Environmental Baseline Report 1. Introduction 1.1 This Envir

West Lothian Local Development Plan Strategic Environmental Assessment Environmental Report Appendix 1: Environmental Baseline Report 1. Introduction 1.1 This Environmental Baseline Report is to be read in tandem with the main Environmental Report. 1.2 As the Environmental Report takes a strategic and comprehensive approach, the environmental baseline for each environmental topic area is considered within a specific chapter of this separate Environmental Baseline Report. Each chapter of this report will be structured with the following sub-sections with related maps at the end of the report: a) Existing environmental issues (both strategic and other related issues); b) Existing environmental characteristics; c) Likely future changes without the implementation of the Local Plan; and d) Current environmental protection objectives and how these have been taken into account. 2. Biodiversity, Flora and Fauna 2.1 Existing Environmental Issues Strategic Environmental Issues: • Pressures from development, agricultural practices and other land uses, resulting in habitat disturbance, degradation or loss and / or species disturbance or loss. • General decline in species population distribution and numbers for a number of national, regional and / or locally important species. 1 • Spread of invasive, non-native species, particularly along water courses and riparian corridors. • Loss of or damage to sites / areas of high ecological importance. Non-statutory sites are particularly vulnerable and can be lost or damaged by operations that are out with planning control. • Fragmentation and isolation of habitats (making both the habitat areas and their dependant species populations vulnerable). • Protection and enhancement of ecosystems. Other Environmental Issues: Habitats • Although there is a wide ranging integrated habitat network (IHN) across the council area, there are some key locations where relatively small improvements could make a significant impact on the overall quality of the IHN. This is particularly apparent in the north / south connections across the Bathgate Hills between Linlithgow and Livingston (and the substantial green network within the town) and the Bathgate area. • The restoration of quarries and open coal sites can offer huge potential for biodiversity habitats. However, management and phasing of the restoration is not always optimal and there is pressure from landowners and developers to infill sites with inert waste material, even after sites have effectively been left over some considerable time to naturally regenerate. • There is a need to ensure sustainable mitigation and development design that is agreed as part of the planning application process to reduce adverse effects on biodiversity is monitored and enforced. • Brownfield sites and stalled development sites, often have considerable biodiversity value however, little survey work has been undertaken to fully understand the scale of contribution that these sites make to the green network and this issue is emerging as a priority in the Central Scotland Green Network. • A reduction in the area and / or quality of semi-natural habitats or habitats important to nationally, regionally or locally important species populations. 2 • Inappropriate or inadequate management of important habitat resulting in habitat degradation and possible negative impacts on the species dependant on that habitat. • Loss of ecosystem integrity, resulting in a loss of ecosystem services (e.g. flood alleviation) and / or increased vulnerability of species and semi-natural habitats. • The rate of planting of new woodland planting has declined. There are a number of factors which have collectively contributed to the reduced level of grant driven woodland expansion. This includes planting not being considered to be as competitive in comparison with other agricultural activities and concern about uncertainty over different new woodland grant schemes. The Scottish government and Central Scotland Forest Trust undertook further research with landowners and agents regarding the apparent loss of momentum regarding woodland expansion in the Central Scotland Forest. • There has been no overall decline in woodland recently. In fact the area of broad-leaved plantation woodland has significantly increased in the period between 1994 and 2008, partly due to a range of planting programmes. However, limited or inappropriate management may result in degrading quality. Species • Potential overall loss of biodiversity within the Plan area through local extinctions. • Potential reduction in species population, health and viability due to loss or fragmentation of habitat. Designated Sites • The process of reviewing designated Wildlife Sites to produce a suite for new Local Biodiversity Sites (LBS) has been undertaken against a backdrop of reduced staff resources and available budgets for environmental issues. Consequently, there is a continuing need to review this process to ensure that current designations are adequate and that all environmentally important sites in West Lothian which require protection have been designated. 3 Urban Open Space • Urban Open Space with biodiversity and nature conservation value is currently adequately protected through the existing planning policy framework in the West Lothian Local Plan. The key findings of the 2005 Audit undertaken for the Open Space Strategy (2005-15) for West Lothian are: • West Lothian has a good hierarchy of Open Space (with limited gaps) that is broadly capable of meeting community needs in terms of the quantity and accessibility of open space. • Quality is a key issue in delivering functional, safe, attractive Open Space that is ‘fit for purpose’ and positively contributes to communities. Improvement to quality is a key issue for much of the Open Space asset. • Securing ‘best value’ needs to include Detailed Site & Community Need Assessments, addressing quantity, quality and accessibility within a framework of local approved standards. 2.2 Existing Environmental Characteristics Ecosystems • No comprehensive baseline exists of the number, extent or the relative quality of ecosystems within the West Lothian area. Environmental characteristics of the different environmental components which form part of those ecosystems are, however, contained throughout this Environmental Baseline Report and the cumulative and synergistic effects of the implementation of the preferred options and their reasonable alternatives on all elements of the environment are considered within the Environmental Report. • The Local Biodiverstiy Action Plan (2005-09) is increasingly out of date and needs updated. 4 Habitats • West Lothian has a rich diversity of habitats considering the relatively small land area in a highly urban part of east central Scotland. Habitats include: woodlands; farmland; grassland and meadows rivers and streams, ponds, lochs reservoirs, canals and other wetlands; large areas of nationally rare lowland raised bogs, heaths and moorland areas in the Pentland Hills; rocky outcrops, quarries, coal bings and shale bings (unique to West Lothian); brownfield sites and urban green space. • The most extensive habitats within West Lothian are improved grasslands, arable and horticultural land, built up areas and gardens. This reflects the area’s intensive human occupation and high density settlement pattern in a post-industrial, east central Scotland. • In West Lothian, there are an exceptional diverse range of peatlands. It is estimated that there are over 40 peatland sites of natural heritage value, but it is not just the extent, quality and distribution of these that makes them important, but also their diversity. • Five have been notified as Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Amongst these, Blawhorn Moss is a National Nature Reserve. • Habitats that have a disproportionately high representation within the area are: grasslands (neutral grasslands, lowland dry acidic grassland), lowland raised and intermediate bogs, upland oakwoods and mixed ash woods, wet woodlands, and open mosaic habitat on previously developed land (brownfield sites). • West Lothian has a somewhat out dated phase 1 habitat survey that was under taken by Scottish Wildlife Trust in 1993/94. Although comprehensive, it requires updating. Several major grant applications to undertake this updating, jointly with neighboring Lothian authorities over the last few years, have come to nought. This survey provides information about the relative extent of different habitat types and identifies key features through “target notes”. See Map 1 that shows the extent of the Phase 1 habitat survey and the various categories. • Broadly, for West Lothian this is approximately: 36% of area is grassland 5 25% cultivated land 2.8% heather moorland 1% surface water habitat / rivers & wetland 0.74 woodland 0.4% oil shale bings, a habitat that is unique to West Lothian TABLE 1 HABITAT AREA (source: West Lothian phase 1 habitat survey 1994) Area % Cover West Lothian 1. 42,504 ha 100% Habitat Types Woodland and Scrub 6,741 ha 14.0% Grassland and Marsh 17,757 ha 36.0% Tall Herb and Fen 299 ha 0.6% Heathland 1,399 ha 3.0% 4.0% Mires and peatlands 2,201 ha 0.1% Swamp 70 ha 1.0% Open Water 500 ha 0.5% Coastland 273 ha 0.6% Rock and spoil 316 ha Miscellaneous (cultivated land etc) 13,296 ha 27.0% The remaining balance (c. 13.2%) consists of urban un-surveyed areas. 6 1. Footnote: West Lothian represents approximately 0.5% of the land area of Scotland. • Since the date of the Phase I survey, in the early 1990s, many

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