Hull Biodiversity Action Plan
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Contents Acknowledgements Summary Introduction 1 The Biodiversity Framework 1 The Production of the Hull Biodiversity Action Plan 2 Timescale for Action 3 Monitoring and Review 3 Estuarine Habitats 4, 5 Freshwater Habitats 6, 7 Gardens and Allotments 8, 9 Grassland 10, 11 Industrial Land 12, 13 Parks, Golf Courses and Cemeteries 14, 15 The Built Environment 16, 17 Trees, Scrub and Hedgerows 18, 19 Map A – The Green Network Map B – Locations Mentioned in the Text Habitat Action Plans Estuarine Habitats Industrial Land Fresh Water Habitats Parks, Golf Courses and Cemeteries Gardens and Allotments The Built Environment Grassland Trees, Scrub and Hedgerows Species Action Plans Bee Orchid Linnet Brimstone Butterfly Mute Swan Common Blue Butterfly Pipistrelle bats Common Lizard Reed Bunting Common Toad Saltmarsh Snails Cowslip Skylark Dragonflies Song Thrush Elm Trees Spotted Flycatcher Great Crested Newt Tree Sparrow Harvest Mouse Wall Ferns Hedgehog Water Vole House Martin Yellow-wort Lichens Appendix A - Legislation Appendix B - Hull City Council Nature Conservation Strategy Appendix C - Glossary & Abbreviations used in text Appendix D - References Appendix E - Useful Contacts Hull Biodiversity Action Plan The Hull Biodiversity Action Plan has been prepared by the Hull Biodiversity Partnership . Bransholme Green Enterprise Project . Butterfly Conservation (Yorkshire) . City of Hull Environment Forum . East Yorkshire Bat Group . East Yorkshire Birdwatchers . English Nature . Environment Agency . Friends of the Earth (Hull) . Hull and East Riding Organic Gardeners Association . Hull City Services . Hull Natural History Society . Hull Valley Wildlife Group . Kingston Environment Group . Kingston upon Hull City Council . North and East Yorkshire Ecological Data Centre . Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (Hull) . University of Hull . Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Author Bethany Marshall Acknowledgements A wide range of organisations and individuals has taken part in the production of the Hull Biodiversity Action Plan. The Hull Biodiversity Partnership gratefully acknowledges the support and assistance given by all those involved. The Hull Biodiversity Partnership wishes to acknowledge the primary financial support of English Nature and Kingston upon Hull City Council. Donations from British Aerospace, Environment Agency, Friends of the Earth (Hull), Humbrol Ltd and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust have also assisted greatly with the production of this plan. Thanks to Terry Jennings, Roy Lyon, Jon Capel and Dick Middleton for photographs and transparencies. Additional photographs were kindly provided by Peter Wakely, Paul Glendell and Geoff Higginbotham from English Nature. Line drawings illustrations were also supplied by English Nature. Thank you to Rob Harrison for technical assistance and support with production of maps, and Grant Cairns for designing the Partnership logo. Thank you to all those who responded to the consultation with new information, corrections and suggestions. We would particulary like to thank Richard Broughton for extensive information on the birds of the Hull area. We would also like to acknowledge the advice and shared experience of our urban biodiversity network contacts throughout the UK. Cover Photographs Mute Swan, Butterfly, Common Toad (Terry Jennings) Bee Orchid, Cowslip (Peter Wakely, English Nature) Trees in East Park, Beverley and Barmston Drain (Jon Capel) Logo by Grant Cairns Printed by: Kingston upon Hull City Council Printing Services Telephone: (01482) 300300 Printed on 100% recycled paper Hull Biodiversity Action Plan Summary Hull Biodiversity Action Plan INTRODUCTION What is biodiversity? Biodiversity describes the amazing richness and variety of life around us. It includes all species of plant, animals and other life forms, which amount to something between 5 and 30 million species globally. Biodiversity also covers the genetic variation within species and variation between ecosystems and habitats in which these species live. The term biodiversity does not just cover rare or endangered species but includes the wildlife familiar to us all in the places where we live and work. Why do we need to conserve biodiversity? Biodiversity affects our lives in so many ways that we often take it for granted. Natural habitats such as forests, heaths and wetlands are the Earth’s life support system, cycling air, water and carbon, regulating climate and absorbing many of our poisons and wastes. Animals and plants provide our food and clothing, the houses we live in and the medicines we rely on. Wild animals and plants are beautiful and enrich our lives. Wild flowers in the hedgerow and birds in our gardens give us pleasure, and attractive green areas in towns and cities make them better places to live and work. However, we are losing our biodiversity at a frightening rate, and it is up to us all to do something about it. THE BIODIVERSITY FRAMEWORK The International Level In response to concerns about loss of biodiversity expressed at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, there has been much activity in ‘biodiversity planning’ across the globe. Over 150 governments, including the UK, signed a pledge (Convention on Biological Diversity) to take immediate action to halt the global loss of biodiversity. Many countries now have national Biodiversity Action Plans and are beginning the process of implementation. The National Level In the UK, Biodiversity: the UK Action Plan was produced in 1994 with an overall goal “to conserve and enhance biological diversity within the UK and contribute to the conservation of global biodiversity through all appropriate mechanisms”. The UK Biodiversity Steering Group was set up to prepare a detailed plan of action to achieve these objectives. There are now 45 national Habitat Action Plans and 391 Species Action Plans. The Hull Biodiversity Action Plan The UK Biodiversity Steering Group recommended the production of Local Action Plans, which should have two main objectives – to reflect and help implement the national priorities identified in the UK Action Plans, and to identify and address local priorities and local distinctiveness. The Hull Biodiversity Action Plan shows how we in our local area can conserve our own biodiversity and contribute to improving biodiversity on a global scale. It also attempts to link up with the biodiversity plans of the wider Humber sub-Region. As one of the partners, it is the intention of Kingston upon Hull City Council to adopt the Hull Biodiversity Action Plan as formal Planning Policy Guidance and it is hoped that other organisations will also adopt and commit to this plan. Local Agenda 21 Agenda 21 also originates in the Rio Earth Summit. It is a world-wide programme stimulating sustainable development. Sustainable development can be defined as “development that meets our needs today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs”. If this is to be achieved, Agenda 21 will rely primarily on local action (i.e. Local Agenda 21). A wide-ranging programme of action is needed by local authorities and local communities throughout the world to achieve a more sustainable 1 pattern of development in the 21st century. Biodiversity is one of the key strands identified in the Kingston upon Hull LA 21 Strategy. THE PRODUCTION OF THE HULL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN Natureplan ‘Natureplan’ was published in 1995 as the first Nature Conservation Strategy for Hull. It is a non- statutory planning document that sets out the City Council’s aims and intentions towards nature conservation, and identifies how the City Council will implement its duties to wildlife. Natureplan introduced Hull’s ‘Green Network’ (Map A). The built up areas of Hull are dissected by a strategic network of linear, semi-natural habitats including the River Hull, main drains and railway lines totalling over 70 kilometres in length. These features support a remarkable diversity of habitat types, plants and animals and form the basis of the Green Network. The Green Network links the strategic linear features with Sites of Nature Conservation Interest and key open spaces, forming a giant network. This has the potential to allow wildlife to move freely amongst urban green spaces and into and out of the City. The Green Network has been incorporated into ‘CityPlan’ (July 2000), the City’s land use development plan. Natureplan was reviewed in 1999 and a need for the production of a more comprehensive Plan for the habitats and species of Hull was identified. The Hull Biodiversity Action Plan aims to build on Natureplan and hopes to encourage some action towards improving the wildlife of our city. The Hull Biodiversity Partnership In 2000 a partnership of organisations and individuals was established, developed from the former Natureplan Partnership. Its aim was to develop a Biodiversity Action Plan for Hull. The Partnership has a very broad membership, ranging from large statutory organisations to small local interest groups. Over a period of two years the Partnership has worked to identify the important habitats in Hull and a range of species for which targeted action can be carried out. Wider Partnership The Action Plan has been produced after extensive consultation. Kingston upon Hull City Council (KuHCC) has facilitated its development, but the Action Plan should not be considered exclusive to any one organisation, nor can its full implementation be achieved by any one organisation. This document should therefore form the basis of activity for many different groups. The challenge