Habitat Description
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Bugley Barton Farm, Land South of Victoria Road, Warminster Technical Appendix 9.1: Ecology Baseline Prepared by: The Environmental Dimension Partnership Ltd (EDP) On behalf of: Persimmon Homes (Wessex) February 2017 Report Reference EDP3431_02a Bugley Barton Farm, Land South of Victoria Road, Warminster Technical Appendix 9.1: Ecology Baseline C_EDP3431_02a Contents Non-Technical Summary Section 1 Introduction .................................................................................................... 1 Section 2 Methodology (Baseline Investigations) ............................................................... 3 Section 3 Results ........................................................................................................... 17 Section 4 Summary of Findings ...................................................................................... 35 Annexes Annex EDP 1 Designated Sites Maps Annex EDP 2 Illustrative Photographs Annex EDP 3 Bat Roost Inspection Results Annex EDP 4 Automated Bat Detector Results Annex EDP 5 Pond Habitat Suitability Assessment Plans Plan EDP 1 Phase 1 Habitat Plan (EDP3431/07c 07 February 2017 LB/EW) Plan EDP 2 Transect Route and Automated Detector Locations (EDP3431/21b 07 February 2017 LB/RF) Plan EDP 3 Dormouse Tube and Reptile Mat Locations (EDP3431/11b 07 February 2017 LB/EW) Plan EDP 4 Manual Bat Activity Survey Results - August Dusk (EDP3431/08b 07 February 2017 LB/EW) Plan EDP 5 Manual Bat Activity Survey Results – Early September Dusk (EDP3431/09b 07 February 2017 LB/EW) Plan EDP 6 Manual Bat Activity Survey Results – Late September Dusk (EDP3431/10b 07 February 2017 LB/EW) For EDP use Report no. C_EDP3431_02a Author Emily Williams/Rob Forbes Peer Review Rob Forbes Formatted Charlee Gaisford Proofed Donna Kraven Date 02 February 2017 Bugley Barton Farm, Land South of Victoria Road, Warminster Technical Appendix 9.1: Ecology Baseline C_EDP3431_02a Section 1 Introduction 1.1 This Ecology Baseline Report has been prepared by The Environmental Dimension Partnership Ltd (EDP) on behalf of Persimmon Homes (Wessex) (hereafter referred to as ‘the Client’). This report contains technical baseline ecology information that is relevant to the Ecology Impact Assessment (Chapter 9 Nature Conservation) of the Environmental Statement (ES), supporting a full planning application for the residential development of Bugley Barton Farm, Land South of Victoria Road, and Warminster (hereafter referred to as ‘the Site’). 1.2 EDP is an independent environmental planning consultancy with offices in Cirencester, Cardiff and Shrewsbury. The practice provides advice to private and public sector clients throughout the UK in the fields of landscape, ecology, archaeology, cultural heritage, arboriculture, rights of way and masterplanning. Details of the practice can be obtained at our website www.edp-uk.co.uk. Site Context 1.3 The Site is approximately centred at Ordnance Survey Grid Reference (OSGR) ST 853 446 within the Local Planning Authority of Wiltshire Council (WC). The Site encompasses approximately 9.59 hectares of predominantly arable farmland, situated on the eastern outskirts of the town of Warminster. The centre of the Site is dominated by farm buildings with associated hardstanding and an access road from the A36. The A36 lies to the north and east of the proposed Site, buffered by native hedgerow, scrub, trees and a single track access road. The southern and eastern Site boundaries are delineated by native hedgerows. 1.4 Located on the edge of Warminster, the wider landscape to the north, west and south is dominated by arable farmland and woodland copses, whilst residential housing is located east of the Site. Approximately 0.75km south-west of the Site is Longleat Forest, whilst Cley Hill SSSI is approximately 1km west of the Site and Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is located within 100m of the western Site boundary. 1.5 The Site forms part of the proposed West Warminster Urban Extension (WWUE) allocated within the Wiltshire Core Strategy (adopted January 2015). Persimmon Homes, Hannick Homes and Redrow Homes have worked in partnership with the local community and local planning authority to develop a masterplan for the entire 115ha WWUE. This masterplan was submitted in February 2016 (reference 16/01323/MAS) and on 15 June 2016 was formally endorsed by Wiltshire Council as a “significant material consideration”. The masterplan states that the WWUE will deliver “approximately 1,550 new homes”. 1 Bugley Barton Farm, Land South of Victoria Road, Warminster Technical Appendix 9.1: Ecology Baseline C_EDP3431_02a Development Proposals 1.6 A comprehensive development comprising 232 residential dwellings (use class C3), new vehicular access, public open space, landscaping, sustainable urban drainage and other associated infrastructure works. 1.7 The ecological sensitivities of the Site have influenced the evolution of the development layout through an iterative design process. Thus, the masterplan will incorporate a degree of ‘inherent’ mitigation to avoid or reduce the severity of potential ecological impacts. Scope of Assessment 1.8 This Ecology Baseline Report describes the current ecological interest within and around the Site, which has been identified through standard desk and field-based investigations. 1.9 The purpose of this report is to provide technical baseline information that supports the Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA) of the residential proposals, for which the Applicant is submitting a full planning application. The EcIA is provided in Chapter 9 Nature Conservation of the Environmental Statement (ES) accompanying the application. This report therefore does not directly appraise the ecological impacts of any development masterplan, but provides the technical survey methodologies and baseline conditions that are present and highlights the Important Ecological Features (IEFs) requiring evaluation in the EcIA 1.10 The remainder of this report is structured as follows: • Section 2 summarises the methodologies employed in determining the baseline ecological conditions within and around the Site (with further details provided within appendices and on plans where appropriate); • Section 3 summarises the baseline ecological conditions (with further details also provided within the appendices and on plans where appropriate), identifies and values any IEFs in a geographic context; and • Section 4 summarises any actual or potential IEFs which are pertinent to the EcIA of the development proposals. 2 Bugley Barton Farm, Land South of Victoria Road, Warminster Technical Appendix 9.1: Ecology Baseline C_EDP3431_02a Section 2 Methodology (Baseline Investigations) 2.1 This section of the Ecology Baseline Report, summarises the methodologies employed in determining the baseline ecological conditions within and around the Site. The baseline collation and evaluation has been undertaken by appropriately qualified ecologists, using relevant best practice methodologies wherever possible. Desk Study 2.2 The desk study comprises an important element of the baseline ecological appraisal of a site proposed for development, enabling the initial collation and review of contextual information such as designated sites and past records of protected and priority species. 2.3 The desk study involved collating information from both statutory and non-statutory bodies, including: • Wiltshire and Swindon Biological Record Centre (WSBRC); • Multi-Agency Geographic Information for the Countryside (MAGIC1); and • National Biodiversity Network (NBN) Gateway2. 2.4 The desk study was undertaken between August and October 2016 and involved obtaining the following information: • International statutory designations (10km radius); • National statutory designations (2km); • Non-statutory local sites (1km); • Annex II bat species3 records (4km); and • All other protected/notable species records (1km). 2.5 In light of the scope of the proposals, the above mentioned search areas are considered sufficient to cover the potential zone of influence4 of the proposed development in relation to nationally important sites (or less), habitats and species. 1 www.magic.gov.uk 2 http://data.nbn.org.uk/ 3 Referring to those species listed on Annex II of the Habitats Directive for which internationally protected Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) are selected 3 Bugley Barton Farm, Land South of Victoria Road, Warminster Technical Appendix 9.1: Ecology Baseline C_EDP3431_02a 2.6 The desk study also included a review of the ecology information supporting the West Warminster Urban Extension (WWUE), of which the Site forms a part, and adjacent planning applications: • Land North of Victoria Road (Planning ref: 15/01800/OUT - yet to be determined) – up to 1200 dwellings on land immediately to the north of the Site on the opposite side of Victoria Road; and • Land to the West of St Andrews Close (14/06562/FUL – granted subject to S106 agreement) – 203 dwellings immediately to the south east of the Site. 2.7 All pertinent information received as a result of the desk study has been referenced within Section 3 and a designated site map included at Appendix EDP 2. Extended Phase 1 Survey 2.8 The survey technique adopted for the initial habitat assessment, was at a level intermediate between a standard Phase 1 survey technique5 based on habitat mapping and description, and a Phase 2 survey, based on detailed habitat and species surveys. Commonly known as an Extended Phase 1 Survey, this level