Natural Areas in the North West Region

helping to set the regional agenda for nature

Introduction

egional strategies and policy The conservation of nature is a key local and national priorities for nature documents are being drawn test of policy in all three facets of into the Regional decision-making R up by the newly-created sustainable development, the social, framework. It contains information of Regional organisations. These are the economic and the environmental. direct relevance to the development required to encompass the protection While its role in the environment is of Regional Planning Guidance and and management of the environment self evident, it also has social Single Programming Documents to by applying the principles of implications through the spiritual, support the delivery of European sustainable development. cultural and recreational value of Union Structural Funding, people’s experience of the natural regeneration funding and other This document has been produced world; and economic implications economic and social programmes. by English Nature, the Government through the provision of exploitable body that promotes the conservation resources and the attractiveness to The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries of wildlife and natural features investors of high quality and Food, the Environment Agency, throughout . It is for use by environments. the country forestry organisations, the Regional Development Agency, local authorities and statutory and the Government Regional Office If we are serious about achieving other agencies involved in land use and the Regional Chambers, when sustainable development, then and land management issues will also making Regional policy. We hope understanding the priorities for the find it relevant and, we hope, of value. that it will provide a starting point conservation of the biodiversity and for discussion with our network of Earth heritage resource of the Region We envisage that this document can Regional Lead Teams, who can is therefore essential. This report is a therefore be used at a number of key provide valuable support, and links first step towards that understanding, points within the Regional strategy- into wider partnerships. and provides the basis for integrating making and planning process.

Lake District fells. J. Riggall/English Nature

North West Region Introduction 3 Natural Areas as a Regional framework for nature English Nature has divided England into a series of Natural Areas. Their boundaries are based on the distribution of wildlife and natural features and the land use patterns and human history of each area. They do not follow administrative boundaries but relate instead to variations in the character of the landscape. They reflect our cultural heritage and are central to English Nature’s organisational strategy Beyond 2000.

We worked with the Countryside Commission (soon to become the Countryside Agency) to identify a joint approach to the characterisation of the countryside into locally distinctive units called character areas. Where the wildlife and natural features are similar between adjacent character areas we have merged them into one Natural Area - so, a Natural Area may contain several character areas that are considered to be different landscape types.

Natural Areas offer a more effective framework for the planning and achievement of nature conservation objectives than do administrative boundaries. Although they are not formal Wildlife fun day. George Barker/English Nature designations they are now recognised in Government Planning Policy Guidance Relevant Government Planning Policy Guidance (PPG) (PPG) and other statutory advice.

PPG 7: The Countryside: environmental quality and economic and Within this framework, we have, with social development our key partners in the Region, PPG 9: Nature Conservation identified the chief threats to, and PPG 11: Regional Planning Guidance opportunities for, nature conservation. PPG 12: Development Plans and Regional Planning Guidance Together, we have defined a range of (presently under review) issues, and set associated objectives PPG 13: Transport that we believe provide a starting point for Regional action to protect and Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions Policy Guidance: Policy manage our biodiversity and geological appraisal and the environment (DETR, 1998). assets. These objectives are set out in the sections which follow.

North West Region Introduction 4 Objectives for sustainable Regional boundary development and 2 Border nature conservation in Uplands the North West Region 120 Solway 3 Solway Firth Basin 4North 9 Eden The North West is a region of Valley 11 West dramatic, and often sharp, contrasts Coastal Plain 10 Cumbria and is associated with a strong sense Fells and Dales of identity and community. Dense 119 Cumbrian Coast 12 Forest of populations can be found in and Bowland around the major conurbations, particularly in the south of the 118 13 Plain Bay Region. These are traditionally and Valleys linked to the coal, engineering, wool 117 Liverpool and cotton industries, whilst coastal Bay 14 Southern Pennines resorts such as Blackpool have an international reputation as tourist 26 Urban Mersey destinations. Basin

Agriculture is the dominant land use 27 Meres and throughout the North West and Mosses underpins the rural economy. The diverse landscapes, from the big skies Natural Areas covered in the North West Region report of the arable farming which dominates the southern lowlands to rock, soil and climate have set the Sustainable development requires the open, sandy northern coasts and scene, but the detail has been, and integration, rather than balance or rough grasslands of the uplands, will continue to be, shaped through trade off. Decision makers need to support a characteristic combination human activity which is driven by build environmental and social of wildlife and geological heritage. economic, social, and environmental criteria into the heart of their policies The Region includes a number of forces. and programmes - and ensure that dramatic landscapes, such as the they are given the same weight as Lake District and the Forest of Our ability to exploit the economic considerations at the Bowland, that have a distinct natural environment for economic gain is beginning of the process. This is character and an outstanding beginning to jeopardise our present what is meant by integration, and diversity of habitats and species that and future well-being. Since our contrasts with the more familiar are very rare, and of very high decisions can have far-reaching situation, where proposals are drawn quality, of which the Region can be effects on present and future up against economic criteria alone justifiably proud. The natural beauty generations, we need to look at how and are only weighed against their of the Region, in particular the Lake we can act to maintain and improve environmental impact when they are District National Park, provides the both our local and global about to be implemented. mainstay of a significant rural environments. There is no doubt tourism industry. that work at the Regional level can The basic means for many of the be a powerful force in steering local Regional level structures and The distribution of wildlife and the agendas for environmental action, organisations to act will be through texture of the landscape are the whilst providing strong links to the planning process for built product of complex interactions. national and international development and infrastructure. The basic physical qualities of the programmes. Planners have a key role in

North West Region Introduction 5 incorporating economic, with nature. They are also important natural habitats that remain are often environmental and social factors into reservoirs of biodiversity. small and isolated and are adversely decisions about where to put homes, affected by agricultural practices and jobs, shops and leisure facilities. In Another essential role will be played pressure from development, including this way, demands on land, the by those charged with the design and the use of pesticides and fertilisers, environment and nature can be implementation of policy and run-off of pollutants from industrial managed more sustainably. Regional programmes for forestry, agriculture, and housing estates, and the lowering Planning Guidance will be written to water and recreation. Farming is the of water tables through drainage and help with this process. North West Region’s major land use. abstraction. Similar pressures of The habitats described in the agricultural intensification, notably Current government policy following chapters are predominantly overgrazing, inappropriate burning encourages investment in urban areas part of agricultural management regimes and a move from traditional and existing centres rather than out of systems. Farmland therefore grassland management, apply to the town sites. This means re-using provides a major source of wildlife of the uplands. previously developed urban land as opportunity for habitat creation much as possible, while ensuring that and maintenance, and species The populations of birds, mammals the quality of towns or cities is protection and enhancement. and plants which rely on the maintained or improved. The Its importance is reflected in the agricultural systems themselves have challenge will be to determine which issues and objectives that are also plummeted. Major priorities patterns and locations of development listed at the start of each section. therefore include: the sensitive prove most sustainable. management of existing habitats; an The intensification of agriculture, and increase the area of existing habitat Conserving and enhancing nature can associated decline in traditional land and the re-establishment of the links be compatible with development and, management, combined with the between them; and the restoration whilst the built environment has fewer huge growth the major towns and of conditions in which the wildlife of designated sites, Local Nature cities, has resulted in the reclamation cereal fields and pasture can also Reserves, pocket parks, green space and loss of much of the lowland semi- thrive. and even private gardens, are the only natural habitat of value to wildlife in Dee Estuary, Merseyside. contact the majority of people have the North West Region. The semi- Peter Wakely/English Nature

North West Region Introduction 6 Glossary How the contents of the report may be applied BAP: Biodiversity Action Plans for habitats and species.

Specific Relevant Biodiversity: Simply means the variety of life on application contents earth. It covers everything from human beings to oak trees, bacteria to blue whales. Many Regions have Sustainable We have sought to set biodiversity already produced or are working on Biodiversity development and Earth heritage in the context Audits and Action Plans which begin to catalogue and of sustainable development - and summarise their wealth of wildlife. This document to define the latter as a process of complements these and other initiatives, including integration. work on Local Agenda 21 and Local Biodiversity Action Plans, and existing Nature Conservation Strategies. Providing Descriptive text which outlines the context natural character of the Region. Earth heritage: We have a rich and diverse heritage of rocks, fossils, minerals and land forms. The Identifying Specific issues and objectives protection and management of these features is an issues and written for direct inclusion in integral part of nature conservation. objectives policy documents and/or distillation into policy to protect European Union Habitats and Birds Directives and enhance nature. requires the Government to designate and protect some of the most important areas for wildlife. They are or will be classified as Special Protection Areas Links to Key Natural Areas are named in (SPAs) and/or Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). international each section in order to ensure These sites are also Sites of Special Scientific Interest site designations that national priorities for habitat (SSSIs) but meet specific criteria for international and biodiversity conservation are taken into importance. In the case of marine SACs the SSSI account. They are identified as designation only applies down to the low water mark. supporting nationally important concentrations of a habitat or Habitat: is the natural home of any plant, and where Earth heritage feature and/or animals feed, breed and rest. international sites (Special Protection Areas and Special Areas Statutory guidance from the Secretary of State of Conservation) and biodiversity to the Regional Development Agencies (RDA) habitats and species. includes: Sustainable Development; Rural Policy; Regional Economic Strategies. White Papers Benchmarks A checklist is provided (Annex 1) include: Building Partnerships for Prosperity; The for nature to make an assessment of the Sustainable Development Strategy; contribution of policies, projects Rural White Paper; Urban White Paper. and programmes to the delivery of sustainability in relation to nature. Sustainable development: was defined by the 1987 World Commission Report on Environment and Development as “development which meets the needs Key contact The English Nature contact of the present without compromising the ability of points addresses are provided for the future generations to meet their needs”. It is often Region, including the Regional described as a ‘three legged stool’ whose legs comprise Lead Team, together with a list of environmental, economic and social. If any one of sources of information (Annex 2). them is missing as a consideration in decisions, the stool will topple.

North West Region Introduction 7 Earth heritage

he north of the Region is Head. Further south, the coast is Key issues and dominated by the Lake dominated by the large embayment T District mountains of the of Morecambe Bay, which is flanked objectives Cumbria Fells and Dales, where the by Carboniferous limestone hills and dome-like structure of layers of lower coastal promontories. Palaeozoic (Ordovician and Silurian) Issue: maintenance of existing rocks is surrounded by younger In the far north of the Region the resource Carboniferous limestones. High, Solway Basin is formed of soft red craggy mountains of Borrowdale sandstones and clays, although ● Maintain existing Earth volcanic rocks form the centre of the extensive glacial deposits of clays, heritage sites of importance Lake District with smoother profiled sands and peats obscure much of the by: hills to the north and south. To the bedrock. The coastline here is ◗ agreeing the conservation east, the Eden Valley comprises mostly low-lying, dominated by the of exposures on all sites of sandstone which give rise to its extensive sandbanks and marshes of importance; rolling topography. To the west, the the Solway Firth. ◗ clearing scrub from West Cumbria Coastal Plain is also exposures that have become underlain by sandstone, which gives Further inland, the Border Uplands obscured; rise to the only notable sea cliffs on has a diverse geology. The north is ◗ avoiding development or the Cumbrian Coast, at St Bees formed of Devonian lava flows engineering projects that interfere with natural processes in rivers and the coastal zone.

Issue: recreation and education

● For vulnerable cave systems, support local caving groups in producing cave conservation plans. ● Promote responsible fossil and mineral collecting at vulnerable sites. ● Promote local Earth heritage by: ◗ strengthening links between geology, mining heritage and industrial archaeology; ◗ encouraging the use of Regionally Important Geological Sites for education and interpretation.

St Bees Head, Cumbria. Peter Wakely/English Nature

North West Region Earth heritage 8 overlain by Carboniferous sandstone, siltstone, limestones and Dolomites, Main Earth heritage features 2 while the south is limestone with of key Natural Areas igneous intrusions. The North 4 Pennines comprise Carboniferous 2. Border Uplands limestone (which has extensive 10 ● Carboniferous stratigraphy underground cave systems), grits and ● Exposures of the Whin Sill shale, and coal seams with igneous and other igneous rocks intrusions. In both Natural Areas, 13 ● Mineralisation of the mineralisation created veins of lead Carboniferous rocks and zinc in the limestone, which 27 traditionally were an important 4. economic resource, providing these ● Exposures of Carboniferous areas with rich mining heritage. 10. Cumbria Fells and Dales rocks ● ● Upland exposures of In the south of the Region the Forest Mineral veins in Carboniferous limestone and deformed and fossiliferous of Bowland, Southern Pennines and links with mining heritage lower Palaeozoic sequences Lancashire Plain and Valleys are ● The Whin Sill and its ● Exposures of igneous rocks dominated by Carboniferous landscape value such as Borrowdale Volcanics limestone, sandstone, grits and shales, ● Extensive underground cave group with some coal seams. From systems developed in ● Glacial erosion and Morecambe Bay to the Ribble Estuary limestones depositional landforms and the coastal plain is undulating and scenery formed of drumlins. Further south ● Cave and karst features Liverpool Bay comprises Triassic integral part of this landscape. including limestone pavement sandstones and mudstone, with the Further east, Carboniferous rocks estuaries of the Dee and the Mersey form the Lancashire Coalfield while in 13. Lancashire Plain and forming prominent features. The the south, the Meres and Mosses are Valleys low-lying Urban Mersey Basin is also located on the Cheshire Plain of ● Exposures of Carboniferous formed of Triassic sandstones with Triassic sandstones, silts and muds, rocks and their stratigraphical siltstone, overlain by glacial clays, with a cover of clays, sands and relationship sands and gravels. Quaternary gravels. This area has extensive salt ● Sites of international deposits, that is to say peat, are an deposits. importance for Carboniferous palaeontology ● Important fossil localities in Carboniferous limestone reef knolls ● Glacial deposits and glacial landforms

27. Meres and Mosses ● Triassic stratigraphy, palaeoenvironments and palaeontology (early reptiles) ● Pleistocene stratigraphy and palaeoenvironments ● Triassic mineralisation ● Present day fluvial geomorphology Shap Pink Quarry, Cumbria. Peter Wakely/English Nature

North West Region Earth heritage 9 Freshwater

Key issues and objectives

Issue: water quality ● Maintain or restore water quality by: ◗ improving sewage treatment where necessary; ◗ preventing contamination from mine water; ◗ safeguarding standing waters and rivers from agricultural and urban run- off.

Rostherne Mere, Cheshire. Chris Walker/English Nature

Issue: water orth West Region has a Several of the canals that cross the management/engineering great diversity of freshwater Region, for example the Lancaster ● When planning and N habitats. In the Cumbria Canal, Leeds to Liverpool Canal undertaking abstraction and Fells and Dales the Derwent-Cocker and the Montgomery Canal, support engineering work, avoid river system is an outstanding important communities of plants damaging sites of wildlife example of an upland river, whilst the and invertebrates. The clay lining of interest. River Eden is a fine example of a the canals provides more calcareous large limestone and sandstone river, conditions in comparison to many of with one of the greatest diversities of the more acidic rivers of the area, Issue: lack of or inappropriate aquatic plants of all rivers in England. and result in plant communities management These include several species of more akin to those in lowland chalk ● Manage waterside habitats water-crowfoot and pondweed, which rivers. Rarities include hairlike appropriately by: cover extensive areas in places, and pondweed, long-stalked pondweed, ◗ re-establishing and uncommon species such as opposite- whorled water-milfoil and floating- increasing the extent of leaved pondweed and perfoliate leaved water plantain. natural waterside habitats; pondweed. ◗ reducing overgrazing of The North West Region has an waterside margins; The rivers of the Region support outstanding abundance and diversity ◗ countering the effects of strong populations of a number of of natural lakes. Major lakes drainage and over- animal species of special interest, dominate the landscape of the shadowing by conifer notably the freshwater pearl mussel Cumbria Fells and Dales and these plantations in upland areas. and the white-clawed crayfish. There range in nutrient status from those are good populations of fish such as poor in minerals (oligotrophic), such Issue: recreation lampreys and salmon, and otters are as Wast Water, to those moderately ● Avoid detrimental impacts on also present. All of the above are nutrient-rich (mesotrophic), such as habitats and species by BAP species, and stretches of some Esthwaite Water and Bassenthwaite managing the recreational rivers are candidate Special Areas of Lake. There are also two of the very use of tarns, lakes and canals Conservation (SACs) for these few examples in England of lime- appropriately. species. Many of the fast-flowing rich marl lakes, Hawes Water (near rivers of the upland areas are valuable Morecambe Bay) and Sunbiggin habitats for birds such as dippers, grey Tarn. This habitat type is rare in wagtails and common sandpipers. Britain. The Meres and Mosses also

North West Region Freshwater 10 has many lakes, some of which Lancashire Plain and Valleys, Urban cover extensive areas, and in Mersey Basin and in parts of Meres 2 contrast to those in Cumbria Fells and Mosses. and Dales, most are eutrophic (rich in nutrients). However, there are The lakes, tarns and ponds support 9 also a small number of nutrient-poor a wealth of plant and animal species, 10 lakes and some dystrophic (nutrient- including some that are rare or poor and acidic) pools associated found nowhere else in England. with peat bogs. Together with their The flora varies from lake to lake associated mosses, many of these but can include scarce species such meres are designated as a ‘Ramsar’ as elongated sedge, six-stamened 27 site for they form an internationally waterwort, spring quillwort and important wetland habitat. pillwort. The fauna is rich and includes a large number of rare Characteristic habitats of In addition to the large natural lakes, aquatic snails and beetles; some sites key Natural Areas there are a number of large water support the rare medicinal leech; the storage reservoirs in the North lesser silver water beetle is found in 2. Border Uplands Pennines and the Southern the Meres and Mosses; and great- ● Fast-flowing upland rivers and Pennines, some of which are crested newts are found throughout streams significant habitats for waterfowl. the Region. All of these are BAP ● Some large reservoirs species. Some of the lakes of ● Small number of naturally- Small ponds and tarns are numerous Cumbria Fells and Dales are also occurring mesotrophic lakes throughout the Region, occurring in notable for their fish populations. ● Numerous small lakes and both the uplands and lowlands. The two native populations of ponds Many ponds are former marl, clay vendace are in Bassenthwaite Lake 9. Eden Valley and gravel pits, while others are and in Derwent Water, while a few ● close to mills where they were other lakes support the only Major limestone and sandstone river system (River Eden) created as industrial reservoirs, populations of schelly (powan) in ● Small number of lakes, ponds especially those within the England. and tarns

10. Cumbria Fells and Dales Candidate Special Areas of Conservation ● Fast-flowing rivers, e.g. the Eden, Derwent and Cocker ● Asby Complex (Cumbria Fells and Dales) ● Canal habitats, e.g. Lancaster ● Clints Quarry (Cumbria Fells and Dales) Canal ● Morecambe Bay Pavements (Cumbria Fells and Dales) ● Numerous large lakes including some lime-rich marl lakes, ● Moor House - Upper Teesdale (North Pennines) mesotrophic lakes and eutrophic ● Oak Mere (Meres and Mosses) standing waters ● River Derwent and Bassenthwaite Lake (Cumbria Fells and Dales; ● Many small tarns and ponds West Cumbria Coastal Plain) 27. Meres and Mosses ● River Eden (Solway Basin; Eden Valley; Cumbria Fells and Dales) ● Canals ● River Ehen (Cumbria Fells and Dales; West Cumbria Coastal Plain) ● Numerous lakes, mostly ● Wast Water (Cumbria Fells and Dales) eutrophic standing waters but ● Mosses (Meres and Mosses) including oligotrophic and dystrophic examples ● Very large number of ponds, Special Protection Areas mostly former marl pits ● Martin Mere (Lancashire Plain and Valleys) NB Priority BAP habitats in italics

North West Region Freshwater 11 Inland rock

he Cumbria Fells and Screes occur predominantly in the Key issues and Dales supports around half north of England and these habitats T of all limestone pavement are important for their rich fern flora objectives in Britain. This is a rare and and a number of rare plants. The specialised habitat of international Cumbria Fells and Dales has large importance for plants and animals. areas of scree formed of the acidic Issue: rock removal The large limestone pavement at Borrowdale volcanic rocks, which Orton Fells is at relatively high have extensive development of ● Prevent any rock removal or altitude and has a well-developed parsley fern. There are also smaller damage on limestone ‘open’ flora typical of upland areas of base-rich scree. The North pavements. pavements and sheep-grazed Pennines also has screes formed of ● Where fragile plant and pastures. Plants include the rigid acidic shale and gritstone rocks with animal communities exist, buckler-fern, which is restricted to a characteristic flora, and more avoid the removal of stone limestone pavement habitats, and extensive screes of limestone that are and scree for footpaths and the uncommon green spleenwort, richer in plants including scarce walls. which has its main English species such as the rigid buckler-fern stronghold in the North West and limestone fern. Region. In contrast, the limestone Issue: recreation pavements around Morecambe Bay Rocky areas with vegetation within range from low to moderate crevices, cracks and fissures ● Protect rock surfaces, rock altitudes, and are largely wooded. (‘chasmophytic’ vegetation) also habitats, their vegetation, and These pavements support ferns such occur over large areas of the nesting birds where they as limestone fern and are rich in Cumbria Fells and Dales. For occur, by: flowering plants including the rare example, at Helvellyn and Fairfield ◗ avoiding disturbance from dark-red helleborine. Owing to their such vegetation occurs at high rock climbing; international importance, large areas altitude on acidic and base-rich ◗ considering the impact on of the limestone pavements within rocks and has a diverse flora inland rock habitats, the Cumbria Fells and Dales are including alpine lady’s mantle, especially scree, when candidate Special Areas of purple saxifrage, mountain avens designing and routing Conservation (SAC). and roseroot. Wasdale also has footpaths and new tracks.

Issue: grazing

● Where overgrazing is causing erosion, or loss of rock/ledge plant communities, reduce stocking levels. ● Where undergrazing or overgrazing is a problem on limestone pavements, maintain appropriate grazing levels.

Wasdale Screes, Cumbria. Peter Wakely/English Nature

North West Region Inland rock 12 4 10

Characteristic habitats of key Natural Areas

Green spleenwort on limestone pavement, Cumbria. Allan Drewitt/English Nature 4. North Pennines ● Basic (limestone) scree extensive areas of this habitat but, as important nesting places for scarce ● Acidic scree it is at lower altitude, the flora has birds such as peregrine, golden eagle ● Rock ledge and crevice both northern species such as forked and ring ouzel. vegetation on Pennine spleenwort and species more typical escarpment and hill summits of lowland areas such as wood Disused quarries, open cast mines (on limestone) bitter-vetch. Wasdale also has and associated spoil heaps provide ● Limestone pavement at similar habitats on the calcareous additional rock and rock-spoil Musgrave Scar and Middle rocks in the gullies, which support a habitats. The spoil heaps from Fell richer, lime-loving crevice flora. mining mineral deposits are often ● Heavy metal-rich spoil heaps Elsewhere in the Region rock crevice rich in heavy metals and support an and river alluvium supporting vegetation occurs within the North uncommon and specialised flora a specialised flora Pennines on the limestone which can tolerate such soils. A escarpment and hill summits, where number of these heavy metal (or 10. Cumbria Fells and Dales they are characterised by bryophytes ‘calaminarian’) grasslands occur ● and vascular plants including green within the Region, mostly within Extensive limestone pavements spleenwort and brittle bladder-fern. Border Uplands and North around Morecambe Bay and Such upland rocky crags are Pennines. Orton Fells ● Extensive areas of scree at Helvellyn and Fairfield ● Rock ledge and crevice Candidate Special Areas of Conservation vegetation at both high and ● Asby Complex (Cumbria Fells and Dales) low altitude ● Helvellyn and Fairfield (Cumbria Fells and Dales) ● Morecambe Bay Pavements (Cumbria Fells and Dales) ● Moor House - Upper Teesdale (North Pennines) ● Wasdale Screes (Cumbria Fells and Dales)

Special Protection Areas None NB Priority BAP habitats in italics

North West Region Inland rock 13 Bog, fen and swamp

alkaline fens and the acidic bogs. At Abbots Moss, Wybunbury Moss Key issues and and Clarepool Moss in the Meres objectives and Mosses there are unusual forms of this ‘transition’ mire, where floating rafts of Sphagnum- Issue: water quantity and quality dominated vegetation have developed. These fine examples of ● Maintain hydrological transition mires and quaking bogs of integrity of wetlands by: the West Midlands Mosses are a ◗ avoiding policy and planning candidate SAC. decisions that interfere with hydrology; The blanket bogs and lowland raised ◗ restoring water levels of bogs support a number of damaged bogs to conditions uncommon plants, such as bog- that allow peat development. rosemary whose main distribution in ● Eliminate harmful England is in the North West. agricultural run-off or other Wybunbury Moss, Cheshire. These bogs are also rich in sources of nutrient John Mason/English Nature bryophytes, which include the Red enrichment. he North West Region has List moss Dicranum affine, and the ● Re-create reedbed and the largest concentration of scarce bog-moss Sphagnum swamp by increasing water lowland raised bogs in pulchrum. A wide variety of levels. T England, with extensive areas within invertebrates are associated with the Solway Basin, Cumbria Fells and bogs, particularly beetles, flies, Dales, Lancashire Plain and Valleys, moths. These include the grey Issue: inappropriate management Urban Mersey Basin and Meres and scalloped bar moth, the large heath Mosses. Most raised bogs have been butterfly (both BAP species), and ● Manage existing bog, fen and modified to some extent by peat dragonflies such as the white-faced swamp by: cutting, drainage or burning, but darter dragonfly, which in England is ◗ modifying stocking levels large areas remain that are actively restricted to bogs in this Region. where overgrazing or growing and are of a very high The lowland raised bogs of the undergrazing of bogs, fen and quality. The best examples, namely Solway Basin are breeding grounds swamps is occurring; the Solway Mosses, Duddon for curlew and , while the ◗ avoiding burning on ‘active’ Mosses, Roudsea Woods and extensive areas of blanket bog in the (i.e. still peat-forming) bogs; Mosses, and Fenn’s, Whixall, North Pennines, Forest of Bowland, ◗ promoting and developing Bettisfield, Wem and Cadney Southern Pennines and, to a lesser appropriate agri-environment Mosses are candidate Special Areas extent, the Cumbria Fells and Dales, schemes. of Conservation (SACs) for their are of great importance for breeding active raised bog vegetation. waders such as golden plover, lapwing, curlew and redshank. Bogs Issue: inappropriate development Extensive areas of blanket bog cloak that occur in close association with the Border Uplands, North heathland are also important for ● Discourage development of Pennines, Cumbria Fells and Dales, raptors including hen harrier, merlin windfarms in sensitive upland Forest of Bowland and Southern and peregrine. habitats. Pennines. Both the Border Mires, ● Discourage forestry on areas Kielder - Butterburn and Moor In the North West Region fens occur of peatland and fen. House and Upper Teesdale are in shallow valleys or in association candidate SACs for blanket bog. with other bog vegetation, for Elsewhere in example in areas that are flushed by there are areas of mire vegetation water, or on the margins of mosses that is transitional between the where nutrient levels are higher.

North West Region Bog, fen and swamp 14 There is a particular concentration of fen meadows within the Meres Characteristic habitats of and Mosses, North Pennines and key Natural Areas 2 Cumbria Fells and Dales. 3 2. Border Uplands 4 10 Springs and flushes are a widespread ● Extensive areas of blanket bog, habitat in the uplands of the Region. some areas of lowland raised bog The North Pennines is one of the ● Wide range of bog vegetation 12 few areas in northern England that communities 14 has an extensive series of hard-water ● Some areas of purple moor grass 26 springs that deposit calcium and rush pastures carbonate or ‘tufa’. This network of ● Base-rich springs and flushes 27 springs is a candidate SAC. 3. Solway Basin Important examples of base-rich ● Fen vegetation in basins, in springs and flushes also occur in the ● Largest concentration in England valleys, around lakes and Cumbria Fells and Dales and Border of relatively intact lowland raised riversides Uplands. The Red List liverwort bogs ● Largest reedbed in North West Leiocolea rutheana and the globally ● Numerous small basin fens England at Leighton Moss threatened slender green feather- ● Base-rich and base-poor springs 4. North Pennines moss both occur in springs and and flushes flushes in the Region. ● Extensive areas of blanket bog in uplands 12. Forest of Bowland Swamp and reedbed habitats are ● Wide range of bog vegetation ● Extensive areas of blanket bog in found throughout the Region either communities Bowland Fells along the edges of rivers, lakes or ● Acidic and basic springs and ● Small areas of lowland raised bog flushes common in the uplands mires, or close to the coast. Swamps ● Occasional fen meadows ● Limited areas of fen vegetation and reedbeds can cover small areas ● Purple moorgrass and rush pastures ● Some areas of purple moor grass or form large stands, for example at on upland fringes Leighton Moss within the Cumbria and rush pastures Fells and Dales, which is the most 10. Cumbria Fells and Dales 14. Southern Pennines extensive reedbed in the Region. ● Extensive areas of blanket bog The reedbeds support rare breeding ● Blanket bog on level or gently ● Frequent springs and flushes birds including bearded tit, marsh sloping ground ● Small areas of fen along river harrier and bittern. The bittern is a ● Numerous lowland raised bogs valleys priority BAP species.

26. Urban Mersey Basin

Candidate Special Areas of Conservation ● Large areas of lowland raised bogs ● Asby Complex (Cumbria Fells and Dales) ● Small areas of fen vegetation ● Border Mires, Kielder - Butterburn (Border Uplands) ● Some reedbeds ● Duddon Mosses (Cumbria Fells and Dales) ● Fenn’s, Whixall, Bettisfield, Wem and Cadney Mosses (Meres and 27. Meres and Mosses Mosses) ● Moor House - Upper Teesdale (North Pennines) ● Lowland raised bogs ● Roudsea Woods and Mosses (Cumbria Fells and Dales) ● Fine examples of transition ● Solway Mosses (Solway Basin) mires and quaking bogs ● West Midlands Mosses (Meres and Mosses) ● Numerous small areas of fen vegetation Special Protection Areas ● Leighton Moss (Cumbria Fells and Dales) ● Moor House - Upper Teesdale (North Pennines) NB Priority BAP habitats in italics

North West Region Bog, fen and swamp 15 Woodland

here are numerous ancient Woods and Mosses and on the Key issues and woods in the North West Morecambe Bay limestone pavement T Region, some of which within the Cumbria Fells and Dales. objectives cover large areas. The most Stands of juniper also occur on the significant and extensive areas of Morecambe Bay limestones and in ancient upland oak woods are in the the Lake District hills. Some of these Issue: development Lake District within the Cumbria sites are candidate Special Areas of ● When planning development, avoid the loss Fells and Dales, with other large areas Conservation (SACs) for yew and of ancient and semi-natural in the North Pennines and the Forest juniper woodland. Small populations woodland. of Bowland. Many of these ancient of the dormouse, a priority BAP oak woods are of importance for their species, occur in some of the ash Issue: loss of habitat luxuriant growths of ferns, and for woods in the Region, here at the ● Create new broadleaved their rich communities of Atlantic northern limit of its range. woodland: mosses and liverworts owing to the ◗ around existing blocks of high rainfall and humidity, and low Small areas of wet woodland woodland; levels of airborne pollutants. These (predominantly alder) occur along ◗ where this will link woodlands are an important habitat riversides and lakesides across the fragments, e.g along river for birds such as redstarts, pied Region, and there are small areas of corridors. flycatchers and wood warblers. alder, willow or birch woodland on ● Re-create hedgerows, the remnant peatlands of the Solway especially where this will link Upland mixed ash woodland is Basin and Meres and Mosses. fragments. extensive on the limestones around Elsewhere in the Region ancient Morecambe Bay in the Cumbria Fells woods are limited in distribution and Issue: management and Dales, and in the river valleys of extent, and occur mainly in the valleys ● Encourage agricultural the North Pennines and the Forest of and on fell sides, for example in policies and practice that Bowland. These woods support a North Pennines, Eden Valley, Forest reduce grazing: ◗ to allow natural rich ground flora. Yew occurs in of Bowland and Urban Mersey Basin. regeneration in upland mixed ash woodland and forms dense woods; groves in places. Of particular note Large, regular blocks of coniferous ◗ to allow the spread of are the stands of yew within Roudsea plantation woodland are present woodlands onto adjacent land. ● To stimulate management of existing woods, encourage the use of local woodland products.

Issue: conversion to plantation ● Improve the conservation value of plantations, with consideration for important species (e.g red squirrel) by: ◗ restructuring upland plantations through design plans; ◗ restoring native broadleaved trees in woodland replanted with conifers.

Roeburndale Woods, Lancashire. Peter Wakely/English Nature

North West Region Woodland 16 2

4 10

Characteristic habitats of key Natural Areas

Juniper near Mosedale, Cumbria. Peter Wakely/English Nature 2. Border Uplands throughout the Region, with plants include creeping lady’s- ● Extensive conifer plantations significant areas in Border Uplands tresses, which occurs predominantly ● Few broadleaved woods, and at localities in the Cumbria Fells in the north of England, and downy mostly upland oak woodland and and Dales, Eden Valley and Forest currant, here at its southern limit in upland mixed ash woodland of Bowland. Some of the large Britain. The woods are very rich in along river valleys ● Wet woodland along riversides coniferous and mixed plantations invertebrates with records of many hold populations of birds such as uncommon butterflies, moths, 4. North Pennines goshawks and crossbills, and the beetles and flies. These include the woods in the north of the Region netted carpet moth, which in ● Mostly plantation woodland and on the Sefton Coast (Liverpool England is confined to the Lake ● Some small, natural woods of Bay) are of particular importance for District; the high brown fritillary upland oak woodland and upland mixed ash woodland along river the red squirrel, a priority BAP butterfly; the square-spotted clay valleys species. Throughout England the moth; and the northern wood ant, ● Wet woodland of alder along red squirrel has been largely all of which are BAP species. riversides replaced by the introduced grey squirrel, which is still actively As fields in the upland areas are 10. Cumbria Fells and Dales colonising the Region from the north enclosed mostly by dry stone walls or ● Extensive upland mixed ash and south. fences, hedgerows feature only on the woodland and lowland mixed lower slopes of the hills and in the broadleaf woodland There are a large number of rare or valleys. These hedgerows vary greatly ● Large areas of upland oak scarce species associated with in condition and extent across the woodland, rich in ferns, mosses, woodland in the Region. Scarce Region, but are largely fragmented. liverworts and lichens ● Yew woodland in Morecambe Bay limestone woods Candidate Special Areas of Conservation ● Juniper scrub on Morecambe ● Borrowdale Woodland Complex (Cumbria Fells and Dales) Bay limestones and Lake District fells ● Morecambe Bay Pavements (Cumbria Fells and Dales) ● Wet woodland along lakesides, ● Roudsea Woods and Mosses (Cumbria Fells and Dales) riversides and on edges of mosses ● Conifer plantations Special Protection Areas None NB Priority BAP habitats in italics

North West Region Woodland 17 Lowland grassland and heath

ne of the most significant fritillary, which has one of its Key issues and areas of lowland grassland strongholds within the limestone O in the North West Region grasslands and scrub around objectives is in the Cumbria Fells and Dales, Morecambe Bay. Both of these where the limestone outcrops around butterflies are BAP species. Morecambe Bay support many Issue: opportunities for habitat species-rich calcareous grasslands. Elsewhere in the Region there are creation The vegetation here is dominated by few extensive areas of high-quality ● Create or restore grassland a plant community type that is found lowland calcareous grasslands, and heaths on farmland and only in northern England. although there are enclosed in disused quarries, Characterised by blue moor-grass, calcareous grasslands associated with particularly where this links this species-rich vegetation the Whin Sill in the Border Uplands, fragments. community includes rare and scarce on limestone outcrops around the ● Create wet grasslands by plants such as spring cinquefoil and north and north west of the Lake restoring appropriate hoary rock-rose. This grassland type District, on the limestone knolls in flooding regimes on is of international importance and Lancashire Plain and Valleys and on floodplains. the best areas are a candidate Special the fringe of the Forest of Bowland. Area of Conservation (SAC). These lowland calcareous grasslands Unimproved, species-rich neutral Issue: lack of appropriate support a great diversity of butterflies lowland hay meadows are rare in the management including the northern brown argus, Region. These neutral grasslands are ● Promote appropriate which is restricted to northern highly fragmented and remaining management through: England, and the high brown examples are often very small and ◗ extensive, low-intensity isolated, but notable examples are grazing on grasslands and present within the Meres and heaths; Mosses. Unimproved neutral ◗ controlled burning on pastures are also uncommon, heaths; occurring only as small areas along ◗ scrub control on grasslands. riversides or on steep banks. Examples are present within the Lancashire Plain and Valleys, and on Issue: pressure for agricultural the lowland fringes of the Forest of intensification Bowland and the Southern Pennines. ● Avoid further agricultural Pastures dominated by purple moor- intensification by: grass are also rare in the Region and ◗ encouraging traditional, examples in Cumbria Fells and low-intensity agriculture; Dales, Solway Basin and Eden Valley ◗ promoting agri- are of great importance. Some of environment schemes, where these grasslands and adjacent mires changes in farming practice are notable for supporting the marsh would benefit wildlife; fritillary butterfly, a BAP species. ◗ creating cereal field margins to halt the decline However, there are areas of lowland in arable plant species; wet grassland in the floodplains of ◗ reducing the use of major rivers and adjacent to estuaries fertilisers and pesticides. in the Solway Basin, West Cumbria Coastal Plain, Eden Valley and Lancashire Plain and Valleys, many Arable wildflowers, Bolton, Lancashire. of which are used as pasture. Such David Woodfall/NHPA wet grasslands and grazing marshes

North West Region Lowland grassland and heath 18 10

13

Northern brown argus. Allan Drewitt/English Nature are important breeding areas for mixed farmland is very important for Characteristic habitats of birds such as lapwings, curlews and wintering waterfowl, including pink- key Natural Areas oystercatchers. The large area of wet footed geese, Bewick’s and whooper grassland at Martin Mere in the swans and wigeon, and some areas 10. Cumbria Fells and Dales Lancashire Plain and Valleys is of are also important for breeding birds international importance for such as grey partridge, corn bunting, ● Lowland calcareous grasslands wintering and migrating wildfowl skylark and reed bunting. associated with limestone and waders. around Morecambe Bay Lowland heathland occurs only as ● Small number of lowland hay Arable farming is generally confined small, isolated fragments on the meadows to the richer soils of the lowland lowland plains, for example in the ● Coastal and floodplain grazing coastal plains and occurs over large Urban Mersey Basin, and the Eden marsh areas in some localities, for example Valley. This heath vegetation is ● Small areas of lowland on the peat soils of west Lancashire often associated with other habitats, heathland and the Urban Mersey Basin. such as on the margins of bogs, in ● Purple moor-grass and rush Although arable farming is not disused quarries, or on the sandstone pastures widespread across the Region, these ridges and glacial sands in the Meres areas are of interest for a number of and Mosses. (Dune heaths are 13. Lancashire Plain and BAP species. They include considered in the Maritime section.) Valleys uncommon plants of cereal field The lowland heaths support a variety ● Lowland wet grasslands margins, such as red hemp-nettle, of invertebrates, notably uncommon including coastal and and purple ramping-fumitory which beetles and moths such as the silver floodplain grazing marsh occurs only in Britain and has a studded blue butterfly, a BAP ● Isolated fragments of species- stronghold in the Lancashire Plain species that is recorded on heathland rich neutral grasslands, and Valleys. The brown hare, also a within the Meres and Mosses. including lowland hay BAP species, occurs in lowland Nightjars are known to breed on the meadows farmland in all the Natural Areas in fragments of lowland heath in the ● Fragments of lowland North West England. Arable and Eden Valley. heathland

Candidate Special Areas of Conservation ● Morecambe Bay Pavements (Cumbria Fells and Dales)

Special Protection Areas ● Martin Mere (Lancashire Plain and Valleys) NB Priority BAP habitats in italics

North West Region Lowland grassland and heath 19 Upland grassland and heath

here are extensive areas of Pennines and Cumbria Fells and Key issues and heather on the Dales. Important areas of upland T upland fells of the North calcareous grassland, which are objectives West Region, mostly within the more species-rich, occur on the North Pennines, Forest of Bowland limestone outcrops in North and Southern Pennines, and in the Pennines and the Orton Fells in Issue: inappropriate management Cumbria Fells and Dales. In some Cumbria Fells and Dales, with areas the heather moorland is smaller examples in the Forest of ● Control overgrazing by suppressed by heavy grazing. Wet Bowland. Of particular note are the reducing stocking levels. heath, characteristically with cross- enclosed neutral grasslands which ● Where burning is a leaved heath, occurs in waterlogged include a large proportion of the management tool, encourage valleys and in the uplands, often in UK’s upland hay meadows, a rare sensitive burning regimes association with blanket bogs. Dry habitat linked with traditional low- (follow the Heather and Grass heath, dominated by heather with intensity pastoral agriculture in Burning Code). bilberry and bell heather, is more upland areas. These small, ● Restore a variety of extensive and occurs on steep valley fragmented meadows occur only in traditional management slopes or as mosaics with acid the north of England and form regimes, particularly for hay grassland. Although often rich in scattered fields or isolated small meadows and pastures. shrubs, heather moorland has a poor groups. Their rarity is recognised by ground flora but nevertheless the inclusion of a large proportion of supports rich communities of these meadows in a candidate Issue: pressure for agricultural invertebrates and birds such as red Special Area of Conservation (SAC). intensification grouse, black grouse, hen harrier, merlin and peregrine as well as In the Region montane habitats ● Avoid further agricultural curlew, golden plover and twite. occur only on the highest summits of intensification by promoting the Border Uplands, North Pennines the uptake of agri- Unenclosed grasslands of the and Cumbria Fells and Dales. The environment and other uplands are predominantly acidic vegetation present is characterised environmental support grasslands and these are extensive in by grasses, dwarf-shrubs, lichens and schemes. the Border Uplands, North mosses, which form southern

Issue: inappropriate development

● Discourage development of wind farms in sensitive upland habitats.

Bowland Fells, Lancashire. Peter Wakely/English Nature

North West Region Upland grassland and heath 20 Characteristic habitats of key Natural Areas 2 4 2. Border Uplands 10 ● Areas of upland heathland (heather moorland) 12 ● Large areas of unenclosed 14 acidic grassland ● Neutral grasslands including some upland hay meadows ● Some unenclosed upland calcareous grasslands ● Montane heath and fragments ● Large areas of acid grassland, of moss heath on summits often associated with moorland or blanket bogs 4. North Pennines ● Some upland calcareous , Cumbria. grasslands on limestone hills in ● Peter Wakely/English Nature Large areas of dry upland the Orton Fells heathland ● Neutral grassland including outliers of habitats that are more ● Extensive acid grasslands high quality upland hay widespread in Scotland. ● Upland calcareous grasslands on meadows Uncommon species characteristic of limestone outcrops ● Wide range of montane this habitat include the mosses ● Neutral grasslands including vegetation that is scarce or Kiaeria starkei and Ditrichum high-quality upland hay absent elsewhere in England zunctum. meadows ● Areas of montane heath, acid 12. Forest of Bowland Upland grasslands and heaths also grasslands and fragments of support rare and scarce moss-heath on summits ● Extensive areas of wet and dry invertebrates, including the northern upland heathland, often in dart moth, and the montane 10. Cumbria Fells and Dales association with bogs grassland of Cumbria Fells and ● Fragments of neutral hay ● Dales is the only English location for Extensive area of upland heath meadows in valleys the mountain ringlet butterfly; both with a wide range of ● Small areas of upland are BAP species. vegetation types calcareous grassland on limestone outcrops

14. Southern Pennines Candidate Special Areas of Conservation ● Extensive areas of dry upland ● Moor House - Upper Teesdale (North Pennines) heathland in mosaics with acid ● Helvellyn and Fairfield (Cumbria Fells and Dales) grasslands, some wet heath ● North Pennines Dales Meadows (Border Uplands; North Pennines; ● Some upland hay meadows in Cumbria Fells and Dales; plus Dales in Yorkshire and the valleys ● Humber Region) Extensive areas of acid grasslands Special Protection Areas ● Bowland Fells (Forest of Bowland) ● North Pennine Moors (Border Uplands; plus in Yorkshire and the Humber Region) NB Priority BAP habitats in italics

North West Region Upland grassland and heath 21 Maritime

at Walney Island in Morecambe Bay. The shingle barrier at Walney is of Key issues and international importance and is very objectives rich in plants including the BAP species Ray’s knotgrass, Portland spurge and Isle of Man cabbage. Issue: maintenance of coastal Several species of seabird, such as processes common tern, little tern, black-backed ● Maintain natural, dynamic gull and herring gull, breed on shingle coastal processes by: and the beaches at South Walney and ◗ promoting the use of ‘soft’ Foulney are nationally important for engineering for sea defences, their breeding populations of seabirds. e.g. managed retreat; ◗ avoiding dredging and sand Saltmarshes are widespread extraction that would throughout the Region and the most remove sediment from the extensive areas are in the estuaries of system, e.g. by recycling the Dee, Mersey, Ribble, Morecambe dredge spoil for beach Bay and the Solway Firth which are nourishment; Morecambe Bay, Lancashire. traditionally grazed. These ◗ ensuring an integrated, Peter Wakely/English Nature saltmarshes, and those in the Solway holistic approach to coastal he coast of the North West in particular, are notable for their planning activities through Region contains around mid-upper saltmarsh vegetation, Shoreline Management one-third of all the sand which elsewhere in England has been Plans. T dunes in England. The extensive lost to land-claim, and also for the dunes along Liverpool Bay and the development of cliffs and terraces in Issue: water quality Cumbrian Coast have a diverse the saltmarsh. Waders such as ● Improve water quality by: vegetation including relatively large redshank, oystercatcher and lapwing ◗ reducing inputs of areas of mobile dunes with marram breed within the saltmarshes. untreated sewage effluents; grass, dune grassland, dune slacks, ◗ reducing contamination and dune heath. Both the Sefton There are only very small areas of from industrial discharges Coast and the Drigg Coast are intertidal rock in the Region, at Hilbre and agricultural run-off. candidate Special Areas of Island in the mouth of the Dee Conservation (SACs) for their dune Estuary, and at St Bees Head on the Issue: recreation and tourism vegetation. Sand dunes within the Cumbrian Coast. At this latter site ● Avoid detrimental impacts on Region support populations of there are extensive reefs formed by the key wildlife features by uncommon plants such as dune polychaete worm Sabellaria alveolata, ensuring that recreation and helleborine and a large number of a priority BAP habitat. Elsewhere the tourism is consistent with scarce lower plants including shores are dominated by sediments: maintaining wildlife features. petalwort, a priority BAP species, and Morecambe Bay has the largest bryophytes Bryum spp. The dunes continuous area of intertidal flats in Issue: fisheries and saltmarshes are a stronghold for Britain and there are extensive ● Encourage and promote the natterjack toad, and a small, sandflats and mudflats within the fishing practices that: isolated population of sand lizard Dee, Mersey, Ribble and Alt Estuaries ◗ sustain populations of the survives on the Sefton Coast; both are and the Solway Firth. These target species; priority BAP species. sediments range from mobile, wave- ◗ avoid detrimental impacts exposed sands on the open coast to on wildlife such as sea bed In this Region shingle occurs more stable, muddy sediments in the communities and birds. predominantly as bare beaches, but inner estuaries, that support abundant there are areas of vegetated shingle at invertebrates. Of particular note Grune Point on the Solway Firth and within Morecambe Bay are the

North West Region Maritime 22 extensive areas of cobbles, locally known as ‘scars’ or ‘skears’, which are Characteristic habitats of important for their mussel beds. key Natural Areas 120 The intertidal flats and adjacent 117. Liverpool Bay saltmarshes form an internationally ● Extensive areas of sand dunes 119 important network of feeding and along the Sefton Coast 118 roosting grounds for waterfowl such ● Large areas of saltmarshes in as pink-footed goose, shelduck, grey 117 the Dee, Mersey and Ribble plover, knot, dunlin, bar-tailed godwit Estuaries and redshank. These shores support ● Extensive intertidal flats in the hundreds of thousands of birds during Dee, Mersey, Ribble and Alt winter and many more use this Estuaries coastline during the course of their ● Small area of intertidal rock ● Large areas of intertidal spring and autumn migrations. around Hilbre Island sandflats and mudflats Accordingly, most of these estuaries ● Extensive and varied have been designated as Special 118. Morecambe Bay saltmarshes in the sheltered Protection Areas (SPAs). The Solway estuaries of the embayment ● Firth is of particular note as it Small stretch of limestone cliff ● Extensive mussel beds on supports the entire wintering at Humphrey Head and Jenny boulder and cobble ‘scars’ population of the Svalbard race of Browns Point ● Reefs of Sabellaria alveolata barnacle goose. ● Internationally important vegetated shingle at Walney 119. Cumbrian Coast Dee Estuary, Merseyside. Island and Foulney Peter Wakely/English Nature ● Spectacular sandstone cliffs between St Bees Head and Maryport ● Extensive sand dunes along the Drigg coast ● Shingle beaches ● Extensive rocky shore at St Bees Head ● Extensive boulder and cobble ‘scars’ ● Reef of Sabellaria alveolata

120. Solway Firth

● Small area of sand dunes along the outer reaches of the Firth Candidate Special Areas of Conservation ● Vegetated shingle at Grune ● Sefton Coast (Liverpool Bay) Point ● Morecambe Bay (Morecambe Bay; Cumbrian Coast) ● Extensive and varied ● Drigg Coast (Cumbrian Coast) saltmarshes ● Solway Firth (Solway Firth) ● Vast expanse of mobile sandflats Special Protection Areas ● Dee Estuary (Liverpool Bay) ● Mersey Estuary (Liverpool Bay) ● Ribble And Alt Estuaries (Liverpool Bay) NB Priority BAP habitats in italics

North West Region Maritime 23 Annex 1: Benchmarks for nature

he conservation of nature is improvement or intensification, local/regional Biodiversity Action a key test of sustainable coastal and flood defence works and Plan, sustainable development T development. The list water abstraction, as well as built plan, nature conservation strategy below provides a set of questions to development or infrastructure such or priority setting document for be applied as positive indicators for as roads, rail and energy. nature; any Government Planning biodiversity and Earth heritage, Policy Guidance or Regional where relevant strategies, policies, Planning Guidance; Local projects and programmes are under Policy links Development Plans/Unitary consideration. These may include ● Is there compatibility with Development Plans/Structure developments such as agricultural relevant policies within: any Plans/etc? ● Is there active contribution to the resolution of Natural Area issues and the delivery of UK, Regional and Local Biodiversity Action Plan targets and Natural Area objectives? ● Has there been an appraisal of the environmental impact of policies, plans and programmes within Regional strategic documents? (See: the eight step approach in Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions Policy Guidance: ‘Policy Appraisal and the Environment’, DETR 1998)

Biodiversity and Earth heritage ● Will any areas with local/national/international designation for nature conservation be affected or directly damaged? ● Is there scope for the enhancement of biodiversity through the provision of: opportunities for achieving the targets for priority habitats and species in the context of UK, Regional and Local Biodiversity Action Plans; improved habitat and/or the creation of additional habitat for plants and animals, appropriate to the local character? ● Will any non-designated habitat such as woodland, grassland and Woods, Lancashire. Peter Wakely/English Nature other vegetation, linking habitats

North West Region Annex 1 24 such as trees, hedges, grass strips, development that impacts on ditches, that may be destroyed, or natural processes; etc.) fragmented be fully ● Is there scope for the enhancement compensated/mitigated for? of geological interest? (e.g. ● Do any plant and tree planting Through the improvement of programmes use an appropriate geological exposures or features; mix of species native to the the creation of additional geological Natural Area in question? exposures or features, etc.) ● Will any habitat be in danger of abandonment, under management, change or intensification of Environmental good management? (e.g. Overgrazing, practice for nature loss of crop rotations and arable- ● Has an environmental impact pasture mosaics; shift from spring assessment been carried out? sown to autumn sown cereals, loss ● Will post implementation impacts of winter stubbles, application of be assessed and managed by artificial fertiliser, etc. - leading to regular review and monitoring impacts on associated farmland programmes? species) ● Will any habitat be in danger of a secondary or indirect damage? (e.g. Community Wetland or aquatic habitats and ecosystems in danger of drying out, involvement for nature loss or degradation as a result of ● Will all sections of the community over-abstraction of surface and be consulted as part of the Burgey Banks, St Helens. groundwaters, pollution and decision making process? George Barker/English Nature eutrophication of surface and ● Have the needs of local to gain access to nature and groundwaters; development in a communities for access to, and wildspace? flood plain which may require experience of, nature been taken ● Will there be a contribution to canalisation of watercourses into account? improving the quality of life by impacting on river valley wetlands ● Does the project help vulnerable, local inhabitants, for example: and aquatic ecosystems; coastal disadvantaged or excluded groups through improved general access to nature, but in particular on foot or by public transport? Designated areas ● Will local distinctiveness for National/International Nature Conservation Designations: nature be valued, and community Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and cultural identity be National Nature Reserves (NNR) strengthened? Special Protection Areas (SPA) ● Will community enterprises for Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) nature be encouraged? Ramsar Sites Local Nature Conservation Designations (often non-statutory but recognised in local plans, PPG and other similar documents): Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC - locally other terms may be used) Local Nature Reserves (LNR) Regionally Important Geological/Geomorphological Sites (RIGS) (Modified and adapted from a document Non-statutory nature reserves produced by the Environment & Energy Management Team, Government Office for the South West).

North West Region Annex 1 25 Annex 2: Sources of information

ach Natural Area has an English Nature. In prep. Overview of Porley, R. and McDonnell, A. 1997. associated profile which coastal habitats by Natural Area. Rare and scarce vascular plants and E contains the issues and English Nature, Peterborough. bryophytes in Natural Areas. English objectives specific to that ecological Nature Research Report No. 267. unit. These have already been Gardiner, A.J. 1996. Freshwater English Nature, Peterborough. passed on to our key partners, wetlands in England. A Natural including local authorities. The Areas approach. English Nature Reid, C.M., Kirby, K.J. and Cooke, complete set of profiles for England Research Report No. 204. English R.J. 1996. A preliminary assessment is available from English Nature’s Nature, Peterborough. of woodland conservation in England local teams on a CD-ROM. by Natural Areas. English Nature Research Report No. 186. English Grice, P.V., Brown, A.F., Carter, I.C. Nature, Peterborough. National overviews of habitats, and Rankine, C.A. 1994. Birds in species and earth heritage England: a Natural Areas approach. Sanderson, N.A. 1998. A review of English Nature Research Report No. Brown, A.E., Burn, A.J., Hopkins, the extent, conservation interest and 114. English Nature, Peterborough. J.J. and Way, S.F. (Editors). 1997. management of lowland acid The Habitats Directive: selection of grassland in England. Volume I: Special Areas of Conservation in the Jefferson, R.G. 1997. Lowland Overview. English Nature Research UK. Joint Nature Conservation grassland in Natural Areas. National Report No. 259. English Nature, Committee Report No. 270. Joint assessment of significance. English Peterborough. Nature Conservation Committee, Nature Research Report No. 171. Peterborough. English Nature, Peterborough. Sanderson, N.A. 1998. A review of the extent, conservation interest and Drake, M., Clements, D., Eyre, M., King, A., Glasser, N., Larwood, J., management of lowland acid Gibbs, D. and Kirby, P. 1998. Littlewood, A., Moat, T. and Page, grassland in England. Volume II: Invertebrates and their habitats in K. 1996. Earth heritage County Descriptions. English Nature Natural Areas. Volume 1: Midland conservation in England: a Natural Research Report No. 259. English and Northern Areas. English Nature Areas perspective. English Nature Nature, Peterborough. Research Report No. 298. English Research Report No. 158. English Nature, Peterborough. Nature, Peterborough. All available free from the Enquiry Service, English Nature, Drake, M., Clements, D., Eyre, M., Kirby, K. and Reid, C. 1997. Northminster House, Peterborough Gibbs, D. and Kirby, P. 1998. Preliminary nature conservation PE1 1UA Tel. 01733 455101 Invertebrates and their habitats in objectives for Natural Areas. fax. 01733 568834. Natural Areas. Volume 2: Southern Woodland and forestry. English Areas. English Nature Research Report Nature Research Report No. 239. Natural Areas CD-ROM. No. 298. English Nature, English Nature, Peterborough. Peterborough. Available, priced £15, from Telelink Ltd., PO Box 100, Fareham, Michael, N. 1996. Lowland Drewitt, A.L., and Manley, V.J. Hampshire PO14 2SX tel. 01329 heathland in England. A Natural 1997. The vegetation of the 331300 fax. 01329 330034. Areas approach. English Nature mountains and of Research Report No. 170. English England. English Nature Research Natural Area Profiles Report No. 218. English Nature, Nature, Peterborough. Peterborough. The individual profiles used in this Mitchell-Jones, A.J. and Gent, A.H. report are available from the Local English Nature 1997. Wildlife and 1997. Priority Natural Areas for Team, address and telephone number fresh water, an agenda for sustainable mammals, reptiles and amphibians. shown on the back cover, or can be management. English Nature, English Nature Research Report No. found on English Nature’s web page Peterborough. 242. English Nature, Peterborough. at www.english-nature.org.uk.

North West Region Annex 2 26 1 98

2

5 3 120 99 6 9 4 11 10 7

119 17 100 8 18

16 118 12 15 19 20 13 14 21 117 24 22 101 26 23 25 34 35 36 30 27 29 32 103 28 31 33 102 47 41 40 38 104 48 24 39 37 Key 42 46 43 45 County boundary 58 Character Area boundary (Natural 57 44 50

Areas consist of one or more 52 51 49 105 59 56 54 Character Areas) 60 61 53 55

64 65 66 106 116 63 67 62 79 68 115 70 86 84 85 69 87 78 107 87 80 86 88 73 86 72 71 83 74 93 89 77 75 90 114 81 76 108 94 92 82 82 109 Grid 111 North 95 91 110

96 113 97 112

1 North Northumberland Coastal Plain 25 Dark Peak 49 73 Low Weald and Pevensey 97 The Lizard 2 Border Uplands 26 Urban Mersey Basin 50 East Anglian Plain 74 South Downs 98 3 Solway Basin 27 Meres and Mosses 51 East Anglian Chalk 75 South Coast Plain and Hampshire Lowlands 99 Tyne to Tees Coast 4 North Pennines 28 Potteries and Churnet Valley 52 West Anglian Plain 76 Isle of Wight 100 Saltburn to Bridlington 5 Coal Measures 29 South West Peak 53 Bedfordshire Greensand Ridge 77 101 Bridlington to Skegness 6 Durham Magnesian Limestone Plateau 30 White Peak 54 YardleyƒWhittlewood Ridge 78 Hampshire Downs 102 The Wash 7 Tees Lowlands 31 Derbyshire Peak Fringe and Lower Derwent 55 79 Berkshire and Marlborough Downs 103 Old Hunstanton to Sheringham 8 32 Sherwood 56 Severn and Avon Vales 80 South Wessex Downs 104 Sheringham to Lowestoft 9 Eden Valley 33 Trent Valley and Rises 57 and Teme Valley 81 Dorset Heaths 105 Suffolk Coast 10 Cumbria Fells and Dales 34 North Lincolnshire Coversands and Clay Vales 58 Clun and North West Herefordshire Hills 82 Isles of Portland and Purbeck 106 North Kent Coast 11 West Cumbria Coastal Plain 35 59 Central Herefordshire 83 Wessex Vales 107 East Kent Coast 12 Forest of Bowland 36 Lincolnshire Coast and Marshes 60 Black Mountains and Golden Valley 84 108 Folkestone to Selsey Bill 13 Lancashire Plain and Valleys 37 The Fens 61 Dean Plateau and 85 Somerset Levels and Moors 109 Solent and Poole Bay 14 Southern Pennines 38 Lincolnshire and Rutland Limestone 62 Bristol, Avon Valleys and Ridges 86 Mid Somerset Hills 110 South Dorset Coast 15 Pennine Dales Fringe 39 Charnwood 63 Thames and Avon Vales 87 Exmoor and the Quantocks 111 Lyme Bay 16 Vale of York and Mowbray 40 Needwood and South Derbyshire Claylands 64 Midvale Ridge 88 Vale of Taunton and Quantock Fringes 112 Start Point to Land’s End 17 North York Moors and Hills 41 Oswestry Uplands 65 Chilterns 89 Blackdowns 113 18 Vale of Pickering 42 Shropshire Hills 66 London Basin 90 Devon Redlands 114 Land’s End to Minehead 19 Yorkshire Wolds 43 Midlands Plateau 67 Greater Thames Estuary 91 South Devon 115 Bridgwater Bay 20 Holderness 44 Midland Clay Pastures 68 North Kent Plain 92 Dartmoor 116 Severn Estuary 21 Humber Estuary 45 Rockingham Forest 69 North Downs 93 The Culm 117 Liverpool Bay 22 Humberhead Levels 46 Breckland 70 Wealden Greensand 94 Bodmin Moor 118 Morecambe Bay 23 Southern Magnesian Limestone 47 North Norfolk 71 Romney Marshes 95 Cornish Killas and Granites 119 Cumbrian Coast 24 Coal Measures 48 The Broads 72 High Weald 96 West Penwith 120 Solway Firth

Based upon the Ordnance Survey 1:10000 maps with permission of the controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. © Crown Copyright Revised to December 1996 4 North Pennines 2 Border Uplands Natural theylead: forwhich Areas Fax. 01912816305 Tel. 01912816316 NE2 1EG Newcastle-upon-Tyne Archbold Terrace Archbold House Northumbria Team 117 Liverpool Bay UrbanMerseyBasin 26 LancashirePlainandValleys 13 ForestofBowland 12 Natural theylead: forwhich Areas Fax. 01942820364 Tel. 01942820342 WN3 4AL Wigan Wallgate First Floor Pier House (Regional LeadTeam) North West Team English NatureLocalTeams intheNorthWest Region and NaturalAreasforwhichtheylead ISBN 185716450 4©EnglishNature1999 Web site:http://www.english-nature.org.uk English Nature,NorthminsterHouse, PeterboroughPE11UA This isoneofarangepublications publishedbyPublicity&Marketing, natural featuresthroughoutEngland. English Natureisthegovernment agencythatchampionswildlifeand 14 Southern Pennines Natural theylead: forwhich Areas Fax. 01924201507 Tel. 01924387010 WF1 3BJ Wakefield Northgate Bullring House Humber To Pennines Team 120 Solway Firth 119 Cumbrian Coast 118 Morecambe Bay West CumbriaCoastalPlain 11 CumbriaFellsandDales 10 9 Eden Valley 3 Solway Basin Natural theylead: forwhich Areas Fax. 01539792830 Tel. 01539792800 LA9 7RL Kendal Oxenholme Road Murley Moss Juniper House Cumbria Team 7 MeresandMosses 27 Natural theylead: forwhich Areas Fax. 01743709303 Tel. 01743709611 SY4 4TW Shropshire Shrewsbury Attingham Park West MidlandsTeam

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