More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
Kings Hill Parish Council is to hold an extraordinary meeting tomorrow night to decide whether to continue to allow a shooting club to hunt on its sports field after a public uproar.
The council has come in for a storm of criticism on Facebook over the past three days after the public realised the parish had approved shooting as a mean of pest control.
"Absolutely disgusting," "It makes my blood boil" and "It's abhorrent!" were among the comments posted.
Residents are concerned not only for the welfare of wildlife, but also for the safety of pedestrians using nearby public footpaths.
One correspondent claimed that three foxes had been shot in a single evening.
But it transpires that the council had granted permission for the shooting at Kings Hill Sports Park, off Beacon Avenue, as long ago as 2014, after pitches had been damaged by rabbits.
The park is the home ground for eight local football teams and has a 3G pitch as well as several grass pitches.
The council's contractor visits Saturday and Thursday evenings between September and November and between March and May.
There had been many discussions about other methods of pest control in the interim, and rabbit-proof fencing had been installed around one pitch, but shooting had proved to be the most effective method.
The council said that contrary to popular belief, foxes could be just as destructive to pitches as rabbits.
The contractor was a member of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation and held all necessary public liability insurance cover and firearms certificates.
The documents had last been examined in June.
The council said it had a legal obligation to control rabbits on its land.
The sports park is located next to Warren Woods Nature Park, which is a popular place for residents to walk their dogs.
The Kings Hill branch of the Friends of The Earth has started an online petition against the shooting, which in just 24-hours has been signed by more than 1,000 people.
Because of Covid, the council meeting will be held on Zoom, put the public can click in to watch.
