Portishead Railway Project Phase 2 Habitat and Protected Species Report October 2011 North Somerset Council Portishead293899 BNI RailwayMNS 1 Project A P:\Bristol\BNI\Ecology\Stephs work\Portishead\Phase 2 draft 4.doc October 2011 Phase 2 Habitat and Protected Species Report October 2011 North Somerset Council Mott MacDonald, Prince House, 43-51 Prince Street, Bristol BS1 4PS, United Kingdom T +44(0) 117 906 9500 F +44(0) 117 922 1924, www.mottmac.com Portishead Railway Project Issue and revision record Revision Date Originator Checker Approver Description A October 2011 S. Cottell R. Frizler A. Lawrance Final This document is issued for the party which commissioned it We accept no responsibility for the consequences of this and for specific purposes connected with the above-captioned document being relied upon by any other party, or being used project only. It should not be relied upon by any other party or for any other purpose, or containing any error or omission which used for any other purpose. is due to an error or omission in data supplied to us by other parties This document contains confidential information and proprietary intellectual property. It should not be shown to other parties without consent from us and from the party which commissioned it. Mott MacDonald, Prince House, 43-51 Prince Street, Bristol BS1 4PS, United Kingdom T +44(0) 117 906 9500 F +44(0) 117 922 1924, www.mottmac.com Portishead Railway Project Content Chapter Title Page Executive Summary i 1. Background 1 1.1 Proposed Development ______________________________________________________________ 1 2. Phase 2 Habitat and Protected Species Survey 3 2.1 Bats______________________________________________________________________________ 3 2.2 Reptiles___________________________________________________________________________ 4 2.3 Badgers___________________________________________________________________________ 6 2.4 Water Voles _______________________________________________________________________ 7 2.5 Great Crested Newts ________________________________________________________________ 8 2.6 Breeding Birds ____________________________________________________________________ 10 2.7 Invertebrates______________________________________________________________________ 10 3. Summary of Recommendations 10 3.1 Bats_____________________________________________________________________________ 10 3.2 Reptiles__________________________________________________________________________ 10 3.3 Badgers__________________________________________________________________________ 10 3.4 Water Voles ______________________________________________________________________ 10 3.5 Great Crested Newts _______________________________________________________________ 10 3.6 Breeding Birds ____________________________________________________________________ 10 3.7 Invertebrates______________________________________________________________________ 10 4. References 10 Appendices 10 Appendix A. Legislation________________________________________________________________________ 10 Appendix B. Biodiversity Action Plans_____________________________________________________________ 10 Appendix C. Bat Activity _______________________________________________________________________ 10 Appendix D. Reptile Mat Locations _______________________________________________________________ 10 Appendix E. Photo’s __________________________________________________________________________ 10 Appendix F. Invertebrate Report_________________________________________________________________ 10 Appendix G. Vegetation Clearance Constraints Maps_________________________________________________ 10 293899/BNI/MNS/1/A October 2011 Portishead Railway Project Executive Summary Overview Mott MacDonald Ltd has been commissioned by North Somerset Council to conduct Phase 2 Protected Species surveys along the disused railway track from Portishead (National Grid Reference ST 471, 765) to Pill, Bristol (National Grid Reference ST 520, 763). The proposed works are to clear vegetation so that there is a 4 m strip parallel with the disused railway line (i.e. 4 m including the railway line itself) so that the track, its sleepers and ballast are able to be viewed and assessed. The habitat consists mainly of scrub, woodland and grassland. The phase 2 surveys included reptile, invertebrate, badger, water vole, bat and great crested newt. The results and conclusions of the surveys are detailed in the following table. Species Results Conclusions Recommendations Bats Pipistrelle bats were heard Pipistrelle bats are using If mature or ivy covered trees are on all surveys along the the disused railway line to be removed during the railway commuting and for commuting and vegetation clearance they should foraging. Foraging activity foraging adjacent to be inspected for bat roost potential was particularly high bridges. first. If any structural work is to adjacent to bridges. occur to bridges they should be inspected for hibernation roosts. Reptiles 1 juvenile grass snake was A low population of grass As the vegetation clearance is to found within the site extents snakes and slow worms occur within winter it is advised that and on one day 4 adult slow are present within the any structures that reptiles could worms were found, on area. Both are breeding use for hibernation (such as log another day 16 juvenile slow populations. piles, rock piles and bunds) should worms were found. have a 10 m buffer so that no disturbance will occur. The structures can then be dismantled next spring by a qualified ecologist. Badgers An inactive outlier, an active Badgers are using the In high risk areas of badger activity outlier and a worn badger area but it is not known it is advised to use phased path were found during the whether there are active clearance and have an on-site phase 2 surveys. During setts with in the dense ecologist to search for badger setts previous surveys an active vegetation along the as the vegetation clearance and a disused sett were railway track. occurs. If any further construction found but could not be is to occur at a later date further surveyed again due to dense badger surveys will be necessary. scrub and the lack of land owner’s access. Water Voles No water vole evidence was It is unlikely that a water As no evidence was found and the found within the water vole population exists railway line is not within 4 m of the courses surveyed. Access to within the site extents of watercourses no impact is banks and sightlines was the disused railway as no predicted to occur so no mitigation however restricted due to evidence was found. needs to be taken. dense vegetation and steep banks. 293899/BNI/MNS/1/A October 2011 i Portishead Railway Project Species Results Conclusions Recommendations Great No GCN were found in ponds Pond 47 has a low It is recommended that phased Crested 17 and 46. In pond 47 1 male population of GCNs. Pond clearance is used where an on site Newts and 2 female GCN were 53 could not be surveyed ecologist is able to check areas for (GCN) found through torching. due to the lack of land hibernating GCNs before the owners access so is vegetation clearance occurs. treated as if GCNs were Bunds, log piles and rock piles found to be present. should also not be disturbed. If any of these structures are found they should be left undisturbed with a 10 m buffer. Next spring if they require dismantling and GCN are known to have used the structures, and they are required to be removed at this stage of the GRIP process, a Natural England licence may need to be applied for to dismantle the structures by a qualified ecologist. The width of vegetation clearance in these areas should be reduced to the width of the track only. Breeding A number of species Typical edge woodland As breeding birds are present Birds including blackbird, robin and and hedge species of bird between March and September swallows were heard and use the railway corridor. inclusive, and the vegetation seen within the vicinity. clearance is occurring in the winter, no mitigation is required. Invertebrates A large number of Of the 5 key species 1 is As only a maximum of 4 m invertebrates were found of conservation concern. vegetation is to be removed no using the vegetation of the mitigation is required as a disused railway line. 82 substantial amount of habitat will species were observed, 5 be retained for the invertebrates. were considered key species. 4 of these key species are known to be doing well locally and are not of conservation concern. 293899/BNI/MNS/1/A October 2011 ii Portishead Railway Project 1. Background 1.1 Proposed Development Mott MacDonald Ltd has been commissioned by North Somerset Council to conduct Phase 2 Protected Species surveys for the Portishead Railway Project. The site begins in Portishead (National Grid Reference ST 471, 765) and ends in Pill, Bristol (National Grid Reference ST 520, 763). The disused railway track was closed in the 1960’s, and up until this time was used to transport passengers from Portishead to Bristol Temple Meads. It runs through the areas of Portishead, Sheepway and Portbury and connects to an active freight line in Pill. The proposed works are to clear vegetation up to 4 m from the disused railway line so that the track, its sleepers and ballasts are able to be viewed and assessed. The habitat consists mainly of scrub, woodland and grassland. 1.1.1 Scope of the Report A Phase 1 Habitat survey was conducted in March 2011 by Halcrow. This recommended that Phase 2 protected species surveys