but go bankrupt? What if they experience flooding greater than planned?

Helping to grow alternative travel methods is good, but if I lived there, I would be worried, too.