Mr Selwyn Rees SHF.0135.002.EC.R.001
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Land off Newton Lane, Rugby B O Reilly & Sons Ltd Ecological Impact Assessment Land off Newton Lane, Rugby Mr Selwyn Rees SHF.0135.002.EC.R.001 Land off Newton Lane, Rugby Mr Selwyn Rees Contact Details: Enzygo Ltd. (Bristol Office) The Byre tel: 01454 269237 Woodend Lane email: [email protected] Cromhall www: enzygo.com Gloucestershire GL12 8AA Ecological Impact Assessment Project: Land off Newton Lane, Rugby For: Mr Selwyn Rees Status: Final Date: 12th November 2020 Author: Chris Schofield MSc BSc (Hons) ACIEEM – Senior Ecologist Reviewer: Derek Allan MSc BSc (Hons) MCIEEM – Director of Ecology Disclaimer: This report has been produced by Enzygo Limited within the terms of the contract with the client and taking account of the resources devoted to it by agreement with the client. We disclaim any responsibility to the client and others in respect of any matters outside the scope of the above. This report is confidential to the client and we accept no responsibility of whatsoever nature to third parties to whom this report, or any part thereof, is made known. Any such party relies on the report at their own risk. Enzygo Limited Registered in England No. 6525159 Registered Office: Gresham House, 5-7 St. Pauls Street, Leeds, England, LS1 2JG Land off Newton Lane, Rugby Mr Selwyn Rees Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 4 1.1 Commission ......................................................................................................................... 4 1.2 Proposed Development/Identification of Impacts .............................................................. 4 1.3 Aims and Objectives ............................................................................................................ 4 1.4 Background/Acknowledgments ........................................................................................... 4 1.5 Local Planning Policy ........................................................................................................... 5 1.6 Site Context ......................................................................................................................... 5 2.0 METHODOLOGY .......................................................................................................................... 7 2.1 Desk Study ........................................................................................................................... 7 2.2 Field Survey ......................................................................................................................... 7 2.3 Assessment .......................................................................................................................... 9 2.4 Limitations ......................................................................................................................... 10 3.0 BASELINE ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS........................................................................................ 11 4.0 ASSESSMENT AND MITIGATION ............................................................................................... 25 5.0 ENHANCEMENT AND MONITORING ......................................................................................... 28 6.0 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................ 29 7.0 REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................. 30 Tables and Figures FIGURE 1 – SURVEY AREA ..................................................................................................................... 6 TABLE 1 – SURVEY DATES AND CONDITIONS ........................................................................................ 7 TABLE 2 – ECOLOGICAL FEATURES ...................................................................................................... 11 TABLE 3 – ASSESSMENT OF EFFECT AND MITIGATION MEASURES .................................................... 25 SHF.0135.002.EC.R.001 Page 1 November 2020 Land off Newton Lane, Rugby Mr Selwyn Rees TABLE 4 – ENHANCEMENT & MONITORING ....................................................................................... 28 Drawings and Appendices DRAWING SHF.0135.002.EC.D.001 – PHASE I HABITAT MAP ............................................................. 32 DRAWING SHF.0135.002.EC.D.002 – DESK STUDY MAP ..................................................................... 33 APPENDIX A – SITE PROPOSALS .......................................................................................................... 34 APPENDIX B - LEGISLATION AND NATIONAL PLANNING POLICY ........................................................ 35 SHF.0135.002.EC.R.001 Page 2 November 2020 Land off Newton Lane, Rugby Mr Selwyn Rees Non-Technical Summary i. In October 2020 Enzygo Ltd was commissioned by Mr Selwyn Rees (the client) to undertake an Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA) of Land off Newton Lane, Rugby, Warwickshire CV23 0TB (central grid reference: SP 52950 79764), located within the Rugby Borough Council (Clifton, Churchover and Newton Ward) planning authority. This study will inform a planning application for importing materials to regrade agricultural land. ii. The following key ecological features and associated recommendations have been identified: • River Avon LWS and Blue Infrastructure (the drainage ditch at the northern boundary forms part of the River Avon LWS and is hydrologically connected to the River Avon which lies approximately 2km to the south) – this drain shall be retained and protected throughout the proposals, including through physical protection and pollution prevention; • Green Infrastructure, Broadleaf Woodland, Tree Preservation Order and Hedgerow Priority Habitat (off-site woodland to the north and boundary hedgerows represent significant green infrastructure and Priority Habitat. Woodland is also covered by TPO) – these habitats shall be retained and protected throughout the proposals. Existing field access points are to be utilised to avoid any necessary breaching of Hedgerow Priority Habitat; • Bats – (Woodland to the north and boundary hedgerows provide valuable foraging and commuting habitat for bats. Mature boundary trees may provide roosting opportunities) – As above, the boundary woodland and hedgerows are to be retained and protected throughout, including no loss of any mature trees which may provide roosting opportunities; • Badger – (Badger setts in current use are present within the north-eastern area of the woodland to the north, and existing grassland may provide foraging opportunities) – proposed works are well beyond a 30m radius from the Badger setts, however, precautionary measures to be implemented to ensure the activities do not lead to a risk of killing/injury of Badger; and, • Birds (general nesting) - (Open grassland and bare ground provide nesting potential for ground-nesting species – Works to be conducted outside of the nesting season or if necessary within the nesting season an Ecological Clerk of Works (ECoW) to advise and supervise works to ensure no active nests to be affected. iii. Proposals present opportunities for biodiversity enhancement in order to demonstrate an overall biodiversity net gain in accordance with national and local policies. iv. This report has demonstrated that, if the outlined mitigation measures are implemented in full then no significant residual impact could be expected, and the proposed application will result in ‘no net loss in biodiversity,’ whilst also providing opportunities for ‘biodiversity net gain’ in accordance with NPPF and Local Planning Policy. SHF.0135.002.EC.R.001 Page 3 November 2020 Land off Newton Lane, Rugby Mr Selwyn Rees 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Commission 1.1.1 In October 2020 Enzygo Ltd was commissioned by Mr Selwyn Rees (the client) to undertake an Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA) of Land off Newton Lane, Rugby, Warwickshire CV23 0TB (central grid reference: SP 52950 79764), located within the Rugby Borough Council (Clifton, Churchover and Newton Ward) planning authority. This study will inform a planning application for importing materials to regrade agricultural land. 1.1.2 Note: Enzygo Ltd are not considered to act as a Principal Designer for any mitigation/enhancement strategies identified within this document in accordance with the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CITB, 2016). 1.2 Proposed Development/Identification of Impacts 1.2.1 The study will inform proposals for importing of certified topsoil onto the site to regrade the existing land, which is currently steeply sloping and as a result is not productive as agricultural land. The materials shall be imported through the use of 32-tonne tippers which shall use existing field accesses, and so no further breaches in the existing boundary hedgerows is to be required for access. Boundary hedgerows, the northern boundary drainage ditch, and Newton Spinney woodland to immediate north of the site are to remain. An existing small, dilapidated building at the south of the site is to remain in place and unaffected by the proposals. The client will use the findings of this report to determine the final proposals, and this report can be modified if plans change. Refer to Appendix A for a plan of the proposals. 1.2.2 This report identifies ecological features, and potential impacts and effects,