20604-02 R2 Rev2 Technical Report Ecological Assessment Land to the south of Brandon Road, Watton, Norfolk Tesni Properties Ltd February 2015 Contents 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Terms of Reference 1 1.1.1 Objectives of the Study 1 1.2 Site Description 1 2 Legislation and planning policy 2 2.1 National Planning Policy 2 2.2 UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework 3 2.3 Legislation 3 3 Desk Study 5 3.1 Data Collection 5 3.2 Statutory Designated Sites 5 3.3 Non-statutory Designated Sites 6 3.4 European Protected Species 7 3.5 UK Protected Species 7 3.6 Other Species of Conservation Concern 7 3.7 Avian Species 9 3.7.1 Stone Curlew Data 10 4 Extended Phase 1 Habitat Survey 12 4.1 Survey Methodology 12 4.1.1 Limitations 12 4.2 Survey Results 12 4.2.1 Habitats Recorded Within the Site 13 4.2.2 Habitats Recorded Within the Wider Survey Area 14 4.2.3 Flora 16 5 Conclusions 17 5.1 General Ecology 17 5.2 Potential for Protected Species 17 5.2.1 Great Crested Newts 17 5.2.2 Potential for Bats 18 5.3 Proposed Mitigation and Enhancement Measures 20 5.3.1 Great crested newts 20 5.3.2 Bats 20 February 2015 │ Tesni Properties Ltd │ 20604-02 R2 Rev2 Contents 5.3.3 Habitats 21 5.3.4 Birds 22 6 References 23 Appendix A. Designated Sites within 2km of Proposed Site 24 Appendix B. Phase 1 Habitat Survey Target Notes 31 Tables Table 1 County Wildlife Sites located within 2km of the proposed Watton Site 6 Table 2 Species of Conservation Interest recorded within 2km of the proposed Watton Site (source – NBIS) 8 Table 3 Avian Species of Conservation Interest recorded within a 2km Radius of the proposed Watton Site (Source – NBIS) 9 Table 4: Breckland SPA Description (Source: http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-2016- theme=default ) 26 Table 5: NBIS descriptions of County Wildlife Sites within 2km of Watton Site 27 Table 6: Phase 1 Habitat Survey Habitat Target Notes 31 Table 7: Hedgerow Target Notes 33 Table 8 Phase 1 Habitat Survey Species List 34 February 2015 │ Tesni Properties Ltd │ 20604-02 R2 Rev2 Ecological Assessment Document Prepared For Tesni Properties Ltd Linden House Mold Business Park Wrexham Road Mold, CH7 1XP Document Prepared By Document Approved By Dr Jon Huckle Andrew Nyul Technical Director Senior Ecologist [email protected] [email protected] Version Date Reason 20604-02 R2 Rev1 February 2015 Initial draft for client review 20604-02 R2 Rev2 February 2015 Final report Copyright © 2015 Atmos Consulting Ltd Rosebery House, Moray House, Durham Dales Linden House Keystone 9 Haymarket 16-18 Bank Street, Centre, Mold Business Park Innovation Centre Terrace, Inverness, Castle Gardens, Wrexham Road Croxton Road Edinburgh, IV1 1QY Stanhope, Mold, Thetford EH12 5EZ County Durham, CH7 1XP Norfolk DL13 2FJ IP24 1JD Ecological Assessment 1 Introduction 1.1 Terms of Reference Atmos Consulting Ltd was commissioned by Tesni Properties Ltd to undertake an extended Phase 1 habitat survey of land to the south of Brandon Road in Watton, Norfolk (hereafter referred to as the “Site”) to inform a proposal for residential housing development. This Ecological Assessment report describes the ecological baseline information on the habitats present at the Site, gathered during a preliminary site visit in June 2014 and a more detailed Extended Phase 1 habitat survey undertaken in October 2014. The extended Phase 1 habitat survey was undertaken over a wider “Survey Area” than the proposed planning application site boundary to include a buffer of up to 250m, where access was possible, in order to inform the need for further protected species surveys. 1.1.1 Objectives of the Study This report details the following: A desk study to review pre-existing ecological records for the Site and the surrounding area; An extended Phase 1 survey to provide baseline information of the habitats present within the Survey Area and the potential presence of protected species and/or species of nature conservation concern; and Recommendations for the implications of the ecological baseline for a residential planning application; and Recommendations of ecological enhancements for the Site. 1.2 Site Description The proposed Site comprises a total of three fields centred on National Grid Reference TF 9088 0045, and covers an area of approximately 8.32 ha. All three fields have been more or less unmanaged for agricultural use for a number of years, and it is understood that the fields form part of the ‘set aside’ contribution for the larger landholding to the south as part of a whole farm agri-environment package. The fields are located adjacent to previously developed areas of Watton. To the north of the Site, a residential development is located between the Site and Brandon Road, comprising housing built in approximately 2000. To the west of the site, there is an area of open amenity green space associated with the Bridle Road housing development. To the east are a number of school fields and a small area of green space. To the southeast of the site (and south of the eastern most field, Field 3), lies a residential development associated with Jubilee Road. The three fields are bounded by relatively intact hedgerows, many supporting mature broadleaved trees, and are relatively small compared to the larger arable fields located to the south of the Site; the westernmost field (Field 1) measures approximately 2.33 ha, the central field (Field 2) measures approximately 3.8 ha and the easternmost field (Field 3) measures approximately 2.19 ha. February 2015 │ Tesni Properties Ltd │ 20604-02 R2 Rev2 1 Ecological Assessment 2 Legislation and planning policy 2.1 National Planning Policy The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) (DCLG, 2012) was published by the government in March 2012 and provided guidance for local authorities, focusing on helping to produce planning policies that are clear and easy to understand. The NPPF replaced existing planning policy guidance, including that relating to biodiversity, Planning Policy Statement 9 (PPS9): Biological and Geological Conservation. However, the Government Circular 06/05: Biodiversity and Geological Conservation - Statutory Obligations and their impact within the Planning System (ODPM, 2006), which accompanied PPS9, remains valid at the time of writing. Section 11 of the NPPF specifies the requirements for conserving and enhancing the natural environment, much of which reaffirms the protection previously afforded by PPS9 to designated sites, priority habitats and species and ancient woodland. The NPPF places a greater emphasis on ecological networks and states that the planning system should provide net gains in biodiversity where possible. Paragraph 118 provides the following advice in relation to the consideration of biodiversity in the determination of planning applications: “When determining planning applications, local planning authorities should aim to conserve and enhance biodiversity by applying the following principles: if significant harm resulting from a development cannot be avoided (through locating on an alternative site with less harmful impacts), adequately mitigated, or, as a last resort, compensated for, then planning permission should be refused; proposed development on land within or outside a Site of Special Scientific Interest likely to have an adverse effect on a Site of Special Scientific Interest (either individually or in combination with other developments) should not normally be permitted. Where an adverse effect on the site’s notified special interest features is likely, an exception should only be made where the benefits of the development, at this site, clearly outweigh both the impacts that it is likely to have on the features of the site that make it of special scientific interest and any broader impacts on the national network of Sites of Special Scientific Interest; development proposals where the primary objective is to conserve or enhance biodiversity should be permitted; opportunities to incorporate biodiversity in and around developments should be encouraged; planning permission should be refused for development resulting in the loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats, including ancient woodland and the loss of aged or veteran trees found outside ancient woodland, unless the need for, and benefits of, the development in that location clearly outweigh the loss; and the following wildlife sites should be given the same protection as European sites: o potential Special Protection Areas and possible Special Areas of Conservation; o listed or proposed Ramsar sites; and o sites identified, or required, as compensatory measures for adverse effects on European sites, potential Special Protection Areas, possible Special Areas of Conservation, and listed or proposed Ramsar sites.” While the implementation of the NPPF at the local level is yet to be fully determined, the guidance in relation to biodiversity provided by Circular 06/05 remains valid and is supplemented by the Planning Practice Guidance (UK Government, 2014). Nature February 2015 │ Tesni Properties Ltd │ 20604-02 R2 Rev2 2 Ecological Assessment conservation legislation relating to protected species is unchanged and is outlined below. 2.2 UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework The ‘UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework’ (JNCC & DEFRA, 2012), published in July 2012, sets out a framework of priorities for UK-level work for the Convention on Biological Diversity, to which the UK is a signatory. Covering the period 2011-2020, this framework replaces the original UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP, 2004) system and now the work is focussed on the separate countries (England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales). The overall aim remains to protect a number of rare species and habitats, and reverse the declines of more widespread but declining species and habitats, and so currently many of the species and habitats in the UK BAP still form the basis of the biodiversity work carried out in the devolved countries.