SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE - 10TH NOVEMBER 2003

DECLARATION OF LOCAL NATURE RESERVE: AIT

Report by: ASSISTANT CHIEF EXECUTIVE CORPORATE POLICY AND REGENERATION

Summary The Council has the power to declare statutory Local Nature Reserves and has already exercised this for nine wildlife sites in the Borough. This report proposes the designation of a further important wildlife site, Isleworth Ait, situated along the . The designation of this area would demonstrate the Council’s continued support and promotion of the Boroughs biodiversity, confirm the importance of this wildlife site and will help in efforts to secure management funds from other sources.

The Isleworth and Area Committee commended this proposal on 11th September 2003.

This report requests this Committee’s views on the proposal to declare this site a statutory Local Nature Reserve so that they may be reported to the Executive.

1.0 RECOMMENDATIONS

THAT MEMBERS:

1.1 CONSIDER THE CONTENTS OF THE REPORT AND

1.2 MAKE COMMENTS ON THESE PROPOSALS TO REPORT TO HOUNSLOW EXECUTIVE

1 2.0 BACKGROUND

2.1 Under Section 21 of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949, local authorities have the power to select, declare and manage nature reserves in consultation with English Nature (EN), the statutory advisor to the Government on nature conservation in England.

2.2 Nine statutory Local Nature Reserves (LNRs) have already been declared in the Borough (see Appendix 1), representing some of the most important nature conservation locations in the area.

2.3 The value in declaring wildlife sites as LNRs lies in the public recognition that these sites are afforded by the Council declaration and the opportunities to attract further funding for site management, through, for example grant aid from EN. There is no limit to how many sites can be declared by the Council. There is no provision for the Council to declare privately owned land if it has an interest in the land through either a land management agreement (such as Lakes Country Park) or through a management plan agreement (as is the case at Kempton Nature Reserve). LNR designation can also afford nature conservation sites with other existing designations (such as Kempton Nature Reserve Site of Special Scientific Interest, SSSI), with complementary designations that highlight aspects such as public accessibility and educational use in addition to its intrinsic wildlife value.

2.4 EN advises that sites proposed for declaration as LNRs should be:

1. of high natural interest in the local context (SSSI or near equivalent); or 2. of some reasonable natural interest and of high value in the Borough context for environmental education or research; or 3. of some reasonable natural interest and of high value in the Borough context for the informal enjoyment of nature by the public; or 4. any combination of 1-3; and capable of being managed with the conservation of nature and/or the maintenance of special opportunities for study or research as a priority concern.

2.5 Declaring this site will also help Hounslow reach English Nature’s recommended target of 1 hectare (ha) of LNR per 1,000 head of population. Hounslow currently has 1 ha/1,388 people [151.09 ha/209,700 people] and this figure will reduce to 1 ha/1,375 people [154.39 ha/212,344 people] should this site be declared.

2.6 Hounslow’s Biodiversity Action Plan and Local Agenda 21 Declaring this site would contribute to the protection of the variety of wildlife (‘biodiversity’) at this site and therefore to the wildlife resource of the Borough and wider region as a whole. This is in line with the Government’s National Biodiversity Action Plan, a response to concerns laid out in the Local Agenda 21 agreement signed at the original ‘Earth Summit’ in 1992. The designation also falls within the Tidal Thames Habitat Action Plan in the

2 London Biodiversity Action Plan (2001) and the Hounslow Local Biodiversity Action Plan (2003).

2.7 The proposed designation is consistent with proposal 22 of the Mayor’s Biodiversity Strategy, which encourages boroughs to declare suitable sites as Local Nature Reserves and to manage them to benefit biodiversity and people’s access to nature. The Greater London Authority (GLA) therefore supports this proposal and sees Isleworth Ait as a suitable site for a Local Nature Reserve.

2.8 The site is part of the Greater London Authority and London Borough of Hounslow Sites of Metropolitan Importance, River Thames, its Tidal Tributaries and Islands. Both this and the LNR designation referred to in Hounslow’s Unitary Development Plan (UDP). In particular are the following policies (Revised Deposit UDP, 2001):

• ENV-N.2.1 Strategic Nature Conservation Sites - encompasses national, regional and metropolitan nature conservation sites and includes the statement: ‘The Council will continue to designate Local Nature Reserves where appropriate’

• Policy ENV-N2.2. Sites for Local Nature Conservation – Sites of Borough and Local Importance which states: ‘The Council will encourage the protection and sensitive management of these sites for local nature conservation. Development will only be permitted when it can be shown that it would not be harmful to nature conservation interests at the defined site.’

2.9 The site is the freehold of Utilities Limited and has been leased since 1994 to to manage the island “for the purposes of conserving and enhancing flora and fauna” excepting the penstocks (control valves for the treated sewage outfall) and their immediate environs. This lease is for a 25 year period.

2.10 Thames Water Utilities Limited and English Nature have both given their approval for the London Borough of Hounslow to go ahead with this declaration. Both organisations recognised the importance of this site for nature conservation.

3.0 SITE DESCRIPTION

3.1 The site is an area of 3.3 hectares (ha). It is an island situated in the River Thames, between the London Apprentice Public House and the mouth of the River Crane (see appendix 2). It is proposed that this designation will be the part of Isleworth Ait situated above the Mean High Water (MHW).

3 3.2 History. Isleworth Ait was once made up of three small islands. In 1859 the site’s owner, the Duke of Northumberland permitted a swimming pool to be put in place on the island and this was used by local school children. No remnants of this structure remain. In 1935 the embankment along the eastern bank was raised and penstock sluices were installed to discharge treated sewage in to the River Thames from nearby Mogden Sewage works.

3.3 Land Use. The majority of the site is managed as a nature reserve with restricted public access. The operators of the boatyard also have access to the Ait, but the operations occur primarily below MHW. The four penstocks situated on the island will be the only parts of Isleworth Ait that are not included within this designation.

3.4 Habitats. The site supports a variety of vegetation communities with Willow being dominant. In the main body of the woodland, Ivy covers many of the trees. This provides habitats for nectar feeding insects, berry feeding animals and shelter for roosting birds and over-wintering butterflies. The varied habitats on the site contribute to its importance for birds. The dead wood reserve on the island serves as an important habitat for invertebrates.

3.5 Flora and Fauna. The site features a mixture of plant species ranging from Marsh-marigold, to the re-introduction of Summer snowflake. A number of moss species are present and the planting of unusual exotic trees such as Swamp cypress has added to the biological and landscape diversity.

3.5.1 the large amount of fallen and standing rotten timber on the island provides habitats for a wide range of fungi.

3.5.2 the most notable feature of the reserve is the presence of a rich invertebrate fauna. Of particular interest is the occurrence of two Red Data Book mollusc species - the Two-Lipped Door Snail and the German Hairy Snail. The Two- Lipped Door Snail is restricted to a few localities along the banks of the Thames in or near London and is thought possibly to be an ancient accidental introduction to this country. The German Hairy Snail is known from only six sites in England, five of them along the Thames floodplain. Action Plans for both these mollusc species are included within the Hounslow Local Biodiversity Action Plan (2003).

3.5.3 a total of 74 bird species have been recorded, 14 of these breeding, or suspected of breeding. Bats may roost on the island.

3.6 Landscape importance the site is a strong and valuable landscape feature of the River Thames at Isleworth providing a semi-natural/rural aspect from both the Isleworth and Richmond banks of this stretch of the river. The boatyards also provide another element within the landscape character of the site.

3.7 There is a significant amount of community interest in the site. As well as active management by the local London Wildlife Trust group there are regular organised visits to the island by schools and Wildlife WATCH groups. Groups such as The Ramblers and interested natural historians have made visits. The

4 Isleworth Society who fully support this proposal, take an active interest in the island and are represented on the Management Committee.

3.8 The London Wildlife Trust has managed the site since 1985. The Isleworth Ait Management Committee was also formed at the same time and meets on a regular basis. Volunteer work parties are held once a month on the island with habitat management, access work and maintenance of facilities all undertaken. The site also has an on-going Management Plan, the most recent of which was written for 2000 to 2004.

4. 0 CONSULTATION RESPONSE

A 6 week consultation took place after the approval to consult from the Isleworth and Brentford Area Committee on 5th June 2003.

4.1 ENGLISH NATURE’S letter of support is reproduced as Appendix 4. 4.2 THAMES WATER’S letter of support is reproduced as Appendix 5. 4.3 COMMENTS OF CIP – CIP support the proposal and comment that this is a worthy addition to the existing LNRs. 4.4 COMMENTS OF THE GREATER LONDON AUTHORITY (GLA) - comments are incorporated in to this report. 4.5 COMMENTS OF ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS KEW - Fully support the proposal. 4.6 COMMENTS FROM THE ISLEWORTH SOCIETY - Fully support the proposal. 4.7 COMMENTS FROM THE PORT OF LONDON AUTHORITY (PLA) - The PLA have no objection to this proposal, although it has concerns about the long-established boatyard uses on the inside (western) face of the Ait should continue to operate without undue interference resulting from the proposed designation. The two boatyards and the activities undertaken by the London Wildlife Trust to manage the Ait have co-existed for a number of years. Therefore, there is no intention to remove the boatyard users and current occupiers as part of this designation. Further comments have been incorporate in to this report.

4.8 Following the public consultation, a report was taken to the Isleworth and Brentford Area Committee. The committee commended this proposal to declare Isleworth Ait as a Local Nature Reserve on 11th September 2003.

5.0 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

5.1 As the London Borough of Hounslow do not manage the site, the future management of this site will have to be met within existing budgets of the managers or through grant aid sources. There are no specific implications arising from the contents of this report other than the production of official public notices which can be met from existing budgets.

5 5.2 The Head of Finance comments that any expenditure, which is likely to be minimal, will be met from existing budgets. It is possible that staff time may be required to assist the site management in exploring possible grant aid sources. Similarly, such staff time would be contained within existing budgets.

6.0 EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES IMPLICATIONS

6.1 Isleworth Ait is not readily accessible to the general public, therefore there are no specific equal opportunities implications for this proposal.

7.0 APPENDICES

• Appendix 1: Location of existing LNR’s in the London Borough of Hounslow • Appendix 2: General location of proposed LNR • Appendix 3: Specific boundary of proposed LNR • Appendix 4: Letter of support from English Nature • Appendix 5: Letter from Thames Water

Contact: Lucy Griffiths, Environmental Strategy Officer Telephone: 020-8583-5213 Background Papers: This report has been or is due to be considered by: Local Nature Reserves: A guide to their selection and declaration. English Nature (Revised Ed 1999) Executive Committee Technical file GRE/4/38: Local Nature Reserves

This report is relevant to the following wards/areas:

Brentford, Isleworth, and Spring Grove and Syon Wards

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