Invitation to Tender - Commercial in Confidence

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Omnicom: 25399

ANNEX A - Specification

INTEGRATED SITE ASSESSMENT OF THE RIVER MEASE SITE OF SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC INTEREST (SSSIs) AND SPECIAL AREA OF CONSERVATION (SAC) TO CONFIRM CURRENT CONDITION

1. Introduction

Natural (NE) works for people, places and nature, to enhance biodiversity, landscapes and wildlife in rural, urban, coastal and marine areas; promote access, recreation and public well-being; and contribute to the way natural resources are managed so that they can be enjoyed now and in the future.

Natural England works towards the delivery of four strategic outcomes, which together deliver on our purpose to conserve, enhance and manage the natural environment for the benefit of current and future generations.

. A healthy natural environment: England’s natural environment will be conserved and enhanced. . Enjoyment of the natural environment: more people enjoying, understanding and acting to improve, the natural environment, more often. . Sustainable use of the natural environment: the use and management of the natural environment is more sustainable. . A secure environmental future: decisions which collectively secure the future of the natural environment.

For further details about Natural England, its objectives, targets, and ways of working please visit www.naturalengland.org.uk

2. Background

The River Mease has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Rising at 130 metres above sea level in the Coal Measures of north-west , the River Mease flows approximately 25 kilometres westwards across a largely rural and agricultural landscape to its confluence with the at . The river forms an eastern tributary of the Trent and flows throughout its course across alluvial soils overlying bands of Sherwood Sandstone and Mercia Mudstone. As a relatively un- modified lowland river, the River Mease contains a diverse range of physical in- channel features, including riffles, pools, slacks, vegetated channel margins and bank side tree cover, which provide the conditions necessary to sustain populations of both spined loach and bullhead.

The head of the site includes the lower reaches of the Gilwiskaw Brook which flows along a steep gradient across bands of inter-bedded mudstones and sandstones. Due to the fast-flowing nature of the river, aquatic vegetation is sparse and marginal

Omnicom 25399/ITT570

Invitation to Tender - Commercial in Confidence vegetation restricted to stands of floating sweet-grass Glyceria fluitans but these sections provide valuable habitat for bullhead Cottus gobio , a bottom dwelling native fish which favours clean coarse gravels for spawning and is often found where flows are consistently strong and sediment deposition minimal. Populations of bullhead also occur in the lower reaches of the Mease where river substrates are finer but woody debris lying within the river channel becomes more important in providing suitable breeding habitat.

Below the descent becomes more gradual and the river enters a broad lowland floodplain. The slow-moving river meanders tightly across floodplain deposits, occasionally exposing underlying sandstones and fluvial sands and gravels. These middle reaches of the River Mease provide excellent habitat for a nationally significant population of spined loach Cobitis taenia.

(Figure 1).

The River Mease SSSI was first notified, under Section 28 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act (as amended), in 2000.

In addition to being designated as a SSSI, the River Mease is also internationally designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) under the EC Habitats Directive.

The River Mease represents a lowland clay river supporting nationally significant populations of spined loach Cobitis taenia and bullhead Cottus gobio, two internationally notable species of native freshwater fish with a restricted distribution in England. Other qualifying features include Water courses of plain to montane levels with the Ranunculion fluitantis and Callitricho-Batrachion vegetation, White-clawed (or Atlantic stream) crayfish, Austropotamobius pallipes and Otter, Lutra lutra Copies of the SSSI and SAC citations can be found at the following web sites: http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/ProtectedSites/SACselection/sac.asp?EUCode=UK00 30258 http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/Special/sssi/searchresults.cfm?sssi_na me=river+mease&frmcounty

The condition of all SSSIs in England, including the River Mease, is assessed by Natural England against site-specific Conservation Objectives; Conservation Objectives have been produced for the River Mease and these are given at Appendix 1. A full condition assessment was last undertaken in 2009/10.

The River Mease SSSI is 26km long and divided into 4 SSSI units. These units are detailed in Table 1 and the location of the River Mease is illustrated in Figure 1. The 2009/10 condition assessment concluded that all four riverine units were in unfavourable condition, a copy of the previous condition assessment is included at Appendix 2

Omnicom 25399/ITT570

Invitation to Tender - Commercial in Confidence

Table 1: Location of SSSI Units within the Mease SSSI

SSSI Unit Upstream and downstream SSSI Unit boundaries 1 River Trent to Harlaston Bridge 2 Harlaston Bridge to 3 Netherseal to Snareston 4 Snareston to

Figure 1: Map of the River Mease SSSI/SAC.

Omnicom 25399/ITT570

Invitation to Tender for the Supply of Integrated Site Assessment – River Mease SSSI Commercial in Confidence

3. Objectives

To undertake a full condition assessment of interest features of the SSSI/SAC in order to enable a condition assessment to be made against the conservation objectives for the site. A copy of the favourable condition table for the River Mease is provided at Appendix 1; this details the attributes to be assessed and their assessment criteria; this includes:

i. Fish survey

ii. White-Clawed Crayfish and Otter Survey

iii. Otter Survey.

iv. Water courses of plain to montane levels with Ranunculion fluitantis and Callitricho-Batrachion vegetation survey.

v. Produce a technical report incorporating i, ii, iii iv and v

Full details are provided at Appendix 1. Chemical and Biological data can be obtained from the Environment Agency

4. Methods

Survey work consists of River Habitat Survey (RHS) and macrophyte community survey in selected 500 metre sections of river. RHS survey should include the additional vegetation recording module (covering Phase 1 habitat types), since this is needed for some aspects of the condition assessment. Additional ad hoc field observations of the state of the river are also required, as specified later.

The method of macrophyte survey is specified in Appendix 4 of JNCC (2005), including a standard checklist of species. The surveyors must be competent to undertake this survey to a high level of accuracy. RHS survey must be undertaken by an accredited RHS surveyor.

In addition to standard survey forms for macrophyte and RHS survey data, a separate form is provided (Appendix 4) for recording additional observations of river status necessary to evaluate certain attributes in Appendix 4 (river flows, turbidity, siltation and levels of filamentous and epiphytic algae). Macrophyte data should be captured electronically using the JNCC data capture template for uploading data onto the JNCC River Macrophyte Database.

All Sampling procedures must be carried out as detailed in the JNCC Common Standards Monitoring Guidance for freshwater - http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/pdf/CSM_freshwaterfauna_Aug05.pdf .

Further information on monitoring other notified species can be found at the following websites: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/project/Projects/index.cfm?fuseaction=ho me.showFile&rep=file&fil=SMURF_bullhead_monitoring.pdf http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/project/Projects/index.cfm?fuseaction=ho me.showFile&rep=file&fil=SMURF_crayfish_monitoring.pdf

4 Natural England Omnicom 25399/ITT Invitation to Tender for the Supply of Integrated Site Assessment – River Mease SSSI Commercial in Confidence http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/project/Projects/index.cfm?fuseaction=ho me.showFile&rep=file&fil=SMURF_otter_monitoring.pdf http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/project/Projects/index.cfm?fuseaction=ho me.showFile&rep=file&fil=SMURF_ranunculus_monitoring.pdf

Sample sites should be assigned a unique number e.g. S25 and should be located on the map.

All Data should be entered onto an Excel spreadsheet as individual sample site locations with their map location given as a 6-figure OS grid reference.

Geographical locations of all sample sites should be recorded using GPS.

The contractor must hold appropriate wildlife licensing licenses.

5. Material supply

Copies of the previous surveys and reports will be made available to the contractors. Ordnance Survey Master Map and Aerial Photography data can be provided on request.

6. Access Arrangements

Natural England will provide details of owner/occupiers as necessary in order for the Contractor to arrange access to the site. If you are refused permission to enter you should contact the Natural England Project Officer immediately, they will be able to arrange access. Please note that is information is confidential and is only given for purpose of this project. Our general terms and conditions of contract place specific requirements on the successful contractor in this area so please ensure you’re familiar with this condition.

7. Outputs

The contractor will produce a full condition assessment report which should, as a minimum requirement include the following:

i. Summary of findings

ii. Methodology

iii. Sample site description – description of each of the main sample areas of the site noting observed management, pollution etc.

iv. Tables of sample sites for each species and recording stop should be identified with a unique number and species recorded should be listed in the order of abundance, density, age structure and health as detailed in the JNCC guidance on freshwater site monitoring.

v. Target Notes – each target note should be identifiable through its species name, the species allocated to each Target Note should be given together with a brief description, then each species recorded and its abundance, density, age structure and health etc.

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vi. Map(s) - showing the location and extent of each sample site, labelled with which each Target Notes applies. These should be at 1:5,000 scale.

vii. Species list – to include all species encountered during the survey. Latin and common names should be given, the species to be listed in alphabetical order by Latin genus.

viii. Photographs of notable species marked on an appropriate scale map of the site.

ix. All points, species etc mapped in ArcGIS as well as hard copies added to the final report.

x. Evaluation and interpretation of the data and a summary of condition judgements for the relevant attributes (see Appendix 3 ‘Guidance to contractors’.

xi. All raw data should be completed on the JNCC electronic data capture forms for macrophtyes and should be supplied for each site

xii. RHS data forms for all sites should be completed and supplied in electronic and hard copy, as part of the final report. Copies should also be sent to the Environment Agency’s RHS Team for inclusion in the national RHS database.

The report will be presented as A4-size bound reports printed double sided. Two bound copies should be provided. Copies of digital maps/data/forms and the report should also be provided on CD.

8. 6. Timescales

The timetable for work tasks is given in below. Work task Completion date (months elapsed)

1. Start up meeting to consider existing data and agree 1 w/c 3 June 2013 details of approach to contract

2. Desk based assessment and information gathering 2 w/c 1 July 2013 from other Stakeholders

3. Macrophyte/RHS surveys 3 w/c 12 August 2013

4. Fish/Crayfish/Otter Survey 6 w/c 25 November 2013

The timetable for outputs is given below

Output Completion date

6 Natural England Omnicom 25399/ITT Invitation to Tender for the Supply of Integrated Site Assessment – River Mease SSSI Commercial in Confidence (months elapsed)

5. Draft Condition Assessment report/final report 8 – w/c 27 January 2014

6. Submission of final report 9 – no later than 10 March 2014

9. Project management

The Nominated Officer for the project is: xxxxxxxxx APEX Court, City Link, Nottingham, NG2 4LA TEL: xxxxxxxxxxxxx Mob: xxxxxxxxxxxxxx E-mail: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx .

Procurement contact: xxxxxxxxxxxx Senior Adviser Natural England Suite D Unex House Bourges Boulevard PETERBOROUGH PE1 1NG Tel: xxxxxxxxxxxxxx Email: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Should you have any questions about the contract during the competition please submit them via the bravo system – do not contact xxxxx directly.

Natural England will provide details of owner/occupiers as necessary in order for the Contractor to arrange access to the site. Please note that this information is confidential and is only given for purpose of this project. Our general terms and conditions of contract place specific requirements on the successful contractor in this area so please ensure you’re familiar with this condition.

10. Knowledge and skills required

Expertise is essential in the following fields: i) Freshwater ecology ii) Undertaking SSSI/SAC river condition assessments iii) Project Management iv) Experience in river processes

11. Form of Tender Return & Evaluation Criteria In addition to the document formally accepting our terms and conditions and your Health & Safety Policy if applicable, your tender should take the following form:

Methodology (20% weighting)

7 Natural England Omnicom 25399/ITT Invitation to Tender for the Supply of Integrated Site Assessment – River Mease SSSI Commercial in Confidence Question 1) – Please provide a full proposal supported by attached documents as necessary demonstrating how you would go about meeting the specification for this contract? (10 marks)

Technical Expertise (15% weighting) Question 2) – Please provide details, specifically CV’s of the team who will carry out the work of the contract? (10 marks)

Experience (10% weighting) Question 3) – Please provide 1 or 2 examples of where your organisation has carried out similar work? (10 marks)

Contract/Risk management (5% weighting) Question 4) Please tell us how you intend to manage the contract/risk management to ensure the project is completed within the specified time, what mitigation will you put in place. (10 marks)

Price (50% weighting) Question 5) – In addition to a total fixed and firm price for the entire contract, please also detail out the subtotal cost for each output (as listed above in the Pricing Schedule section 7), showing who will be working on them, the number of days/hrs being applied and the charge rate of each individual? (A total price will be input to a spreadsheet which statistically allocates the marks /50)

Health & Safety (Pass/Fail) Question 6 – Please provide a risk assessment for the contract specified, including the mitigation you propose in order to carry out the work safely. You should also ensure a risk assessment and appropriate mitigation is provided for the transfer of disease and non native invasive species.

Sustainability (Pass/Fail) Question 7 – We have identified the need for travel in order to successfully carry out the specified contract, although this is not significant, please provide a travel management plan to assure us that you’ll be working in a sustainable way in delivery of our contract. River habitats are very fragile, please provide a management plan to assure us that you will provide adequate mitigation to prevent damage to the environment – and in particular the river habitat.

12. Payment Schedule

Payment will be made on satisfactory completion of the individual areas of work and receipt of a correct and valid invoice; for example you should invoice after attending the start up meeting and completion of the the desk study, individual surveys, submission of the draft report and submission of the final report.. The original invoice must be sent to the accounts department in Alnwick quoting the order number.

The address for submitting original invoices is:

PO Box 92 DFSSD Accounts Payable, Lion House, Willowburn Trading Estate Alnwick, Northumberland NE66 2PF

8 Natural England Omnicom 25399/ITT Invitation to Tender for the Supply of Integrated Site Assessment – River Mease SSSI Commercial in Confidence

13. Tender Timetable

Tender uploaded on to Bravo - 24.4.13 Clarifications deadline – 9.5.13 (14:00) Tender return - 16.5.13 (14:00) Evaluation: - 17.5.13 Site visits: n/a Contract Award: w/c 28.5.13

9 Natural England Omnicom 25399/ITT Invitation to Tender for the Supply of Integrated Site Assessment – River Mease SSSI Commercial in Confidence 14. Additional Supporting Documents:

Appendix 1: Favourable Condition Table/Conservation Objectives for the River Mease SSSI.

See separate file.

Appendix 2: 2009 Condition Assessment

See separate file.

Appendix 3: Condition assessment of river SSSIs/SACs: guidance for contractors undertaking filed survey.

See separate file.

Appendix 4

Appendix A - Summary of condition assessment results

Shaded boxes relate to assessments to be made by the Conservation Officer. Clear boxes relate to judgements made by the contractor based on field survey results. S = Current status as determined by available information. UR = Judgement of Unfavourable Recovering based on knowledge of current management.

In most cases only judgements of Favourable (F) or Unfavourable (U) will be possible by contractors. In some cases a judgement of Declining (D) may be possible. Judgements of Unfavourable Recovering (UR) should only be made by the Conservation Officer, either at the attribute-level or the unit-level. This may involve over-riding some judgements made by the contractor.

River:______Date of overall assessment:______

Assessors:______

Assessment Unit Attribute 1 2 3 4 5

S UR S UR S UR S UR S UR

1.1 Habitat function: river flow

Obvious visual problems

Compliance with quantitative flow targets

1.2. Habitat function: water quality

10 Natural England Omnicom 25399/ITT Invitation to Tender for the Supply of Integrated Site Assessment – River Mease SSSI Commercial in Confidence Assessment Unit Attribute 1 2 3 4 5

S UR S UR S UR S UR S UR

Observed turbidity

Compliance with biological class

Compliance with chemical class

Compliance with ammonia target

Compliance with suspended solids target

Compliance with phosphorus target

2.1. Habitat structure: substrate

Observed surface siltation

Problems identified by detailed investigations

2.2. Habitat structure: channel and banks

Compliance with river planform target

Compliance with river profile target (RHS transect data)

Compliance with river profile target (RHS sweep-up data)

Compliance with river bank vegetation target

Compliance with riparian zone target

3. Plant community

Compliance with species composition target (i)

Compliance with loss of species target (ii)

Compliance with abundant species target (iii)

Compliance with reproduction target

4. Negative indicators (biological disturbance)

Compliance with native macrophyte species target

11 Natural England Omnicom 25399/ITT Invitation to Tender for the Supply of Integrated Site Assessment – River Mease SSSI Commercial in Confidence Assessment Unit Attribute 1 2 3 4 5

S UR S UR S UR S UR S UR

Compliance with naturalness of macrophytes target

Compliance with ‘other organisms’ (non-native)

Compliance with fish stocking guidance

5. Indicators of local distinctiveness

Rare species

Other site-specific aspect(s):

6. Aspects of environmental disturbance

Note any

7. Consideration of status of Remedies

(i.e. is unit Unfavourable Recovering?)

Overall condition of unit (F, U (R), D)

12 Natural England Omnicom 25399/ITT Invitation to Tender for the Supply of Integrated Site Assessment – River Mease SSSI Commercial in Confidence Appendix B – Survey form for ad hoc observations relating to condition

Date: ______River: ______Unit: ______

Surveyor: ______

Condition NGR Time Nature of observation attribute

Problems with river flows

Relevance to unit condition:

High turbidity levels

Relevance to unit condition:

Excessive surface siltation

Relevance to unit condition:

High levels of filamentous or epiphytic algae

Relevance to unit condition:

Flowering and reproduction of the plant community

13 Natural England Omnicom 25399/ITT Invitation to Tender for the Supply of Integrated Site Assessment – River Mease SSSI Commercial in Confidence

Relevance to unit condition:

14 Natural England Omnicom 25399/ITT Invitation to Tender for the Supply of Integrated Site Assessment – River Mease SSSI Commercial in Confidence Appendix C – Data processing form for habitat structure: channel and banks Apart from the evaluation of river planform, this pro forma uses data derived from RHS survey (including the additional vegetation module). Refer to Appendices 4, 5, 6 and 7 of JNCC (2005) for procedures including look-up tables. M = Mean value of survey sites within unit. Transfer results from blue shaded boxes to summary form at Appendix A.

River:______Assessor:______Date:______Unit Survey site 1 2 3 M 1 2 3 M 1 2 3 M River planform (App. 4) % of unit artificial. re-aligned or constrained Score Condition status river planform River profile (App. 5) No. of spot checks with profile modifications Mean occurrence in spot checks (0 – 1.0) SERCON score Condition status river profile Bank vegetation naturalness (App. 6) Part A – Vegetation type Option 1 (RHS spot-checks) Total points scored from Table 1 Initial SERCON score (option 1) Option 2 (RHS sweep-up data) Sum of points from species recorded as ‘present’ Sum of points from species recorded as ‘extensive’ Total points scored from Table 1 (vegetation types) Initial SERCON score (option 2) Part B – Effect on non-native species Number of Table 2 species present Number of Table 2 species extensive Total points to subtract Modified SERCON score Condition status bank vegetation naturalness Riparian zone naturalness (App. 7)

15 Natural England Omnicom 25399/ITT Invitation to Tender for the Supply of Integrated Site Assessment – River Mease SSSI Commercial in Confidence Sum of points from Table 1 (land use categories) Initial SERCON score Net result of points additions/subtractions for land use Modified SERCON score Points subtracted for ‘notable nuisance plant’ species Modified SERCON score Condition status riparian zone naturalness

16 Natural England Omnicom 25399/ITT Invitation to Tender for the Supply of Integrated Site Assessment – River Mease SSSI Commercial in Confidence Appendix D – Data processing form for characterisation of the plant community This pro forma uses data derived from macrophyte survey. Constancy tables required to complete the evaluation of the ‘species composition’ attribute are provided in Appendix 8 of JNCC (2005). Transfer results from blue shaded boxes to summary form at Appendix A. River:______Assessor:______Date:______

Unit Survey site 1 2 3 M 1 2 3 M 1 2 3 M Species composition (constancy to RCT) Target River Community Type No. spp. present with frequency V in constancy table As % of total with frequency V in constancy table Compliant with target? (>= 80%) No. spp. present with frequency IV or V in constancy table As % of total with frequency IV or V in constancy table Compliant with target? (>=60%) No. spp present with frequency III in constancy table As % of total with frequency III in constancy table Compliant with target? (>=25%) Condition status species composition Species loss No. of species in baseline survey with cover >1 % of these species still present in current survey Compliant with target? (>60% still present) No. of species in baseline survey recorded as dominant % of these species still present in current survey Compliant with target? (all still present) Condition status species loss Abundant species No. of species in baseline survey recorded as dominant % of these species still dominant in current survey Compliant with target? (25-35% still dominant) Condition status abundant species

17 Natural England Omnicom 25399/ITT Invitation to Tender for the Supply of Integrated Site Assessment – River Mease SSSI Commercial in Confidence Appendix E – Data processing form for negative indicators (biological disturbance)

This pro forma uses data derived from a range of sources, but those aspects that relate to the contractor are derived from macrophyte survey. Refer to the generic FCT for targets relating to native plant species, and to Appendix 10 of JNCC (2005) for procedures relating to non- native plant species (including look-up tables). M = Mean value of survey sites within unit. Transfer results from blue shaded boxes to summary form at Appendix A.

River:______Assessor:______Date:______

Unit Survey site 1 2 3 M 1 2 3 M 1 2 3 M 1 2 3 M Native plant species (channel and margins) Total % cover of generic negative indicators (see FCT) % cover target applied Compliant? (Y/N) Baseline % cover of generic indicators (if set) Significant increase from baseline? Total % cover of relevant taxa with STRs % cover target applied Compliant? (Y/N) Baseline % cover of generic indicators (if set) Significant increase from baseline? (Y/N) Condition status native negative plant species Non native plant species (channel and margins) % aquatic/marginal plant species native Initial SERCON score Table 1 species in survey site? Modified score (Table 1) Number of Table 2 species in ECS Modified score (Table 2) Condition status non-native

18 Natural England Omnicom 25399/ITT Invitation to Tender for the Supply of Integrated Site Assessment – River Mease SSSI Commercial in Confidence plant species Other species present at unacceptable levels? (Y/N) 1. 2. 3. 4. Condition status other non- native species Fish stocking Section 30 consents in line with guidance? (Y/N) Actual stockings acceptable? (Y/N) Condition status fish stocking

19 Natural England Omnicom 25399/ITT