A LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN FOR HOOK PARISH July 2004 Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust Company limited by guarantee and registered in England, no. 676313. Registered charity no. 201081. Protecting wildlife for the future HOOK PARISH LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Work is already on-going in Hook Parish to protect its biodiversity. Therefore recognition must go to the following organisations for their support. British Dragonfly Society British Trust for Conservation Volunteers Butterfly Conservation Trust Country Watch DEFRA English Nature Environment Agency Forest Enterprise Game Conservancy Trust Hampshire Amphibian and Reptile Group Hampshire Bat Group Hampshire Biodiversity Information Centre Hampshire Biodiversity Partnership Hampshire County Council Hampshire Mammal Group Hampshire Museums Service Hampshire Ornithological Society Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust Hart District Council Hook Parish Council The Botanical Society of the British Isles Whitewater Valley Preservation Society Continued support and collaboration will be required to ensure that the actions of this plan are implemented. Contact between organisations and individuals on the progress of this plan will be made possible through the Forest of Eversley Project and the Hampshire Biodiversity Partnership. Particular recognition must go to Hook Parish Council who have funded Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust to produce this plan. They have recognised the wealth of biodiversity in their parish, and the need to produce a Local Biodiversity Action Plan to ensure its continued survival. Data have been analysed for the purposes of this project, but they remain the copyright of the data providers. Maps within the strategy have been produced by Naomi Ewald and remain copyright of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. Written by: Naomi Ewald, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. Published by: Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, Beechcroft House, Vicarage Lane, Curdridge, Hampshire, SO32 2DP. Company limited by guarantee and registered in England, no. 676313. Registered charity no. 201081. 1 HOOK PARISH LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN SUMMARY Biodiversity has become integrated into the UK’s vocabulary. All sectors of society including National and Local Government, statutory agencies, non-government organisations, wildlife recording groups and education institutions, have due regard for biodiversity in setting their objectives. “Biodiversity is a quality of life issue. It is an integral part of our surroundings, giving us pleasure, interest, knowledge and understanding. It is an aspect of the overall aim of sustainable development to ensure a decent quality of life for all, now and for generations to come, and will be one key test of the success of this aim.” (UK Sustainable Development Strategy) In order to achieve these objectives there needs to be a bottom up as well as a top down approach. Strategies and policies are instrumental in driving forward legislation, but this needs to be translated into action on the ground. This is best done by the implementation of Local Biodiversity Action Plans (LBAP). The main functions of these plans are: • To translate national, regional and county biodiversity targets into effective action at the local level. • To consider species and habitat priorities at the local level, in terms of rarity or their importance to the local community. • To co-ordinate a wide partnership of individuals and organisations, to deliver action in the most cost effective way, without duplication. • To raise awareness with all sectors of society, including policy makers, about the importance of an area’s biodiversity. • To map out and consider opportunities for the enhancement of biodiversity in the future. • To provide a framework for conservation and a means by which progress can be assessed. Hook Parish Council has commissioned the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust to produce a review of the biodiversity within Hook Parish and to identify how that biodiversity can be protected, enhanced and maintained in the future. 2 HOOK PARISH LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1 SECTION 4: THREATS TO SUMMARY 2 BIODIVERSITY 23 HOW TO USE HOOK PARISH LOCAL 4.1 What issues are affecting the BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN 4 biodiversity of Hook Parish? 23 WHO IS HOOK LBAP FOR? 4 SECTION 5: ACTIONS FOR BIODIVERSITY IN HOOK PARISH 25 SECTION 1: BACKGROUND TO BIODIVERSITY 6 5.1 A Vision for the future 25 1.1 What is Biodiversity? 6 5.2 Booklets 1.2 From Rio to Hook Parish ....! 7 1 of 6: The River Whitewater and Floodplain 2 of 6: The Heathland SECTION 2: WHAT IS AN LBAP? 8 3 of 6: Ancient Woodlands 4 of 6: The Urban Environment 2.1 What is and LBAP? 8 5 of 6: Ponds 6 of 6: Farmland Biodiversity 2.2 What will a Biodiversity Action Plan for Hook Parish Achieve? 9 SECTION 6: PROGRESS OF THE LBAP FOR HOOK PARISH 27 2.3 How can you get involved? 10 REFERENCES 28 2.4 Useful contacts 11 FIGURES 2.5 How will the plan be implemented and reviewed? 13 1. Location of Hook Parish 5 SECTION 3: AN AUDIT OF 2. Underlying Geology of Hook Parish 15 BIODIVERSITY IN HOOK PARISH 14 3. Designated Sites in Hook Parish 17 3.1 A review of the influences on biodiversity in Hook Parish 14 4. BAP Habitats in Hook Parish 19 3.2 Designated sites in Hook Parish 16 5. Land Management Schemes in Hook Parish 22 3.3 Priority Habitats 18 6. Map to show location of key areas described in 3.4 Priority Species 20 booklets 1 to 6 26 3 HOOK PARISH LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN HOW TO USE THE HOOK PARISH LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN SECTION 1: Background to Biodiversity. WHO IS HOOK LBAP FOR? What is biodiversity, and what part can we all play in ensuring that habitats and species are protected. This plan is aimed at anyone who has an interest in the Biodiversity of Hook Parish: SECTION 2: What is an LBAP? • A local resident who wants to know about Find out why a Local Biodiversity Action Plan has the wildlife on their doorstep. been produced for Hook Parish. Discover who is involved in the protection and enhancement of • A land owner who is interested in the biodiversity. Find out how the plan will be wildlife they are helping to protect. implemented and reviewed. • A conservation advisor who wants to know SECTION 3: An Audit of the Biodiversity of where to concentrate effort, in order to achieve Hook Parish the greatest gains for biodiversity. Data has been gathered on designated sites, both • A statutory agency who is trying to maintain statutory and non-statutory, priority species and habitats in favourable condition. habitats and land management schemes. This section provides a summary of the findings and • A policymaker or planner, who needs to maps out the key biodiversity areas in Hook Parish. know about the biodiversity value of the landscape. SECTION 4: What Issues are affecting the Biodiversity of Hook Parish? Consultation has been undertaken with individuals and organisations living and working in Hook Parish to identify issues and threats which will need to be addressed in order to protect the biodiversity of Hook Parish. SECTION 5: Actions for biodiversity in Hook Parish. Analysis of the audit and threats has resulted in the production of targets that will ensure that Hook Parish protects, maintains and enhances its wildlife alongside sustainable development. SECTION 6: Progress on the LBAP for Hook Parish Short reports from partners, on the progress of the LBAP, which can be updated on a yearly basis. 4 FIGURE 1: LOCATION OF HOOK PARISH IN RELATION TO HART DISTRICT, HAMPSHIRE AND THE SOUTH EAST REGION 5 SECTION 1: BACKGROUND TO BIODIVERSITY 1.1: WHAT IS BIODIVERSITY? “Biodiversity includes all species of plants and animals, and the complex ecosystems that sustain them.” (Hampshire Biodiversity Action Plan, 1998) Biodiversity is life - The web of life intrinsically Biodiversity is valuable for recreation - Most of us links all species, from the smallest beetle to the spend part of our leisure time in the outdoors, in the largest mammal. The most common and more countryside, in nature reserves or in a local park. We threatened species, with which we share our lives, can promote these places and the plants and animals rely on a healthy environment to ensure our that are found within them, to help people survival. understand why our environment is important. Biodiversity provides our resources - From our Biodiversity gives us a sense of wellbeing - The environment we take food, clothing and raw expression ‘Quality of life’ describes how healthy materials for industry. We need to use these we feel in our everyday lives. The health of our resources sustainably to ensure that we pass them environment can have a direct positive effect on how on undamaged to future generations. we feel, whether it is our access to green spaces, such as woodlands and parks, or birds visiting our Biodiversity maintains our environment - garden. Without a stable environment we are more at risk from floods, droughts, soil erosion and pollution. Biodiversity is important to us - We can all The soils, rivers, air and species within them are appreciate how important our landscapes and the part of a giant natural cycle, cleansing waste and plants and animals within them are. The dramatic absorbing the impacts of progress. We can use losses that have occurred in the past were the result biodiversity to measure how well these processes of damage and neglect in the past. We now have the are working. knowledge and means to ensure that we take better care of our planet. 45% 50% of 90% of 96% of 98% of reduction in ancient lowland Common chalk Yellowhammer broadleaved heathland Snipe grassland population woodland lost territories lost lost lost on the River Whitewater 1978 - 1991 THE LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY IN HAMPSHIRE 6 SECTION 1: BACKGROUND TO BIODIVERSITY 1.2: FROM RIO TO HOOK PARISH .