RYE HOUSE : BIODIVERSITY INFORMATION

Key facts: • Opened in 1993, acquired 2001 • Located near , , about 18 miles north of • 685MW capacity, Combined • CCGT is an efficient form of electricity Cycle station (CCGT) generation with fewer emissions per unit produced

Site Description Priority Habitats and Species: Built on a brownfield site, formerly partly Rye House Power Station is named as a key example of a naturally occupied by a -fired power station, Rye House regenerating urban habitat in the Hertfordshire Biodiversity Action sits within an area of light industry and commercial Plan (HBAP). warehousing. The HBAP document 'A 50-year Vision for the Wildlife and Natural The Station is located on the Habitats of Hertfordshire', recognizes the special conditions at edge of Lee Valley Regional Rye House caused by the banks of pulverised fuel ash (PFA). Park, a major centre for wildlife and A legacy of the coal-fired power station, the banks are a leisure that stretches from London to by-product of the coal combustion process and are important Hertfordshire. An exceptional area for flowering plants. One such plant is the Early Marsh Orchid, of for birdlife, with more than 200 the sub-species pulchella, which is described as ‘endangered’ species recorded, it lays claim on the Red Data List of Britain's flowers but grows in numbers at to being one of the most Rye House. important sites in the UK for To protect other members of the species, many orchids were Bittern – a UK Biodiversity transplanted to safe new areas during construction of the A Mistle Thrush pops Action Plan (UK BAP) priority station in the early 1990s. in for a flying visit species. In 2003, wildlife and habitats surveys were The station is also near to commissioned at Rye House to help in Rye Meads Nature the preparation of a site biodiversity Reserve, which is listed as a action plan (BAP). This plan is now Special Protection Area reviewed and updated in 5 yearly Early Marsh (SPA) and Site of Special cycles to manage biodiversity on Scientific Interest (SSSI) for its site. Orchid: wetland bird communities. The Early Marsh Orchid, Rye House sits in an area which is with its deep mauve flowers, While Rye House has limited exceptional for birdlife and the is sparsely distributed throughout landholdings – mostly areas of woodlands and hedgerows planted at the the British Isles and has declined markedly open ground and hardstanding – station now play host to several nesting priority- during the last century. efforts have been made to listed birds including Song Thrush, Dunnock, House encourage aspects of the area's Sparrow and Starling. The orchid's favoured damp meadow habitat has wetland environment. been heavily drained and improved for Other UK BAP priority-listed species include Water agriculture over much of Southeast . As part of the initial landscaping scheme, The pond in the wildlife Voles, which live in the reedy wetland areas, and native trees and hedgerows were planted. garden is flourishing and plays Great Crested Newts which have long been However, the mineral-rich ash banks found These have formed natural screening to home to a number of species, recorded on site. At a time when they are declining at at Rye House replicate that habitat mitigate against the visual impact of including Goldfish other sites in Hertfordshire, the newts appear to be and the orchid has flourished. the power station and to help minimise thriving at ponds near to the station but are not thought to potential noise disturbance. be using the pond on site for breeding. The Fairy Shrimp, a Species of Conservation Concern in the UK BAP, Contact: Rye House Power Station, Hoddesdon, Hertsfordshire EN11 ORF has also been sighted in the station pond. Tel: 01992 448 604 Web: www.scottishpower.com/pages/generation RYE HOUSE POWER STATION: BIODIVERSITY INFORMATION

Our Biodiversity Action Plan Rye House Power Station formalised its approach to helping wildlife and habitats on site with the launch in 2004 of a biodiversity action plan (BAP). Rye House's BAP seeks to entrench the existing Great Crested Newts: good practice shown at the station and contribute to the ongoing development of habitats. It also Rye House's nearby wetland areas host populations lists ongoing targets and timescales for measures to improve the site for its wildlife and is reviewed of several amphibians including the Common Frog, annually. Common Toad and types of newt. The station's potential impact on the environment was considered during its construction in the late Great Crested Newts – a UK BAP species – have 1990s, with the developers preparing a landscaping strategy, including the formation of a 3.6 been recorded on the station site and are known hectare ecological conservation area. This helped harmonise Rye House with surrounding features to be breeding in ponds formed on part of the and reduce potential process noise by natural screening with native trees – including Oak, Willow, old station’s site. It is hoped the newts may move and Poplar – and various shrubs. to the pond created in the wildlife garden, Over the past 10 years, these habitats have matured, providing a home for a wide range of animals. helping to increase their population. The wetlands are used by Common Frogs, Common Toads and newts while birds recorded in the woodlands have included Green Woodpecker. Interesting moth species have also been recorded – The Great Crested Newt is just one of several the spectacular Elephant, Lime and Privet Hawkmoths and the bright red Cinnabar. Floral diversity species of amphibian that call Rye House their home and invertebrate populations are also encouraged by leaving areas of amenity grasslands to grow naturally over summer moths and create little meadows. A 48m2 pond was created in 2005 as a key feature of a wildlife garden to encourage wetland flora and fauna. Its wet margins have been planted up with a range of native plants, including Reed Nesting Falcons: Mace, and Common Frogs were soon among the first species to be recorded. Kestrels have bred at Rye House in previous years. The pond is now teeming with aquatic life including Water Boatmen, Amber listed as a species of conservation various beetles and larvae, and also attracts many species of concern the UK Kestrel population has dragonfly and mayfly including the large Brown Hawker. reduced by almost a third between Station staff and contractors take a keen interest in the pond's 1994-2007. development and help its maintenance by clearing weed The Rye House pair nested and planting around the pond. high on one of the The station's BAP also includes five boxes for bats which station's three have been erected around the grounds to benefit chimneys and species like the Common Pipistrelle, while a nestbox successfully raised has also been created for Robins. Bird feeders and a three or four bird table have also been introduced. young birds. Mallards have raised a brood of ducklings at the The station has station. The young birds had to be rescued by discussed the station staff from the steep-sided water retention pit possibility of and were moved sucessfully to the wildlife pond, erecting a nesting while the retention pit has now had ‘duckling safe’ box for the birds with fencing installed. the Herts Raptor Study To promote biodiversity in the wider community, Rye Group who advised it may House has become a Gold Corporate Member of the even be used by Peregrine Hertfordshire and Middlesex Wildlife Trust, which seeks to Falcons Nesting Kestrels protect wildlife for future generations. The Wildlife Trust was recorded in the area. founded in 1964 and manages 45 nature reserves – including the nearby Rye Meads Nature Reserve, in partnership with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). Station staff also have access to material published by the Water lillies in the pond in Rye House’s wildlife garden Herts Moth Group and the Natural History Museum.