DOCSLIB.ORG

Appendix 7.3 Preliminary Environmental Assessment 2018

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Appendix 7.3 Preliminary Environmental Assessment 2018 Northamptonshire County Council NORTHAMPTON NORTH-WEST RELIEF ROAD Preliminary Ecological Appraisal NWRR-WSP-EBD-0000-RP-LE-00012 NOVEMBER 2018 INTERNAL Northamptonshire County Council NORTHAMPTON NORTH-WEST RELIEF ROAD Preliminary Ecological Appraisal TYPE OF DOCUMENT (V 1.0) INTERNAL PROJECT NO. 70045931 OUR REF. NO. NWRR-WSP-EBD-0000-RP-LE-00012 DATE: NOVEMBER 2018 WSP The Mailbox Level 2 100 Wharfside Street, Birmingham B1 1RT Phone: +44 121 352 4700 WSP.com QUALITY CONTROL Issue/revision First issue Revision 1 Revision 2 Revision 3 Remarks Final for Issue Date 30/11/2018 Prepared by Mate Vakarcs and Cian Ó Ceallaigh Signature Checked by Louise Bunn Signature Authorised by Paul Hill Signature Project number 70045931 Report number NWRR-WSP-EBD-0000-RP-LE- 00012 File reference \\uk.wspgroup.com\central data\Projects\700459xx\70045931 - KIERWSPNCCNSEC1819 - Northampton North-West Relief Road\02 WIP\EC Ecology\03 Document\Dallington Grange Site\Reports NORTHAMPTON NORTH-WEST RELIEF ROAD WSP Project No.: 70045931 | Our Ref No.: NWRR-WSP-EBD-0000-RP-LE-00012 November 2018 Northamptonshire County Council CONTENTS 2 INTRODUCTION 1 2.2 BACKGROUND 1 2.3 SCOPE OF REPORT 2 2.4 RELEVANT LEGISLATION AND POLICY 2 3 METHODS 4 3.1 OVERVIEW 4 3.2 DESK STUDY 4 3.3 HABITAT SURVEY 4 3.4 PROTECTED SPECIES ASSESSMENT 5 3.5 PRELIMINARY EVALUATION 6 3.6 NOTES AND LIMITATIONS 6 4 RESULTS 7 4.1 DESIGNATED SITES 7 4.2 HABITAT SURVEY 9 4.3 PROTECTED AND NOTABLE SPECIES ASSESSMENT 15 5 DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 20 5.2 STATUTORY DESIGNATED SITES 20 5.3 NON-STATUTORY DESIGNATED SITES 20 5.4 HABITATS 21 5.5 PROTECTED AND NOTABLE SPECIES 21 5.6 FURTHER SURVEY REQUIREMENTS 26 5.7 PRELIMINARY AVOIDANCE, MITIGATION AND COMPENSATION MEASURES 29 5.8 ECOLOGICAL ENHANCEMENT OPPORTUNITIES 30 NORTHAMPTON NORTH-WEST RELIEF ROAD WSP Project No.: 70045931 | Our Ref No.: NWRR-WSP-EBD-0000-RP-LE-00012 November 2018 Northamptonshire County Council 6 CONCLUSIONS 32 TABLES Table 1 - Statutory designated sites 7 Table 2 - Non-statutory designated sites 7 Table 3 - Phase 1 Habitat Areas 9 Table 4 - Key Ecological Constraints and Further Survey Requirements 27 FIGURES Figure 1- Site Location Plan 36 Figure 2 – Current and Previous Site Boundary 38 Figure 3a – Phase 1 Habitat Results – Northern Section 40 Figure 3b – Phase 1 Habitat Results – Southern Section 42 APPENDICES APPENDIX A: RELEVANT LEGISLATION AND PLANNING POLICY APPENDIX B: SUMMARY OF ECOLOGICAL DESK STUDY DATA APPENDIX C: PLANT SPECIES RECORDED APPENDIX D: TARGET NOTES APPENDIX E: PHOTOGRAPHS WSP NORTHAMPTON NORTH-WEST RELIEF ROAD November 2018 Project No.: 70045931 | Our Ref No.: NWRR-WSP-EBD-0000-RP-LE-00012 Northamptonshire County Council EXECUTIVE SUMMARY WSP UK Ltd (‘WSP’) was commissioned by Northamptonshire County Council (NCC) to carry out a Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA) of an area of land north-west of the city of Northampton in connection with the proposed construction of a new relief road. This will involve the construction of a new road linking A5199 Welford Road to the A428 Harlestone Road, hereafter referred to as the ‘Proposed Scheme’ (Figure 1). A PEA of the previous Route Option 1 was carried out in 2017 (WSP, 2017) and protected species surveys in connection with this route were carried out in 2018 (WSP, 2018a-k). This report details the results of a PEA of the potential impact area (hereafter ‘the Site’), is defined as being the total land take required to facilitate the development of the newly preferred Route Option 11. A background data search (BDS) for protected and noteworthy species records was carried out as part of the desk study for the previous PEA in 2017. As this data is still considered valid, the data from the previous BDS data was incorporated into this report and no additional search was made. 1.1.1. The survey identified a range of agricultural and semi-natural habitats typical of urban fringe landscape located in the floodplains of the River Nene, including woodland, scrub, hedgerows, semi- improved and improved grassland, tall ruderal, and arable land. These habitats include Habitats of Principal Importance (HPI) such as rivers, ponds, lowland grazing marsh, arable field margins, and hedgerows. Additionally, five Local Wildlife Sites (LWS) and Potential Local Wildlife Sites (pLWS) are located within the Site. 1.1.2. The Site has the potential to support a range of protected and notable species, including badgers Meles meles, bats, otter Lutra lutra, water vole Arvicola amphibius, birds (including barn owl Tyto alba and kingfisher Alceda atthis), reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates. Surveys for most of these species/species groups have been undertaken in 2018 and the results of these surveys are considered valid for two years. As a result, only areas not previously surveyed will require a suite of Phase 2 surveys. 1.1.3. The Proposed Scheme will result in the loss of and severance of habitats, which will affect the ability for wildlife to commute between these habitat fragments and potentially result in road mortality. As a result, recommendations to minimise these impacts are made, including retention of habitats where possible, creation of compensatory habitats or enhancing adjacent habitats, and inclusion of screening and tunnels to facilitate safe movement of wildlife over/under the road. Certain species, habitats and nature conservation sites receive legislative protection which is detailed fully within Appendix A. Specific recommendations based upon the nature of the proposed works and compliance with this legislation are referenced within this PEA. Contact details (0) 121 352 4700 NORTHAMPTON NORTH-WEST RELIEF ROAD WSP Project No.: 70045931 | Our Ref No.: NWRR-WSP-EBD-0000-RP-LE-00012 November 2018 Northamptonshire County Council 2. INTRODUCTION 2.1.1. WSP UK Ltd (‘WSP’) was commissioned in April 2018 to carry out a Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA) of a 100ha area of land north-west of the city of Northampton in connection with the proposed construction of a new relief road, known as the Northampton North-West Relief Road. This will involve the construction of a new dual carriageway that will connect the A5199 Welford Road to the A428 Harlestone Road. As part of this it will include the construction of a new bridge and round about crossing the River Nene that will connect the A5199, Sandy Lane and Brampton Lane to the new relief road. This is hereafter referred to as the ‘Proposed Scheme’. 2.1.2. The current preferred route option is route ‘Option 11’ and the Proposed Scheme will also encompass the surrounding land required to facilitate the development, including flood mitigation (area of impact), hereafter ‘the Site.’ A location plan of the Site is given in Figure 1. BACKGROUND PROJECT BACKGROUND 2.1.3. The original red line route of route ‘Option 1’ extended the full length of the Proposed Scheme from A5199 Welford Road at its northern end to A428 at its southern end. A PEA of this route was carried out in 2017 (WSP, 2017) and protected species surveys in connection with this route were carried out in 2018 (WSP, 2018a-k). Since the time of the initial survey, the red line route south of Dallington Grange Farm is no longer within the scope of works to be covered by WSP. The red line route of the Proposed Scheme between A5199 Welford Road and Dallington Grange Farm, approximately 2.3km in length, was used as the basis for the survey effort of these surveys. A plan showing route ‘Option 1’ in comparison to the Site and current preferred Route Option 11 is given in Figure 2. 2.1.4. The protected species surveys were undertaken less than 2 years prior to the issuing of this PEA, and thus the results of those surveys are considered valid. As such, any protected species surveys recommended in this report are mainly focused on the additional areas not already covered by these surveys. 2.1.5. This report will be used to inform the ecology chapter of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Proposed Scheme that is to be submitted in March 2019. ECOLOGICAL BACKGROUND 2.1.6. The landscape surrounding the Site comprises arable farmland and grassland, mostly used as grazing land (primarily cattle near to the Site and horses to the north of the Site). Specific habitats include amenity grassland, rough grassland, mixed woodland, scattered and parkland trees, scrub, and standing waterbodies, as well as a number of linear features such as hedgerows, brooks, and ditches. In the wider landscape, two golf courses lie to the west of the Site, the city of Northampton and associated suburbs lie to the east and south, and the villages of Chapel Brampton and Church Brampton to the north. 2.1.7. Protected species and habitat surveys undertaken in 2017 and 2018 include: ▪ Phase 1 habitat survey and protected species assessment of the previous preferred option (WSP, 2017) ▪ Badger survey (WSP, 2018a) NORTHAMPTON NORTH-WEST RELIEF ROAD WSP Project No.: 70045931 | Our Ref No.: NWRR-WSP-EBD-0000-RP-LE-00012 November 2018 Northamptonshire County Council Page 1 of 44 ▪ Bat activity surveys (WSP, 2018c) ▪ Bat emergence / re-entry survey (WSP, 2018c) ▪ Bat crossing point survey (WSP, 2018d) ▪ Otter survey (WSP, 2018j) ▪ Water vole survey (WSP, 2018j) ▪ Barn owl survey (WSP, 2018b) ▪ Kingfisher habitat assessment (WSP, 2018i) ▪ Reptile survey (WSP, 2018k) ▪ Great crested newt survey (WSP, 2018g) ▪ Hedgerow survey (WSP, 2018h). SCOPE OF REPORT 2.1.8. Northamptonshire County Council commissioned WSP to complete a Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA) of the Site and 50m surrounding area, hereafter ‘the Survey Area’ in October 2018. The brief was: ▪ To provide baseline ecological information about the Survey Area and a surrounding study area with particular reference to whether legally protected and/or notable sites, species or habitats are present or likely to be present; ▪ To provide recommendations to enable compliance with relevant nature conservation legislation and planning policy; and ▪ If necessary, to identify the need for avoidance, mitigation, compensation or enhancement measures and/or further ecological surveys.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Fauna Lepidopterologica Volgo-Uralensis" 150 Years Later: Changes and Additions
    ©Ges. zur Förderung d. Erforschung von Insektenwanderungen e.V. München, download unter www.zobodat.at Atalanta (August 2000) 31 (1/2):327-367< Würzburg, ISSN 0171-0079 "Fauna lepidopterologica Volgo-Uralensis" 150 years later: changes and additions. Part 5. Noctuidae (Insecto, Lepidoptera) by Vasily V. A n ik in , Sergey A. Sachkov , Va d im V. Z o lo t u h in & A n drey V. Sv ir id o v received 24.II.2000 Summary: 630 species of the Noctuidae are listed for the modern Volgo-Ural fauna. 2 species [Mesapamea hedeni Graeser and Amphidrina amurensis Staudinger ) are noted from Europe for the first time and one more— Nycteola siculana Fuchs —from Russia. 3 species ( Catocala optata Godart , Helicoverpa obsoleta Fabricius , Pseudohadena minuta Pungeler ) are deleted from the list. Supposedly they were either erroneously determinated or incorrect noted from the region under consideration since Eversmann 's work. 289 species are recorded from the re­ gion in addition to Eversmann 's list. This paper is the fifth in a series of publications1 dealing with the composition of the pres­ ent-day fauna of noctuid-moths in the Middle Volga and the south-western Cisurals. This re­ gion comprises the administrative divisions of the Astrakhan, Volgograd, Saratov, Samara, Uljanovsk, Orenburg, Uralsk and Atyraus (= Gurjev) Districts, together with Tataria and Bash­ kiria. As was accepted in the first part of this series, only material reliably labelled, and cover­ ing the last 20 years was used for this study. The main collections are those of the authors: V. A n i k i n (Saratov and Volgograd Districts), S.
    [Show full text]
  • Download List of Notable Species in Edinburgh
    Group Scientific name Common name International / UK status Scottish status Lothian status marine mammal Balaenoptera acutorostrata Minke Whale HSD PS W5 SBL SO1 marine mammal Delphinus delphis Common Dolphin Bo HSD PS W5 SBL SO1 marine mammal Halichoerus grypus Grey Seal Bo HSD marine mammal Lagenorhynchus albirostris White-beaked Dolphin Bo HSD PS W5 SBL SO1 marine mammal Phocoena phocoena Common Porpoise Bo GVU HSD PS W5 SBL SO1 marine mammal Tursiops truncatus Bottle-Nosed Dolphin Bo HSD PS W5 SBL SO1 terrestrial mammal Arvicola terrestris European Water Vole PS W5 SBL Sc5 terrestrial mammal Erinaceus europaeus West European Hedgehog PS terrestrial mammal Lepus europaeus Brown Hare PS SBL Sc5 terrestrial mammal Lepus timidus Mountain Hare HSD PS SBL Sc5 terrestrial mammal Lutra lutra European Otter HSD PS W5 SBL SO1 terrestrial mammal Meles meles Eurasian Badger BA SBL SO1 terrestrial mammal Micromys minutus Harvest Mouse PS E? terrestrial mammal Myotis daubentonii Daubenton's Bat Bo HSD W5 SBL terrestrial mammal Myotis nattereri Natterer's Bat Bo HSD W5 SBL terrestrial mammal Pipistrellus pipistrellus Pipistrellus pipistrellus Bo HSD W5 terrestrial mammal Pipistrellus pygmaeus Soprano Pipistrelle PS SBL terrestrial mammal Plecotus auritus Brown Long-eared Bat Bo HSD PS W5 SBL terrestrial mammal Sciurus vulgaris Eurasian Red Squirrel PS W5 SBL SO1 bird Accipiter nisus Eurasian Sparrowhawk Bo bird Actitis hypoleucos Common Sandpiper Bo bird Alauda arvensis Sky Lark BCR BD SBL bird Alcedo atthis Common Kingfisher BCA W1 SBL bird Anas
    [Show full text]
  • Diversity and Resource Choice of Flower-Visiting Insects in Relation to Pollen Nutritional Quality and Land Use
    Diversity and resource choice of flower-visiting insects in relation to pollen nutritional quality and land use Diversität und Ressourcennutzung Blüten besuchender Insekten in Abhängigkeit von Pollenqualität und Landnutzung Vom Fachbereich Biologie der Technischen Universität Darmstadt zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades eines Doctor rerum naturalium genehmigte Dissertation von Dipl. Biologin Christiane Natalie Weiner aus Köln Berichterstatter (1. Referent): Prof. Dr. Nico Blüthgen Mitberichterstatter (2. Referent): Prof. Dr. Andreas Jürgens Tag der Einreichung: 26.02.2016 Tag der mündlichen Prüfung: 29.04.2016 Darmstadt 2016 D17 2 Ehrenwörtliche Erklärung Ich erkläre hiermit ehrenwörtlich, dass ich die vorliegende Arbeit entsprechend den Regeln guter wissenschaftlicher Praxis selbständig und ohne unzulässige Hilfe Dritter angefertigt habe. Sämtliche aus fremden Quellen direkt oder indirekt übernommene Gedanken sowie sämtliche von Anderen direkt oder indirekt übernommene Daten, Techniken und Materialien sind als solche kenntlich gemacht. Die Arbeit wurde bisher keiner anderen Hochschule zu Prüfungszwecken eingereicht. Osterholz-Scharmbeck, den 24.02.2016 3 4 My doctoral thesis is based on the following manuscripts: Weiner, C.N., Werner, M., Linsenmair, K.-E., Blüthgen, N. (2011): Land-use intensity in grasslands: changes in biodiversity, species composition and specialization in flower-visitor networks. Basic and Applied Ecology 12 (4), 292-299. Weiner, C.N., Werner, M., Linsenmair, K.-E., Blüthgen, N. (2014): Land-use impacts on plant-pollinator networks: interaction strength and specialization predict pollinator declines. Ecology 95, 466–474. Weiner, C.N., Werner, M , Blüthgen, N. (in prep.): Land-use intensification triggers diversity loss in pollination networks: Regional distinctions between three different German bioregions Weiner, C.N., Hilpert, A., Werner, M., Linsenmair, K.-E., Blüthgen, N.
    [Show full text]
  • Anisus Vorticulus (Troschel 1834) (Gastropoda: Planorbidae) in Northeast Germany
    JOURNAL OF CONCHOLOGY (2013), VOL.41, NO.3 389 SOME ECOLOGICAL PECULIARITIES OF ANISUS VORTICULUS (TROSCHEL 1834) (GASTROPODA: PLANORBIDAE) IN NORTHEAST GERMANY MICHAEL L. ZETTLER Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde, Seestr. 15, D-18119 Rostock, Germany Abstract During the EU Habitats Directive monitoring between 2008 and 2010 the ecological requirements of the gastropod species Anisus vorticulus (Troschel 1834) were investigated in 24 different waterbodies of northeast Germany. 117 sampling units were analyzed quantitatively. 45 of these units contained living individuals of the target species in abundances between 4 and 616 individuals m-2. More than 25.300 living individuals of accompanying freshwater mollusc species and about 9.400 empty shells were counted and determined to the species level. Altogether 47 species were identified. The benefit of enhanced knowledge on the ecological requirements was gained due to the wide range and high number of sampled habitats with both obviously convenient and inconvenient living conditions for A. vorticulus. In northeast Germany the amphibian zones of sheltered mesotrophic lake shores, swampy (lime) fens and peat holes which are sun exposed and have populations of any Chara species belong to the optimal, continuously and densely colonized biotopes. The cluster analysis emphasized that A. vorticulus was associated with a typical species composition, which can be named as “Anisus-vorticulus-community”. In compliance with that both the frequency of combined occurrence of species and their similarity in relative abundance are important. The following species belong to the “Anisus-vorticulus-community” in northeast Germany: Pisidium obtusale, Pisidium milium, Pisidium pseudosphaerium, Bithynia leachii, Stagnicola palustris, Valvata cristata, Bathyomphalus contortus, Bithynia tentaculata, Anisus vortex, Hippeutis complanatus, Gyraulus crista, Physa fontinalis, Segmentina nitida and Anisus vorticulus.
    [Show full text]
  • Zierliche Tellerschnecke (Anisus Vorticulus)
    HESSEN-FORST Artensteckbrief Zierliche Tellerschnecke (Anisus vorticulus) Stand: 2006 weitere Informationen erhalten Sie bei: Hessen-Forst FENA Naturschutz Europastraße 10 - 12 35394 Gießen Tel.: 0641 / 4991-264 E-Mail: [email protected] Art Deutscher Name: Zierliche Tellerschnecke, Anisus (Disculifer ) vorticulus (T ROSCHEL 1834) Synonyme: Planorbis vorticulus, Spiralina vorticulus, Planorbis acies, Gyrorbis vorticulus, Planorbis charteus, Planorbis bavarica, Gyrorbis helveticus Systematische Einordnung Reich: Mollusca CUVIER 1795 Klasse: Gastropoda CUVIER 1795 Unterklasse: Orthogastropoda PELSENEER 1889 Überordnung: Heterobranchia J. E. GRAY 1840 Ordnung: Pulmonata CUVIER in BLAINVILLE 1814 Unterordnung: Basommatophora KEFERSTEIN 1864 Überfamilie: Planorboidea RAFINISQUE 1815 Familie: Planorbidae RAFINISQUE 1815 Unterfamilie: Planorbinae RAFINISQUE 1815 Gattung: Anisus S. STUDER 1820 Untergattung: Disculifer C. BOETTGER 1944 Verbreitung und Bestandsentwicklung Gesamt-Verbreitung: Die Gesamtart besiedelt Ost- und Mittel-Europa, die Britischen Inseln nur in Teilen (Sussex, Norfolk). Sie reicht im Süden bis ins Burgenland, nach Nord-Tirol, Vorarlberg und die Schweiz (Glöer 2002), im Westen mit nur wenigen verstreute Fundorten in Frankreich (Thonon, Rhone-Becken, Ried) (FALKNER & al. 2002), keine in Belgien, zahlreiche in den Niederlanden, vereinzelte in Süd-Dänemark (GLÖER 2002). Regionale Verbreitung: In Hessen ist Anisus vorticulus von einem einzigen Fundort bei Trebur (Hessisches Ried) bekannt (PETRY 1925). Dieses Vorkommen
    [Show full text]
  • A Manual for the Survey and Evaluation of the Aquatic Plant and Invertebrate Assemblages of Grazing Marsh Ditch Systems
    A manual for the survey and evaluation of the aquatic plant and invertebrate assemblages of grazing marsh ditch systems Version 6 Margaret Palmer Martin Drake Nick Stewart May 2013 Contents Page Summary 3 1. Introduction 4 2. A standard method for the field survey of ditch flora 5 2.1 Field survey procedure 5 2.2 Access and licenses 6 2.3 Guidance for completing the recording form 6 Field recording form for ditch vegetation survey 10 3. A standard method for the field survey of aquatic macro- invertebrates in ditches 12 3.1 Number of ditches to be surveyed 12 3.2 Timing of survey 12 3.3 Access and licences 12 3.4 Equipment 13 3.5 Sampling procedure 13 3.6 Taxonomic groups to be recorded 15 3.7 Recording in the field 17 3.8 Laboratory procedure 17 Field recording form for ditch invertebrate survey 18 4. A system for the evaluation and ranking of the aquatic plant and macro-invertebrate assemblages of grazing marsh ditches 19 4.1 Background 19 4.2 Species check lists 19 4.3 Salinity tolerance 20 4.4 Species conservation status categories 21 4.5 The scoring system 23 4.6 Applying the scoring system 26 4.7 Testing the scoring system 28 4.8 Conclusion 30 Table 1 Check list and scoring system for target native aquatic plants of ditches in England and Wales 31 Table 2 Check list and scoring system for target native aquatic invertebrates of grazing marsh ditches in England and Wales 40 Table 3 Some common plants of ditch banks that indicate salinity 50 Table 4 Aquatic vascular plants used as indicators of good habitat quality 51 Table 5a Introduced aquatic vascular plants 53 Table 5a Introduced aquatic invertebrates 54 Figure 1 Map of Environment Agency regions 55 5.
    [Show full text]
  • North West Relief Road WSP Northamptonshire County Council 70032086 November 2017 Iii
    NORTH-WEST RELIEF ROAD PRELIMINARY ECOLOGICAL APPRAISAL NOVEMBER 2017 PRELIMINARY ECOLOGICAL APPRAISAL Northamptonshire County Council Project no: 70032086 Date: November 2017 – WSP 1 Queens Drive, Birmingham, B5 4PJ www.wsp.com QUALITY MANAGEMENT ISSUE/REVISION FIRST ISSUE REVISION 1 REVISION 2 REVISION 3 Remarks Date December 2017 Victoria Philpott / Cian Ó Prepared by Ceallaigh Signature Checked by Sarah Proctor Signature Authorised by Emma Hatchett Signature Project number 70032086 Report number 1 \\uk.wspgroup.com\central data\Projects\700320xx\70032086 File reference - Northampton NW Relief Road\02 WIP\EC Ecology\PEA ii TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..............................................................1 2 INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................2 3 METHODS ....................................................................................4 4 RESULTS .....................................................................................7 5 DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...............................17 6 CONCLUSIONS ..........................................................................28 7 REFERENCES............................................................................29 8 FIGURES ....................................................................................32 TABLE S TABLE 1 - STATUTORY DESIGNATED SITES OF EUROPEAN OR INTERNATIONAL IMPORTANCE WITHIN 10 KM OF THE SITE ..............................................7 TABLE 2 - STATUTORY DESIGNATED SITES
    [Show full text]
  • Hoverflies Family: Syrphidae
    Birmingham & Black Country SPECIES ATLAS SERIES Hoverflies Family: Syrphidae Andy Slater Produced by EcoRecord Introduction Hoverflies are members of the Syrphidae family in the very large insect order Diptera ('true flies'). There are around 283 species of hoverfly found in the British Isles, and 176 of these have been recorded in Birmingham and the Black Country. This atlas contains tetrad maps of all of the species recorded in our area based on records held on the EcoRecord database. The records cover the period up to the end of 2019. Myathropa florea Cover image: Chrysotoxum festivum All illustrations and photos by Andy Slater All maps contain Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown Copyright and database right 2020 Hoverflies Hoverflies are amongst the most colourful and charismatic insects that you might spot in your garden. They truly can be considered the gardener’s fiend as not only are they important pollinators but the larva of many species also help to control aphids! Great places to spot hoverflies are in flowery meadows on flowers such as knapweed, buttercup, hogweed or yarrow or in gardens on plants such as Canadian goldenrod, hebe or buddleia. Quite a few species are instantly recognisable while the appearance of some other species might make you doubt that it is even a hoverfly… Mimicry Many hoverfly species are excellent mimics of bees and wasps, imitating not only their colouring, but also often their shape and behaviour. Sometimes they do this to fool the bees and wasps so they can enter their nests to lay their eggs. Most species however are probably trying to fool potential predators into thinking that they are a hazardous species with a sting or foul taste, even though they are in fact harmless and perfectly edible.
    [Show full text]
  • Ecological Consequences Artificial Night Lighting
    Rich Longcore ECOLOGY Advance praise for Ecological Consequences of Artificial Night Lighting E c Ecological Consequences “As a kid, I spent many a night under streetlamps looking for toads and bugs, or o l simply watching the bats. The two dozen experts who wrote this text still do. This o of isis aa definitive,definitive, readable,readable, comprehensivecomprehensive reviewreview ofof howhow artificialartificial nightnight lightinglighting affectsaffects g animals and plants. The reader learns about possible and definite effects of i animals and plants. The reader learns about possible and definite effects of c Artificial Night Lighting photopollution, illustrated with important examples of how to mitigate these effects a on species ranging from sea turtles to moths. Each section is introduced by a l delightful vignette that sends you rushing back to your own nighttime adventures, C be they chasing fireflies or grabbing frogs.” o n —JOHN M. MARZLUFF,, DenmanDenman ProfessorProfessor ofof SustainableSustainable ResourceResource Sciences,Sciences, s College of Forest Resources, University of Washington e q “This book is that rare phenomenon, one that provides us with a unique, relevant, and u seminal contribution to our knowledge, examining the physiological, behavioral, e n reproductive, community,community, and other ecological effectseffects of light pollution. It will c enhance our ability to mitigate this ominous envirenvironmentalonmental alteration thrthroughough mormoree e conscious and effective design of the built environment.”
    [Show full text]
  • Review of the Coverage of Urban Habitats and Species Within the UK Biodiversity Action Plan
    Report Number 651 Review of the coverage of urban habitats and species within the UK Biodiversity Action Plan English Nature Research Reports working today for nature tomorrow English Nature Research Reports Number 651 Review of the coverage of urban habitats and species within the UK Biodiversity Action Plan Dr Graham Tucker Dr Hilary Ash Colin Plant Environmental Impacts Team You may reproduce as many additional copies of this report as you like, provided such copies stipulate that copyright remains with English Nature, Northminster House, Peterborough PE1 1UA ISSN 0967-876X © Copyright English Nature 2005 Acknowledgements The project was managed by David Knight of English Nature, and we thank him for his advice and assistance. Thanks are also due to Mark Crick and Ian Strachan of JNCC for their comments on the draft report and information on the current UKBAP review, and English Nature library staff for their invaluable assistance with obtaining reference materials. We especially thank the following individuals and their organisations for their valuable comments on the consultation draft of this report: George Barker, John Box, Professor Tony Bradshaw, John Buckley (The Herpetological Trust), Paul Chanin (for The Mammal Society), John Davis (Butterfly Conservation), Mike Eyre, Tony Gent (The Herpetological Conservation Trust), Chris Gibson (English Nature), Eric Greenwood, Phil Grice (English Nature), Mathew Frith, Nick Moyes, John Newbold (for The National Federation of Biological Recorders), Dominic Price (Plantlife), Alison Rasey (The Bat Conservation Trust), Ian Rotherham (Sheffield University), Richard Scott (Landlife), Martin Wigginton and Robin Wynde (RSPB). Additional information and advice was also provided by Dan Chamberlain, Rob Robinson, and Juliet Vickery (British Trust for Ornithology) and Will Peach (RSPB).
    [Show full text]
  • Northampton Local Plan
    CASTELLO FORTIOR CONCORDIA NORTHAMPTON BOROUGH COUNCIL NORTHAMPTON LOCAL PLAN 1993-2006 ADOPTED JUNE 1997 WRITTEN STATEMENT Indicating Saved Policies as amended by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government September 2007 David Moir Director of Environment Services June 1997 FOREWORD Northampton is rapidly developing town - fortunate in having within its boundary a blend of old and new. It combines a historic town centre, former village communities, modern housing areas and a diverse range of employers with parks and open spaces which extend right into the heart of the town. It is an environment of which we are proud. Almost thirty years ago Northampton was designated a new town and under the auspices of the Development Corporation, Northampton expanded significantly through the implementation of the Northampton Master Plan. The momentum of growth remains, but it is important to ensure that future development adds to the quality of the environment in Northampton. The adopted Local Plan forms the basis for all decisions relating to land use within the Borough. It reflects many comments and representations made during its preparation as well as taking on board the recommendations of a Planning Inspector appointed by the Department of Environment following a Public Inquiry into remaining objections. The Plan aims to guide the further expansion of Northampton. It seeks to conserve important open spaces, encourage a balanced mix of residential, business and leisure development and promote good sustainable transport initiatives. In essence it seeks to produce an environment which enhances Northampton for the benefit of all. In conclusion, I wish to pay tribute to the late Councillor Roger Alder who steered the Plan through the majority of its stages as chair of the Planning Committee.
    [Show full text]
  • Diptera, Sy Ae)
    Ce nt re fo r Eco logy & Hydrology N AT U RA L ENVIRO N M EN T RESEA RC H CO U N C IL Provisional atlas of British hover les (Diptera, Sy ae) _ Stuart G Ball & Roger K A Morris _ J O I N T NATURE CONSERVATION COMMITTEE NERC Co pyright 2000 Printed in 2000 by CRL Digital Limited ISBN I 870393 54 6 The Centre for Eco logy an d Hydrolo gy (CEI-0 is one of the Centres an d Surveys of the Natu ral Environme nt Research Council (NERC). Established in 1994, CEH is a multi-disciplinary , environmental research organisation w ith som e 600 staff an d w ell-equipp ed labo ratories and field facilities at n ine sites throughout the United Kingdom . Up u ntil Ap ril 2000, CEM co m prise d of fou r comp o nent NERC Institutes - the Institute of Hydrology (IH), the Institute of Freshw ater Eco logy (WE), the Institute of Terrestrial Eco logy (ITE), and the Institute of Virology an d Environmental Micro b iology (IVEM). From the beginning of Ap dl 2000, CEH has operated as a single institute, and the ind ividual Institute nam es have ceased to be used . CEH's mission is to "advance th e science of ecology, env ironme ntal microbiology and hyd rology th rough h igh q uality and inte rnat ionall) recognised research lead ing to better understanding and quantifia ttion of the p hysical, chem ical and b iolo gical p rocesses relating to land an d freshwater an d living organisms within the se environments".
    [Show full text]