Ecology Report

Back Dane, Danebridge Ecology Survey Report December 2015 ii Document data Client Beasley Back Dane Trust Reference 770 Danebridg ecology survey Report title Ecology Survey Report File reference 770 Back Dane, Danebridge, Ecology Survey Report Team leader Jake Robinson Contact details [email protected] Issue date December 2015 Revision tracking Name Position Date Author Jake Robinson Ecologist December 22 2015 Reviewed Andrew Baker Managing Director December 22 2015 Baker Consultants Ltd. Cromford Station Cromford Bridge Matlock Derbyshire DE4 5JJ [email protected] http://www.bakerconsultants.co.uk 01629 593958 Company No. 6702156 © Baker Consultants 2015 Disclosure and Limitation: Baker Consultants has prepared this document for the sole use of the commissioning client in accordance with the agreed scope of works and Terms and Conditions under which our services were performed. The evidence and opinion provided is true and has been prepared in accordance with the guidance of our professional institution’s Code of Professional Conduct. No other warranty is made as to the professional advice included in this document or any other services provided by us. This document may not be relied upon by any third party without the prior and express written agreement of Baker Consultants. Unless otherwise stated in this document, the assessments made assume that the site referred to will continue to be used for its current purpose without significant change. The assessment, recommendations and conclusions contained in this document may be based upon information provided by third parties and upon the assumption that the information is relevant, correct and complete. There has been no independent verification of information obtained from third parties, unless otherwise stated in the report. Where field investigations have been carried out, these have been restricted to the agreed scope of works and carried out to a level of detail required to achieve the stated objectives of the services. Natural habitats and species distributions may change over time and further data should be sought following any significant delay from the publication of this document. iv Report Contents 1 Key Issues 6 2 Site Description 8 3 Methodology 9 4 Results 11 5 Legislation and Policy 17 6 Assessment and Conclusion 19 7 Recommendations 20 8 References 21 770 Back Dane – Ecology Report 1 Key Issues 1.1 Background 1.1.1 It is understood that the Beasley Back Dane Trust, the owners of Back Dane (the former Swythamley estate farmhouse and attached barn), are seeking planning permission from the Peak District National Park Authority (PDNPA) to renovate the attached barn building. The farmhouse is currently being used as a hostel, mainly for young people from the Derby area, and the proposed development will enable significant upgrades to the hostel, and will help to enhance and facilitate the charitable objectives of the trust. 1.1.2 Members of the Beasley Back Dane Trust (BBDT), who have owned the farm for about forty years, have been in discussion with the PDNPA about obtaining planning consent for the work. The PDNPA subsequently requested a bat and ecology survey, which Baker Consultants have provided. 1.1.3 The proposed renovations at Back Dane (herein referred to as ‘the site’) could potentially result in impacts on ecological features at the site and its surroundings. The PDNPA therefore requested an ecological appraisal of the site to inform the planning application. Given that the proposals primarily affect buildings, this ecological appraisal has a primary focus on bats. Incidental observations and recommendations regarding nesting birds are also included, as are general recommendations in relation to the immediate surrounding habitats. 1.1.4 This report describes the survey methods including any limitations, survey results, and an assessment of features of ecological value identified. It then concludes with any pertinent recommendations that will ensure the development complies with current nature conservation policy and legislation. 1.2 Ecological receptors 1.2.1 No evidence of a bat roost was found within the farmhouse, barn or outbuildings within the site. However, the buildings were assessed to offer moderate to high potential to support low-medium numbers of roosting bats in accordance with the Bat Conservation Trust Bat Surveys Good Practice Guidelines, 2nd Edition (Hundt, 2012), and the likely absence of a bat roost could not sufficiently be determined by this single daytime survey. Historical evidence (via desk study results) of bat roosts is present in the nearby village of Wincle, but no records exist for the Back Dane site or the immediate vicinity (<500m), including Allgreave and Gibbons Cliff Wood to the north. 1.2.2 Opportunities exist for breeding birds to nest within the buildings; and vacant passerine nests from previous breeding seasons were found in the barn and outbuilding. 6 770 Back Dane - Ecology Report 1.2.3 Reptile and amphibian refugia exist in the immediate vicinity of the buildings, in the form of rubble piles to the north and dry stone walls to the south. However, no historical records exist for these taxa on site, and there is no evidence of suitable breeding waterbodies for great crested newts Triturus cristatus on or within 500m of the site. However, this may be an under-recorded area. 1.3 Conclusions 1.3.1 Although no roosts were discovered during the preliminary survey, the buildings, particularly the barn, do provide suitable roosting habitat for bats. As such, the proposed development has the potential to adversely affect bats should they be occupying the building. Additional surveys are recommended in order to determine presence/absence and to ensure legislative compliance. See Recommendations section for further details. 1.3.2 Should the presence/absence surveys show a negative result from an appropriate survey effort, a Natural England Mitigation Licence will not be required and development may proceed with caution. 1.3.3 A pre-works check for nesting birds within the buildings is recommended immediately prior to any development; and a pre-works check for reptiles/amphibians within the suitable refugia on site is also recommended, should these features be disturbed as part of the development proposals. 7 770 Back Dane – Ecology Report 2 Site Description 2.1.1 The site is approximately ½ mile upstream from Danebridge on the Cheshire/Staffordshire border next to the River Dane, at grid reference GR 971661. The site (shown below in Figure 1 with reference numbers) comprises four buildings: § The farmhouse (ref. 1); Henceforth referred as Building 1 § The attached barn (ref. 2); Henceforth referred as Building 2 § The attached outbuilding (ref. 3); Henceforth referred as Building 3 § The detached outbuilding (ref. 4) Henceforth referred as Building 4 2.1.2 However, the main scope of works will predominantly involve the renovation of the barn and attached outbuilding (Building 2 and Building 3). Figure 1. The site and surrounding habitats. Note building reference numbers 1-4. 3 2 4 1 500m 8 770 Back Dane - Ecology Report 3 Methodology 3.1 Desk Study 3.1.1 In December 2015, a data search was undertaken for records of bats and other protected or notable taxa, within a radius of approximately 1 km of the site. This data was acquired from the local Biological Records Centre serving Cheshire, Halton and Warrington (RECORD LRC), the principal source of biological records for the county. The government’s interactive MAGIC service was also consulted for information on habitats and designated sites in the area. 3.1.2 In addition to this, aerial imagery (Google Earth) and OS maps were also viewed to gain an understanding of the habitat and landscape surrounding the site with regard to bats. 3.2 Field Surveys Surveyor Qualifications and Experience 3.2.1 Jake M. Robinson BSc (Hons) PgCert ACIEEM, an Ecologist with Baker Consultants and the author of this report, coordinated this project. Jake has been a professional ecologist for nearly five years and has been licensed by Natural England to carry out professional bat surveys for more than three seasons. Jake holds a Natural England Level 1 Class survey licence for bats (CLS02269). Jake also holds Natural England licences for great crested newts and hedgehogs and is an Associate member of the Chartered Institute for Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM). Jake undertook the preliminary daytime assessment of the buildings and the immediate surrounding land. Preliminary Bat Roost Assessment 3.2.2 This daytime survey comprised an inspection of the buildings at Back Dane for evidence of roosting bats, which typically includes faeces, characteristic staining and scratches, or the presence of bat specimens. In addition to this inspection, the surveyor also completed an assessment of each building for its potential to support bat roosts (which remains possible even if no evidence of their presence is identified) in accordance with the BCT (2012) guidance. 3.2.3 The assessment of the potential of a building to support bat roosts is based upon the presence of external or internal features where bats may roost, such as cavities in brickwork and masonry, beneath roof and ridge tiles and along ridgeboards, within and behind soffit boxes, cladding, barge boards and fascias, and in some roof voids. 3.2.4 The preliminary bat roost assessment was undertaken on the morning of 11th December 2015 in mild and bright conditions (12oc, 50% cloud cover). 9 770 Back Dane – Ecology Report 3.2.5 Equipment used by the surveyor to conduct the survey comprised high-powered torches (Lenser P7, and Petzl head torch), close-focusing binoculars, an endoscope, a digital camera, and a Forward Looking Infrared Camera (FLIR) to detect thermal radiation. Other Protected or Notable Species 3.2.6 During the above preliminary daytime assessment, the ecologist also assessed the site for potential notable habitats, and its potential to support other protected or notable species.

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