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Portishead Branch Line (Metrowest Phase 1) Portishead Branch Line (MetroWest Phase 1) TR040011 Applicant: North Somerset District Council 6.25, Environmental Statement, Volume 4, Appendix 9.7 Dormice, 9.8 Otters and 9.9 Water Voles The Infrastructure Planning (Applications: Prescribed Forms and Procedure) Regulations 2009, regulation 5(2)(a) Planning Act 2008 Author: CH2M Date: November 2019 Notice © Copyright 2019 CH2M HILL United Kingdom. The concepts and information contained in this document are the property of CH2M HILL United Kingdom, a wholly owned subsidiary of Jacobs. Use or copying of this document in whole or in part without the written permission of Jacobs constitutes an infringement of copyright. Limitation: This document has been prepared on behalf of, and for the exclusive use of Jacobs’ client, and is subject to, and issued in accordance with, the provisions of the contract between Jacobs and the client. Jacobs accepts no liability or responsibility whatsoever for, or in respect of, any use of, or reliance upon, this document by any third party. Where any data supplied by the client or from other sources have been used, it has been assumed that the information is correct. No responsibility can be accepted by Jacobs for inaccuracies in the data supplied by any other party. The conclusions and recommendations in this report are based on the assumption that all relevant information has been supplied by those bodies from whom it was requested. Where field investigations have been carried out, these have been restricted to a level of detail required to achieve the stated objectives of the work. This work has been undertaken in accordance with the quality management system of Jacobs. Document history Project Portishead Branch Line (MetroWest Phase 1) Development Consent Order Scheme Planning Inspectorate Scheme TR040011 Reference Part and Application Document 6, 6.25 Reference Document title Environmental Statement, Volume 4, Appendix 9.7 Dormice Survey Report Appendix 9.8 Otter Survey Report Appendix 9.9 Water Vole Survey Report Regulation Number Regulation 5(2)(a) Applicant North Somerset District Council Lead Author DB and CW at CH2M Version Date Status of Version Rev: 01 11/11/19 Application Issue Portishead Branch Line (MetroWest Phase 1) TR040011 Applicant: North Somerset District Council 6.25, Environmental Statement, Volume 4, Appendix 9.7 Dormice Survey Report The Infrastructure Planning (Applications: Prescribed Forms and Procedure) Regulations 2009, regulation 5(2)(a) Planning Act 2008 Author: CH2M Date: November 2019 Table of Contents Section Page 1 Introduction ................................................................................................. 1-1 1.1 Background to the DCO Scheme ....................................................... 1-1 1.2 Protected Species Survey .................................................................. 1-1 1.3 Objectives .......................................................................................... 1-2 1.4 Structure of this Report ...................................................................... 1-2 2 Methodology ............................................................................................... 2-1 2.1 Desk Study ........................................................................................ 2-1 2.2 Field Survey ....................................................................................... 2-1 2.3 Limitations .......................................................................................... 2-3 2.4 Evaluation .......................................................................................... 2-3 3 Legislative Framework ............................................................................... 3-1 3.1 Legislative Framework ....................................................................... 3-1 4 Baseline Conditions ................................................................................... 4-1 4.1 Context .............................................................................................. 4-1 4.2 Desk Study ........................................................................................ 4-1 4.3 Field Survey ....................................................................................... 4-1 4.4 Evaluation .......................................................................................... 4-2 5 Conclusions ................................................................................................ 5-1 6 References and Bibliography .................................................................... 6-1 Table(s) Table 2.1: Index of probability of finding dormice present in nest tubes in any one month ....................................................................................................... 2-3 Table 4.1: Dormice Survey Results – Leigh Woods ................................................ 4-2 Table 4.2: Dormice Survey Results – Ham Green .................................................. 4-2 Figure(s) Figure 2.1: Dormouse nest tube .............................................................................. 2-2 Annex(es) A Dormice Nest Tube Locations i Acronyms and Abbreviations B&NES Bath and North East Somerset BCC Bristol City Council BRERC Bristol Regional Environmental Records Centre CIEEM Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management DCO Development Consent Order EPS European Protected Species ES Environmental Statement NGR National Grid Reference NNR National Nature Reserve NSDC North Somerset District Council NSIP Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project OSGR Ordnance Survey Grid Reference SAC Special Area of Conservation SGC South Gloucestershire Council SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest WECA West of England Combined Authority ii APPENDIX 9.7 PORTISHEAD BRANCH LINE DCO SCHEME DORMICE SURVEY REPORT ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT, VOLUME 4 1 Introduction 1.1 Background to the DCO Scheme North Somerset District Council (“NSDC”) is making an application for a development consent order (“DCO”) to construct the Portishead Branch Line under the Planning Act 2008. The DCO Scheme will provide an hourly (or hourly plus) railway service between Portishead and Bristol Temple Meads, with stops at Portishead, Pill, Parson Street and Bedminster. The scheme is one of several projects that form part of MetroWest, a programme of rail improvements in the West of England. MetroWest Phase 1 is being led jointly by NSDC and the West of England Combined Authority (“WECA”)1, as a third party promoted rail project, funded by the authorities and devolved funding sources from central government. The West of England Authorities are working with Network Rail, Great Western Railway and the wider rail industry to deliver the MetroWest Programme. The Portishead Branch Line was built in the 1860s. Passenger services continued between Portishead and Bristol until 1964, and freight services continued to 1981. The Royal Portbury Dock opened in 1978 and in 2002 the currently operational part of the former Portishead Branch Line was re- opened to service the port for freight only. The owner of the Royal Portbury Dock, Bristol Port Company, has commercial rights to run up to 20 freight trains per day in each direction along the operational railway line. The current volume of freight trains operating is substantially less than this. The section of the railway between Portishead and Pill remains disused. The DCO Scheme comprises the nationally significant infrastructure project (“NSIP”) as defined by the Planning Act 2008 to construct a new railway between Portishead and the village of Pill, and associated works including a new station and car park at Portishead, a refurbished station and new car park at Pill and various works along the existing operational railway line between Pill and Ashton Junction where the scheme will join the existing railway. Ashton Junction is located close to the railway junction with the Bristol to Exeter Mainline at Parson Street. Further information on the project is provided in the Environmental Statement (“ES”) Chapter 4 Description of the Proposed Works (DCO Document Reference 6.7). 1.2 Protected Species Survey CH2M was commissioned by NSDC to undertake a dormice Muscardinus avellanarius survey along part of the route of the Portishead Branch Line (MetroWest Phase 1) DCO Scheme. The need for a dormice survey was recommended in the Ecological Appraisal Report (CH2M Hill, 2015), which is included in the Baseline Report submitted to the Planning Inspectorate in June 2015 and is available on their website at: 1 WECA has powers in relation to strategic transport, housing and adult skills for Bristol City Council (“BCC”), Bath and North East Somerset (“B&NES”), and South Gloucestershire Councils (“SGC”). NSDC is not part of WECA but works closely with WECA. 1-1 PORTISHEAD BRANCH LINE DCO SCHEME APPENDIX 9.7 ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT, VOLUME 4 DORMICE SURVEY https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/south- west/portishead-branch-line-metrowest-phase-1/?ipcsection=docs. The sections of the DCO Scheme considered in this report encompass: • The operational railway and adjacent River Avon Tow Path between Clifton Bridge No. 1 Tunnel (NGR ST56427303) and Clifton Bridge carrying the tow path across the railway (NGR ST56587236). This section lies in Leigh Woods National Nature Reserve (“NNR”), which forms part of the Avon Gorge Woodlands Special Area of Conservation (“SAC”) and Avon Gorge Site of Special Scientific Interest (“SSSI”). While much
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