Cambridge City Nature Conservation Strategy
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CAMBRIDGE CITY NATURE CONSERVATION STRATEGY “ENHANCING BIODIVERSITY” Prepared by The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire & Peterborough for Cambridge City Council September 2006 CONTENTS 5. BIODIVERSITY ENHANCEMENT WITHIN THE URBAN EXTENSIONS 12 Introduction........................................................................................................ 12 1. INTRODUCTION 1 Cambridge Southern Fringe............................................................................... 12 Cambridge East .................................................................................................17 1.1. OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................ 1 North-west Cambridge ....................................................................................... 21 1.2. VISION................................................................................................................................... 1 Northern Fringe East..........................................................................................25 1.3. STATUS OF THE STRATEGY ..........................................................................................1 1.4. IMPLEMENTATION.............................................................................................................1 6. STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION AND ACTION PLAN 25 2. BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT 1 6.1. STRUCTURE OF THE ACTION PLAN .............................................................. 25 Overall Spatial Strategy...................................................................................... 25 2.1. POLICY BACKGROUND........................................................................................ 1 6.2. SITES OF SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC INTEREST / COUNTY WILDLIFE SITES ..... 25 National Policy..................................................................................................... 1 6.3. CITY WILDLIFE SITES (CITYWS) ..................................................................... 26 Regional Policy.................................................................................................... 2 6.4. LOCAL NATURE RESERVES (LNR).................................................................26 Local Policy ......................................................................................................... 2 6.5. RIVER VALLEY HABITATS ............................................................................... 29 2.2. SUMMARY OF ADOPTED STRATEGIES AND POLICY DOCUMENTS................... 3 6.6. NEUTRAL GRASSLAND & MEADOWS............................................................. 29 Nature Conservation Strategy 1991..................................................................... 3 6.7. CHALK GRASSLAND........................................................................................30 Best Value Review of Parks & Open Space Management 2001 .......................... 3 6.8. WOODLAND, SCRUB, HEDGEROWS & VETERAN TREES ............................30 Cambridge Landscape Character Assessment 2004........................................... 3 6.9. MINOR STREAMS, DRAINAGE DITCHES & WATER VOLES ..........................31 Parks for Cambridge People 2004....................................................................... 3 6.10. PONDS & GREAT CRESTED NEWTS .............................................................. 31 Open Space and Recreation Strategy 2006......................................................... 3 6.11. THE BUILT URBAN ENVIRONMENT................................................................ 33 Cambridge Arboricultural Strategy 2000-2007 (2004 Review) ............................. 3 6.12. GREEN CORRIDORS ....................................................................................... 36 Cambridge Environment Strategy 2005 – 2008 ................................................... 3 6.13. PROMOTION OF BIODIVERSITY ..................................................................... 39 Cambridgeshire Sub-region Green Infrastructure Strategy .................................. 3 7. BEYOND CAMBRIDGE - CLIMATE CHANGE & GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY 41 2.3. KEY CHALLENGES FOR THE FUTURE................................................................ 4 Climate Change................................................................................................... 4 7.1. KEY ISSUES ..................................................................................................... 41 Urban Expansion................................................................................................. 4 8. STRATEGY REVIEW & MONITORING 41 3. CAMBRIDGE’S NATURE CONSERVATION & BIODIVERSITY RESOURCE 4 8.1. MONITORING IMPLEMENTATION...................................................................41 3.1. SUMMARY OF THE EXISTING RESOURCE.................................................................4 Rivers & Wetlands ............................................................................................... 4 Trees & Woodland............................................................................................... 4 Grasslands .......................................................................................................... 5 Farmland............................................................................................................. 5 Built Urban Environment...................................................................................... 5 Habitat Audit........................................................................................................ 5 UK BAP Priority Habitats and Species................................................................. 5 Local BAP Priority Habitats and Species ............................................................. 5 Geological Sites................................................................................................... 5 Statutory and Non-statutory Nature Conservation Sites ....................................... 6 3.2. SUMMARY OF CITY COUNCIL NATURE CONSERVATION ACTIONS.............. 10 Management of Local Nature Reserves............................................................. 10 Management of City Council Parks & Open Spaces .......................................... 10 Cambridge Commons........................................................................................ 10 Environment and Planning Department ............................................................. 10 Tree Team......................................................................................................... 10 Awarded Watercourse Maintenance.................................................................. 10 Other Activities .................................................................................................. 10 Sustainable City Programme ............................................................................. 10 3.3. SUMMARY OF NATURE CONSERVATION ACTIONS BY OTHERS................... 11 4. STRATEGY AIMS & PRINCIPLES 12 4.1. NATURE CONSERVATION AIMS & OBJECTIVES WITHIN THE CITY ............... 12 4.2. CORE BIODIVERSITY PRINCIPLES.................................................................... 12 BIBLIOGRAPHY 43 APPENDIX TAKING THE ACTIONS FORWARD 44 TABLES TABLE 1: STATUTORY SITES IN CAMBRIDGE 6 TABLE 2: COUNTY WILDLIFE SITES & CITY WILDLIFE SITES IN CAMBRIDGE 7 FIGURES FIGURE 1: CAMBRIDGE ALL COUNTY & CITY WILDLIFE SITES & SSSIs 8 FIGURE 2: LOCAL NATURE RESERVES & OTHER STRATEGIC OPEN SPACES 9 FIGURE 3A: CAMBRIDGE SOUTHERN FRINGE HABITAT MAP 14 FIGURE 3B: CAMBRIDGE SOUTHERN FRINGE ENHANCEMENT OPPORTUNITIES 16 FIGURE 4A: CAMBRIDGE EAST HABITAT MAP 18 FIGURE 4B: CAMBRIDGE EAST ENHANCEMENT OPPORTUNITIES 20 FIGURE 5A: NORTH-WEST CAMBRIDGE HABITAT MAP 22 FIGURE 5B: NORTH-WEST CAMBRIDGE ENHANCEMENT OPPORTUNITIES 24 FIGURE 6: POTENTIAL NEW LOCAL NATURE RESERVES 28 FIGURE 7: BIODIVERSITY ENHANCEMENT PROPOSALS 32 FIGURE 8A: ACCESSIBLE NATUREAL GREENSPACE OVER 2HA WITH 300M CATCHMENT 34 FIGURE 8B: ACCESSIBLE NATUREAL GREENSPACE OVER 2HA WITH PROPOSED URBAN EXTENSION & 300M CATCHMENT 35 FIGURE 9: GREEN CORRIDORS 38 FIGURE 10: OVERALL SPATIAL STRATEGY 40 15/12/2006 Cambridge City Nature Conservation Strategy coherent nature conservation actions to be developed, the strategy has had to consider the 1. INTRODUCTION wider context within which the biodiversity of Cambridge is found. This strategy is not intended to have any legal weight beyond the City Council boundary. However, by looking outside the city boundaries, the strategy seeks to influence the nature conservation policies and actions 1.1. OVERVIEW that the City Council will promote when working with partners on joint schemes (such as the urban extensions) or when commenting on others’ proposals. 1.1.1. This Strategy has been produced as a technical document to guide nature conservation activities across the City of Cambridge. The primary objective of the activities put forward 1.4. IMPLEMENTATION herein is to increase the value of nature conservation and biodiversity. 1.4.1. Implementation of the Nature Conservation Strategy and achievement of the action plan will 1.1.2. The strategy describes the present nature conservation situation within the City and provides a require leadership, resources and partnership action. number of activities for the enhancement of nature conservation and biodiversity. The status of the strategy within the planning process is also explained. 1.4.2. This document