London Borough of Camden March 2021 Ecology and Biodiversity

Murphy’s yard

london borough of camden Ecology and biodiversity march 2021 WIDER GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE adjoining sites of importance for nature conservation (SINC)

RAILWAY JUNCTION gospel oak NO ACCESS ROUGH depot sinc ACCESSIBLE MORTIMER TERRACE - MURPHY SITE MEADOW NATURE RESERvE SINC KEY CONNECTION SPACE

HAMPSTEAD HEATH RAILWAY EMBANKMENT SINC RAilway cutting - gospel oak gantry SINC OAK VILLAGE RAILWAY EMBANKMENT SINC

KILN PLACE EMBANKMENT SINC kentish town city farm sinc highgate rd

KENTISH TOWN RAILWAY EMBANKMENT - CRESSFIELD SINC frognal rd EMBANKMENT - gospel oak woodyard SINC regis rd

kentish town

3 ADJOINING SITES OF IMPORTANCE FOR NATURE CONSERVATION

PRIORITY FOR CONNECTING SURROUNDING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE LINKS BETWEEN SURROUNDING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE OPPORTUNITY FOR LOCAL PRIORITY HABITATS

SURROUNDING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE

4 the heath as a source of inspiration Hampstead Heath SSSI SOURCE OF INSPIRATION

Hampstead Heath Woods

Sandy Heath

Murphy’s Yard

6 Hampstead Heath woods SSSI key elements

BROADLEAVED, MIXED YEW WOODLAND

• Distinctive and rare type of woodland in the Greater • Acidic soils form a ground flora of mainly Bracken London area and Bramble but also broad buckler-fern, wood dock, enchanter's nightshade, bluebell, figwort, • A canopy dominated by Sessile Oak (quercus remote sedge and herb bennet. petraea), with rare features such as the presence of Wild Service Tree (Sorbus torminalis, a very rare • Mature trees feature large dead boughs, rot holes, native tree within woodlands in London) hollow trunks and woodpecker holes, with several very large standing dead trees. There is dead wood • Other species include Beech, Sweet Chestnut, throughout the woodland, providing excellent Pedunculate Oak, Ash, Yew, and to a lesser extent habitat conditions for dead wood invertebrates Holly, Rowan, Silver Birch, Cherry and Hawthorn

7 Hampstead Heath woods SSSI urban interpretation

• standing deadwood as design features and nature based ‘play on the way’ • sorbus torminalis as a key tree species - drought tolerant, excellent for pollinators and birds • locally found species such as bluebells, broad buckler ferns and sedges incoporated into planting plans 8 sandy heath SSSI key elements

SANDY HEATH • Approximately 0.22 ha of extensive European (Frangula alnus) and Broom (Cytisus scoparius) Gorse (Ulex europaeus) planting • Lowland Heathland is a priority habitat for • Gorse is one component of lowland heath that the Camden, London, and national Biodiversity gave Hampstead Heath its name. Action Plans. • Gorse is a typical plant of heathland and provides habitat for bird species such as long- tailed tits, blackcaps and whitethroats which is of considerable local importance • Other species include Alder Buckthorn 9 SANDY Heath SSSI urban interpretation

• European Gorse (U. europaeus) flowers from January to June and Western Gorse (U.gallii) flowers from July to December • Together, they provide year round flowers for pollinators and habitat for nesting birds • Both are UK natives found on heaths, railway embankments and acidic soils • Heathland and flower rich acid grasslands are suitable habitat types for green roofs and will inspire the planting in much of the public realm, being combined with ecologically complimentary ornamental species

10 MAXIMISING GREENING IN INDUSTRIAL SPACES MAXIMISING GREENING IN INDUSTRIAL SPACES living roofs

• large areas of bird and invertebrate habitat • helps to slow down storm water run off • acid grassland, open mosaic and heathland • carbon sequestration • reduces urban heat island effect are all suitable habitat types for green roofs that complement the local ecology of Murphy’s Yard

12 MAXIMISING GREENING IN INDUSTRIAL SPACES vertical greening

• significant reduction of urban heat island • reduces wind speeds • provides biodiversity and natural habitat effect • sequestration of carbon • slows down storm water run off • improvement of air quality • aesthetic appeal • proven positive impact on educational • deadens sound • psychological impact on urban dwellers environments and social behaviour

13 sustainable urban drainage

water is released back into the atmosphere via evapotranspiration, cooling the air

planting takes up water and green roof substrate holds on to moisture

the surface area of all the leaves combined in the tree canopies holds on to a significant amount of water

roots suck up great quantities of water and release it back into just like trees, the leaves in green facades hold on to water and their roots suck up rain water

roof run off can be collected in water butts and any overflow is taken into adjacent rain gardens

this water can be used later to irrigate during times of drought depressions in the landscape store rainwater, creating flooded ponds

planting needs to be tolerant of both drought and flooded conditions

14 current proposals murphy’s yard current masterplan proposal

HABITAT TYPES

POTENTIAL FOR LIVING ROOFS (combination of heathland, acid grassland and open mosaic) HEATHLAND + FLOWER RICH ACID GRASSLAND OPEN MOSAIC INSPIRED PLANTING ACID GRASSLAND, IMPROVED TREE LINES + HEDGES FLOWER RICH RAIN GARDENS WITH TREE PLANTING

Note layout is indicative only and subject to change. For illustrative purposes only and subject to ongoing design development. 16 murphy’s yard current masterplan proposal

Note layout is indicative only and subject to change. For illustrative purposes only and subject to ongoing design development. 17