Choosing Priorities Text, Not Critical for Local Authoring Process
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NELMS target statement for NCA 107 Cotswolds Your application is scored and a decision made on the points awarded. Both top priorities and lower priorities score points but you should select at least one top priority. Scoring is carried out by... Comment [m1]: Text to be confirmed: dependent upon development with scoring system – but this section will be standard Choosing priorities text, not critical for local authoring process. To apply you should choose at least one of the top priorities, and you can choose lower priorities - this may help with your application. Top priorities Priority group Priority type Biodiversity Priority habitats Priority species Water Water quality Flood and coastal risk management Historic environment Designated historic and archaeological features Undesignated historic and archaeological features of high significance Woodland priorities Woodland management Woodland planting Landscape Climate Change Multiple environmental benefits Lower priorities Priority group Priority type Lower priorities Water quality Archaeological and historic features Woodland Biodiversity - top priorities Priority habitats You should carry out land management practices and capital works that maintains, restores and creates priority habitats. Maintain priority habitat such as: Comment [JH2]: Coastal and flood plain grazing marsh • Lowland calcareous grassland • Purple moor grass and rush pasture • Lowland meadows • Lowland heathland • Lowland dry acid grassland • Lowland fens • Traditional orchard • Restore priority habitats (especially proposals which make existing sites bigger or help join up habitat networks) such as: ● Lowland calcareous grassland ● Lowland meadows ● Lowland fens • Traditional orchard ● Create priority habitats – to extend or link priority habitat to increase connectivity and reduce fragmentation. Defra is looking for proposals to create priority habitat that will also contribute significantly to improvements in: • water quality • air quality • flood and coastal risk management Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) Proposals to maintain or restore Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs including SACs) with eligible features are a priority, and both on-site and off-site options (such as to reduce diffuse water and air pollution impacts on SSSIs) are relevant. Priority species For the majority of priority species found on the priority habitats listed above, their ecological requirements can be met through good generic habitat management. Managing for those essential elements associated with priority habitats - in particular bare ground, areas of scrub, varying sward structures will allow these species to thrive. A number of priority species associated with the area require specific and tailored management and advice. You should carry out land management practices and capital works that meet the specific needs of the following priority species: ● Corn Bunting ● Lapwing ● Turtle Dove ● Willow Tit ● Round-leaved Feather-moss ● Pearl-bordered Fritillary ● Marsh Fritillary ● Duke of Burgundy ● Wood White ● Large Blue ● Greenweed Flat-body Moth ● Barberry Carpet ● Anaptychia ciliaris subsp. Ciliaris (a lichen) ● Caloplaca flavorubescens (a lichen) ● Bechstein`s Bat ● Greater Horseshoe Bat ● Lesser Horseshoe Bat ● Cornflower ● Green Hound`s-tongue ● Brown Galingale ● Wild Candytuft ● Cotswold Pennycress ● Greater Water Parsnip ● Spreading Hedge Parsley Further guidance on the priority species in this area that require more tailored targeted management and advice, as listed, can be found: ● [Links to guidance on those bespoke species’ needs found in this area] Parts of this area are targeted for their breeding wader assemblage, i.e. they contain area(s) assessed as being nationally significant for two or more species (of Lapwing, Redshank, Curlew & Snipe). Where your land includes such areas, you should carry out land management practices and capital works that: ● maintain/enhance conditions for breeding waders Parts of this area are targeted for their woodland bird assemblage, i.e. they contain area(s) assessed as being nationally significant for four or more species (of Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Tree Pipit, Redstart, Pied Flycatcher, Spotted Flycatcher, Wood Warbler, Marsh Tit, Lesser Redpoll and Hawfinch). Where your land includes such areas, you should carry out land management practices and capital works that: ● maintain/enhance conditions for woodland birds This area has also been identified as a hotspot for wild pollinators, farmland birds and other wildlife associated with the wider countryside – through the Wild Pollinator and Farm Wildlife package implement these options to make sure these species thrive all year around: ● option 1 ● option 2 Water - top priorities Water quality The area has particular issues with: ● Phosphate, nitrate, sediment and pesticides in the catchments to the Worc/Warks Avon, Rural Bristol Avon, Windrush, Upper Great Ouse, Oxon Ray, Cherwell and the Evenlode. ● Phosphate, sediment and pesticides in the catchment to the Frome and Cam. ● Phosphate, nitrate and pesticides in the catchment to the Upper Thames. ● Hydrology in the Rural Worc/Warks Avon catchment ● Morphology in the catchment to the Rural Worc/Warks Avon, Upper Thames, Cherwell, Evenlode and Frome and Cam. This includes catchments to: ● Groundwater drinking water sources near Neston, Whittington, Stow-on-the-Wold and Golden Valley affected by nitrates and near Blockley affected by pesticides. Comment [JH3]: Is this correct, the ● Surface water drinking sources near Gloucester & Sharpness Canal and Western Rother affected valley bit was cut off on the spreadsheet by pesticides. You should consider options and capital works that address these issues. These are detailed in X guidance document. These options help to improve water quality by controlling the source or the movement of potential pollutants. For this area, this includes: nutrients from fertilisers and manures sediment problems from soil erosion and run-off pesticides from their use and disposal Flood and Coastal Risk Management Applications that select options to address flood risk issues within the area will be welcomed. The Cotswold escarpment divides the NCA into west flowing Severn and east flowing Thames catchment tributaries. Within the Severn tributaries priority catchments include: The Stroud Frome: Painswick Stream, up-stream of Stratford Park to Sheepscombe and Cranham; Slad Brook, up-stream of Stroud to The Camp (Dillay Brook) and Driftcombe Farm; River Frome, up-stream of Chalford (A419) to Brimpsfield and Nettleton; Nailsworth Stream, up-stream of Hartley Bridge to Kingscote. The Badsey Brook, up-stream of Wickhamford to Fish Hill and Snowshill. The Isbourne and Beesmore Brooks, up-stream of Winchcombe. Within Thames tributaries priority catchments include: The River Churn, up-stream of Cirencester to North Cerney; and between Siddington and South Cerney; Tributaries of the River Evenlode, up-stream of Moreton in Marsh; The Bloxham Brook, up-stream of Bloxham; The Littlestock Brook and tributaries up-stream of Milton–under-Wychwood to Idbury and Fifield; The Wendlebury Brook up-stream of the A41; The Swill Brook Catchment: Upstream area north-west of Crudwell, northwest of the A429, South of Cotswold Airport and East of Crudwell lane. You should consider options that: ● reduce the amount and rate of surface water run-off ● reduce soil erosion ● slow the movement of floodwaters on floodplains These are detailed in X guidance document. Historic environment - top priorities Active management is important for the long term survival of historic environment remains and to protect them against damage and decay brought about through cultivation, scrub growth, burrowing animals or poor maintenance. These features cannot be recreated once they have been lost. In this area there are a number of designated heritage features and other historic environment features the continuous human occupation and intense use of this landscape from prehistory through to today. Neolithic long barrows, causewayed enclosures and impressive Iron Age hillforts dominate from the crest of the Cotswold scarp; Roman roads such as Fosse Way and Ermin Way run through this NCA linking villas, small towns and camps in the lowland; deserted medieval villages and their associated open field systems are still discernible under pastures and sometimes arable fields in the broader valleys to the east of the escarpment; consolidation of large estates from the 16th century lead to the creation of fine country houses set in historic landscape parks; in the east are the remnants of Second World War airfields. The distinctive character of the Cotswolds NCA is due in large part to the use of local limestone for building construction, including stone roofing slates. Farmsteads are typically arranged around a loose courtyard plan, with a large main barn and small shelter sheds for livestock, and outlying field barns, particularly on the Cotswold scarp. The City of Bath World Heritage Site could be considered the crownpiece of this rich historic architectural tapestry. The 2014 Heritage at Risk 2014 survey has identified [XXX %] of designated features as being ‘at risk’, particularly from tree and scrub encroachment, lack of maintenance and stock erosion in the case of above ground earthworks. For below ground archaeology, including Battlefields, the risk is generally associated with cultivation, particularly where plough depth, inverse tillage and heavy machinery is used (which