Land at Woolley, Bradford on Avon Phase 1 Ecology Report First issue: September 2014 Second issue: November 2016. Second Issue with the following Addendum 1. Front cover corrected with name of author. Addendum 2. 2015 bat records for both Woolley fields as submitted to SWBRC. Sighting of barn owl 2016 added. This Report has been produced by Niall Machin B.Sc an ecologist and Full Member of the Chartered Institute for Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) Land at Woolley Page 1 Update Ecological Appraisal 1. Introduction 1.1. This report is an extended Phase 1 habitat survey of land between Woolley Street and Holt Road in Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire (hereafter referred to as ‘the Site’). The Site 1.2. The Site stretches from grid reference ST83524 61338 off Woolley Street in the north, down to ST83595 60891 off Holt Road in the south and has an area of approximately 6.8 Hectares (ha). The Site consists of open pasture fields with mature hedgerows and includes an area of disused commercial greenhouses now overgrown into scrub woodland. Development Proposals 1.3. The Site is subject to emerging development proposals for residential development, in at least two separate plots (hereafter referred to as the ‘proposed Developments’). Aims and Objectives of this Assessment 1.4. The purpose/objective of this report is to: Identify any significant ecological issues on Site ; Make recommendations for further survey and assessment work, if required; Assess the consequences of the Developments in relation to relevant planning policy and legislation; and Identify opportunities for ecological mitigation and enhancements. Land at Woolley Page 2 Update Ecological Appraisal 2. Methodologies 2.1. This section summarises the methodology used for undertaking the Ecological Appraisal. The Ecological Appraisal comprised an ecological data search, an ‘Extended’ Phase 1 Habitat Survey and a ground based tree assessment for roosting bats. The basis for evaluating the ecological resources is also described in this section. Ecological Appraisal Ecological Data Search 2.2. The aim of an ecological data search is to collate existing ecological records for the Site and adjacent areas. Obtaining existing records is an important part of the evaluation process because it provides additional information that may not be apparent during a site survey. 2.3. This report makes use data from Defra’s MAGIC website in relation to important conservation sites located with 5km, in addition to utilising an ecological desk study undertaken in 2013 in connection with the preparation of the Bradford on Avon Neighbourhood Plan, during which all records of protected species, Habitats of Principal Importance (HoPI) and Species of Principal Importance (SoPI) under Section 41 (S41) of the NERC Act 20061, and / or other notable fauna and flora within the town were requested from the Wiltshire Council. 2.4. The results of the data search have been summarised within this report. ‘Extended’ Phase 1 Habitat Survey 2.5. A Phase 1 Habitat Survey of the Site was undertaken on 29th June 2014 by a Full Member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM), using the Joint Nature Conservancy Council (JNCC, 2010)2 standard ‘Phase 1’ survey technique. The Phase 1 Habitat Survey methodology was ‘Extended’ by undertaking an assessment of the Site to support protected and notable faunal species. All habitat types within the Site were mapped (see Figure 1) with target notes (see Appendix A) where appropriate. 2.6. The survey was conducted in the optimal season for such an assessment being April to September when the majority of plant species are either in leaf/flower or above ground and visible. Tree Surveys for Bat Roost Potential 2.7. A preliminary ground based visual inspection assessment of trees on the Site for bat roost potential was undertaken in combination with the ‘Extended’ Phase 1 Habitat Survey, guided by the current Bat Conservation Trust Guidelines3. 2.8. Binoculars were used to inspect the trees from the ground to the canopy to look for features indicative of bat roosts. These include: Natural or woodpecker holes; Cracks / splits in major limbs; Loose bark; Dense ivy; and 1 ODPM, Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act (2006). 2 JNCC (2010). Handbook for Phase 1 Habitat Survey. Nature Conservancy Council. 3 Bat Conservation Trust (2012). Bat Surveys – Good Practice Guidelines. Second Edition. Bat Conservation Trust, London. Land at Woolley Page 3 Update Ecological Appraisal Hollows / cavities. 2.9. Signs of bat use, such as droppings, staining from the fur or urine and scratches around the entry points were also inspected where applicable. 2.10. Following an external inspection, the trees were scored according to the criteria set out in Table 1 to determine their potential to support roosting bats. The survey was undertaken on 29th June 2014 which constitutes the optimum time for tree inspections according to Bat Conservation Trust Guidelines. Table 1: Bat Conservation Trust Tree Guidelines, 2012 Tree category Description Known or Evidence of roosting bats within the tree. confirmed roost Category 1* Trees with multiple, highly suitable features capable of supporting larger roosts. Category 1 Trees with definite bat potential, supporting fewer suitable features than category 1* trees or with potential use by single bats. Category 2 Trees with no obvious potential, although the tree is of a size and age that elevated surveys may result in cracks or crevices being found; or the tree supports some features which may have limited potential to support bats. Category 3 Trees with no potential to support bat roosts. Limitations 2.11. It was not possible to access all parts of the site. The following were not accessed: The disused greenhouses; The barn/farm outbuilding in the northern field; The sheds/shacks just south of Cemetery Lane in the ‘Spitfire Field’. Evaluation 2.12. The habitat and species evaluations are based on published guidance from the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (IEEM, 2006)4. The value of specific ecological receptors is assigned using a geographic frame of reference, i.e. international value being the most important, followed by national, regional, county, district, local and lastly, within the boundary of the Application Site only. A negligible value is assigned where the habitat offers no or limited value to wildlife. 2.13. Value judgements are based on various characteristics that can be used to identify ecological resources or features likely to be important in terms of biodiversity. These include site designations (such as SSSIs), or for undesignated features, the size, conservation status (locally, nationally or internationally), and the quality of the ecological resource. In terms of the latter, ‘quality’ can refer to habitats (for instance if they are particularly diverse, or a good example of a specific habitat type), other features (such as wildlife corridors or mosaics of habitats) or species populations or assemblages. 4 Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (2006). Guidelines for Baseline Ecological Assessment in the United Kingdom. E & F.N. Spon, Chapman & Hall, London. Land at Woolley Page 4 Update Ecological Appraisal 2.14. Value judgements are also based on the ecologist’s academic and professional qualifications, in addition to past experience of undertaking similar assessments. Land at Woolley Page 5 Update Ecological Appraisal 3. Legislation and Policy Legislation 3.1. Specific habitats and species of relevance to the Site receive legal protection in the UK under various European and domestic legislative provisions, including: The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 20105 (as amended); The Wildlife and Countryside Act (WCA)1981 (as amended)6; The Countryside and Rights of Way (CRoW) Act 20007; The Hedgerow Regulations (1997); and The Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act 2006; Planning Policy National Planning Policy National Planning Policy Framework, 2012 3.2. The National Planning Policy Framework8 (NPPF) was published in March 2012. Section 11 (outlined below) of the NPPF, ‘Conserving and Enhancing the Natural Environment’, effectively replaces former Planning Policy Statement 9: Biodiversity and Geological Conservation. However, Government Circular 06/20059 - Biodiversity and Geological Conservation: Statutory Obligations and Their Impact within the Planning System, remains valid and is referenced within the NPPF. 3.3. The NPPF encourages the planning system to contribute to and enhance the natural and local environment. This should be achieved by: “Protecting and enhancing valued landscapes, geological conservation interests and soils; Recognising the wider benefits of ecosystem services; Minimising impacts on biodiversity and providing net gains in biodiversity where possible, contributing to the government’s commitment to halt the overall decline in biodiversity, including by establishing ecological networks that are more resilient to current and future pressures; Preventing both new and existing development from contributing to or being put at an unacceptable risk from, or being adversely affected by unacceptable levels of soil, air, water or noise pollution or land instability; and Remediating and mitigating despoiled, degraded, derelict, contaminated and unstable land, where appropriate”. 3.4. The NPPF also stipulates that Local Planning Authorities (LPAs), when determining planning applications, should seek