Heading County Wildife Site Criteria for Cornwall Environmental Records Centre for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Acknowledgements We are very grateful to all those who provided comments during the production of this document. We are very lucky in Cornwall to have so many deeply committed, skilled and knowledgeable recorders and wildlife enthusiasts. ERCCIS and Cornwall Wildlife Trust (2010) County Wildlife Site criteria for Cornwall Written by Paul McCartney Edited by Victoria Whitehouse, Cheryl Marriott and Fay Robinson Designed by Sheila McCann-Downes Drawings by Sarah McCartney Photography by Liz Cox, Alex Howie, Sheila McCann-Downes Copies can be obtained from: ERCCIS c/o Cornwall Wildlife Trust Five Acres Allet Truro TR4 9DJ [email protected] County Wildife Site Criteria for Cornwall Page ii COUNTY WILDLIFE SITE CRITERIA FOR CORNWALL CONTENTS 1 Introduction 1 2 Context and Background 2 2.1 Cornwall’s Biological Heritage 2 2.2 Sites of National and International Importance 2 2.3 Sites of Local Importance 3 2.4 Background to County Wildlife Sites in Cornwall 3 3 County Wildlife Site Selection 4 3.1 The Role of Ratcliffe’s Primary and Secondary Attributes 4 3.1.1 Application of Ratcliffe’s Primary Attributes 5 3.1.2 Application of Ratcliffe’s Secondary Attributes 6 3.2 Guiding Principles for County Wildlife Site Selection 7 3.3 Procedures for County Wildlife Site Selection 8 3.4 Site Boundaries 9 4 Criteria for County Wildlife Site Selection in Cornwall 10 4.1 Criteria for BAP Priority Habitats 12 4.2 Criteria for Local Habitats 24 4.3 Criteria for Species Groups 27 BIBLIOGRAPHY 29 APPENDICES Appendix 1 – A List of County Wildlife Sites in Cornwall Appendix 2 – The Selection of Local Sites by Size Appendix 3 – Example of a County Wildlife Site Summary Sheet Appendix 4 – Information Relating to Priority Habitat Types Appendix 5 – Information Relating to Local Habitat Types Appendix 6 – Information Relating to Species Groups Appendix 7 – Protocol for Amending County Wildlife Site Boundaries (DRAFT) County Wildife Site Criteria for Cornwall Page iii 1. INTRODUCTION The aim of this document is to provide a systematic basis for the identification of non-statutory or ‘Local’ wildlife sites in Cornwall; these sites are called County Wildlife Sites. County Wildlife Sites: provide a comprehensive suite of sites that complements other site networks; provide wildlife refuges for most of the UK’s fauna and flora; have a significant role to play in meeting overall national biodiversity targets; represent local character and distinctiveness; contribute to the quality of life and the well-being of the community, with many sites providing opportunities for research and education; are an established feature of the statutory planning process in Cornwall; are shown in County Minerals, Waste and Local Development Frameworks, and are an important factor taken into account when planning decisions are made. For these reasons it is important that the process of site selection is transparent and that the rationale behind decisions made is recorded and made available to interested parties. This document is therefore of relevance to planners, landowners, developers and those working in wildlife conservation. We hope to update this document regularly and expect practical use of these criteria will highlight any amendments and updates required. We view this document to be iterative and welcome all feedback. An equivalent document (County Geology Site Criteria for Cornwall) has been produced to provide a similar basis for the identification of County Geology Sites. These two documents provide criteria to ensure a comprehensive local sites system is in place for Cornwall. The documents are produced in line with guidance given by the Government’s Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in its publication “Local Sites: Guidance on their identification, selection and management” (DEFRA, 2006), which aims to promote more transparent and consistent approaches to the development and operation of systems to identify sites of local importance for nature conservation in England. County Wildife Site Criteria for Cornwall Page 1 2. CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND 2.1 Cornwall’s Biological Heritage areas of land that it considers to be of special nature Cornwall is a county strongly influenced by the sea. It conservation interest. These are known as Sites of forms a peninsula jutting westwards into the Atlantic, Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), although it is generally and is almost an island, separated from the rest of the recognised that the word ‘scientific’ is too restrictive a country by the River Tamar. No part of Cornwall is term. Broadly speaking these areas are considered to be more than 24km from the coast; most is much less. of regional or national significance. There are currently The result is a maritime climate with cool summers, 141 SSSIs in Cornwall, protected under the provision of mild winters, salt-laden and often gale-force winds the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended). and above average rainfall. These factors, combined with the county’s varied geology, all contribute to the In addition, 17 sites of European importance have been characteristic landscape and the wealth of biodiversity recognised and designated under the Conservation that make Cornwall so special. of Habitats and Species Regulations (2010), which implement the European Habitats Directive (1992). The The biodiversity of the county is as varied as the Habitats Directive requires all member states to create landscape, ranging from the rugged north coast cliffs a network of specially protected wildlife sites across and beaches with nesting seabirds and breeding grey the European Union, as part of a range of measures seals, to the sheltered south coast rias; home to otters aimed at conserving important and threatened habitats and abundant marine life. Habitats range from the wild and species. This network consists of Special Areas rugged expanse of the moors and heaths of Bodmin, of Conservation (SACs) and Special Protection Areas Penwith and The Lizard, through agricultural landscapes (SPAs). criss-crossed by unique Cornish hedges, to the Ancient Woodlands and parklands of central and east Cornwall. All terrestrial SACs in England are already SSSIs; the Industry has had an influence too, seen in the old additional SAC designation recognises that their habitats metal mining landscapes and ‘china clay country’, now are of European importance. 13 of the terrestrial SSSIs re-colonising with distinctive assemblages of rare plants in Cornwall have been designated as SACs. At sea, and animals. where there are no SSSIs, 2 sites have been recognised as of European marine nature conservation importance Historically, species information in Cornwall has been and given marine SAC status, and a further 3 sites have gathered by a number of dedicated individuals and recently been designated as candidate SACs. The Marine organisations, and these records, combined with more and Coastal Access Act 2009 has introduced new recent habitat mapping projects and recorder effort, legislation for the designation of ‘Marine Conservation have enabled an assessment of the status and trends Zones’; the designation process is ongoing. of habitats and species in Cornwall to be made, and appropriate conservation measures to be put in place. SPAs are designated under the Birds Directive (2009) to provide a framework for the conservation and 2.2 Sites of National and International Importance management of wild birds in Europe. 2 sites in Cornwall The national government body concerned with have been designated as SPAs for rare and migratory nature conservation, Natural England, notifies those birds. County Wildife Site Criteria for Cornwall Page 2 2.3 Sites of Local Importance Cornwall. The suite of sites, initially called Cornwall The system of statutory sites protects representative Nature Conservation Sites (CNCSs), was registered with samples of the nation’s most important wildlife and the County and District Councils. geological sites; not every site of interest is included. Therefore, to safeguard the County’s biodiversity and 295 County Wildlife Sites (498 including subsites), geodiversity, wildlife in the wider environment needs a covering 32984 ha (figures correct at 18th November level of recognition and protection. 2010); approximately 10% of the county’s land area, have been identified. County Wildlife Sites across England provide a comprehensive system of sites that give a refuge to most These prime sites are considered to be of at least County of the nation’s flora and fauna through their connecting importance, and originally included sites designated and buffering qualities. They represent local character as SSSIs and National Nature Reserves, which are of and distinctiveness and complement other site networks. national and even international importance. In 1999, in line with national guidance from The Wildlife 2.4 Background to County Wildlife Sites in Cornwall Trusts, the name of the CNCSs was changed to County The need for a County Wildlife Sites system has always Wildlife Sites (CWSs). In 2006 the overlap with statutory been recognised, and the recent report 'Making Space designations was resolved by removal of the CWSs for Nature' (Lawton et al., 2010) stresses the importance within SSSIs from the system. This prevents duplication of Local Sites in establishing a coherent and resiliant of effort by different conservation organisations and ecological