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 OF NATIONAL OR LOCAL IMPORTANCE WITHIN 2 KM OF THE SITE................................................7 TABLE 3 - NON-STATUTORY DESIGNATED SITES ......................................................8 TABLE 4 - PHASE 1 HABITAT AREAS ...........................................................................9 TABLE 5 - KEY ECOLOGICAL CONSTRAINTS AND FURTHER SURVEY REQUIREMENTS ..................................................................................... 22 FIGURES FIGURE 1- SITE LOCATION PLAN............................................................................... 32 FIGURE 2- PHASE 1 HABITAT MAP ............................................................................ 35 North West Relief Road WSP Northamptonshire County Council 70032086 November 2017 iii APPENDICES A P P E N D I X A RELEVANT LEGISLATION AND PLANNING POLICY A P P E N D I X B SUMMARY OF ECOLOGICAL DESK STUDY DATA APPEN D I X C PLANT SPECIES RECORDED A P P E N D I X D TARGET NOTES A P P E N D I X E PHOTOGRAPHS North West Relief Road WSP Northamptonshire County Council 70032086 August 2017 1 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1.1 WSP was instructed by Northamptonshire County Council (NCC) to undertake a Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA) of the ‘Option 1’ route of the Northampton North West Relief Road (Northampton NWRR). This is the proposed creation of a single carriageway between the A428 Harlestone Road (National Ordnance grid reference SP 71323 63469) and the A5199 Northampton Road (National Ordnance grid reference SP 73381 65336), hereafter referred to as ‘the Site’. A 50 m buffer zone around the Site was surveyed where possible (the Site and buffer combined are hereafter referred to as ‘the Survey Area’). 1.1.2 The Northampton NWRR will form part of the ring around the northern sector of Northampton. The Northampton NWRR will ultimately connect the A4500 Weedon Road and M1 Junction 16 to the west with the A43 Kettering Road and Kettering to the north). The Northampton NWRR will hereafter be referred to as the ‘Proposed Development’. This PEA aims to inform the promotion of the Proposed Development. 1.1.3 A field survey was undertaken during July 2017 to identify habitats present and assess the Site’s potential to support protected and/or notable habitats and species. A desk study was also undertaken in support of the appraisal to look for nearby statutory designated sites that may be relevant to the proposals. 1.1.4 Within 1 km of the Site numerous records were returned for amphibians, invertebrates, mammals, plants and birds. These included more notable species such as otter Lutra lutra, badger Meles meles, grass snake Natrix natrix, at least eight species of bat, and birds such as kingfisher Alcedo atthis, red kite Milvus milvus and woodcock Scolopax rusticola. Within the Survey Area a number of priority habitats exist including areas of deciduous woodland, primarily in the southern section of the Survey Area; a narrow strip of lowland fen, which runs through the centre of the Survey Area; and an area of coastal and floodplain grazing marsh, which is in the centre of the Survey Area. 1.1.5 Hedgerows within the Survey Area have the potential to be of importance with regards to the Hedgerows Regulations (1977). In addition, habitats present within the Survey Area have the potential to support protected species. These include bats, badger, otter, water vole, birds (including Schedule 1 species), reptiles and amphibians. As a result, further survey is required to assess the likely impact of the Proposed Works on these species groups and to assess the protection status of the hedgerows. The results of these surveys will be used to provide any specific recommendations for impact avoidance, mitigation and enhancement required for the Proposed Works to proceed in line with the relevant legislation and policy. 1.1.6 Under the protection provided by The Habitats Regulations the Proposed Development must be screened by the Local Planning Authority to determine whether significant impacts are likely to affect the Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits SSSI. If the local authority is unable to conclude that significant effects are not likely, the Proposed Development must be subject to additional assessment in accordance with the Habitats Regulations. 1.1.7 The baseline conditions described in this report are accurate at the time at which the survey was undertaken. Should considerable time pass (e.g. 2+ years) and/or conditions/land-use on the Site change prior to the commencement of works, it is recommended that an update survey is undertaken. North West Relief Road WSP Northamptonshire County Council 70032086 August 2017 2 2 INTRODUCTION 2.1 BACKGROUND PROJECT BACKGROUND 2.1.1 WSP was instructed by Northamptonshire County Council (NCC) to undertake a Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA) of the ‘Option 1’ route of the Northampton North West Relief Road (NWRR). 2.1.2 This includes the creation of a single carriageway between the A428 Harlestone Road (National Ordnance grid reference SP 71323 63469) and the A5199 Northampton Road (National Ordnance grid reference SP 73381 65336), and will include the creation of a bridge over the Rugby to Milton Keynes railway and three roundabouts south of the railway, hereafter referred to as ‘the Site’. A 50 m buffer zone around the Site was surveyed, where possible (the Site and buffer combined are hereafter referred to as ‘the Survey Area’). 2.1.3 Surrounding land uses include arable land, horse pasture, woodland, the newly constructed Harlestone Manor residential area and the Brampton Heath Golf Centre. The Site lies on the outskirts of Northampton (to the north-west of the town) and is approximately 4 km in length, passing through flood plain near the River Nene tributary for part of its length and also crossing the Northampton Loop railway line. 2.1.4 The Northampton NWRR will form part of the ring around the northern sector of Northampton. The Proposed Development will ultimately connect the A4500 Weedon Road and M1 Junction 16 to the west with the A43 Kettering Road and Kettering to the north. This PEA aims to inform the promotion of the Proposed Development. 2.2 SCOPE OF REPORT 2.2.1 NCC commissioned WSP to complete a PEA of the Survey Area in May 2017. The brief was: to provide baseline ecological information about the Survey 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. 2.3 RELEVANT LEGISLATION AND POLICY 2.3.1 The appraisal has been compiled with reference to the following relevant nature conservation legislation, planning policy and the UK Biodiversity Framework from which the protection of sites, habitats and species is derived in England. The context and applicability of each item is explained as appropriate in the relevant sections of the report and additional details are presented in Appendix A. The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010 as amended (Habitats Regulations); The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) (WCA); North West Relief Road WSP Northamptonshire County Council 70032086 August 2017 3 Countryside Rights of Way Act 2000; The Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act 2006; The Protection of Badgers Act 1992; The Hedgerows Regulations 1997; The Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996; The UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework (2011-2020) (JNCC and DEFRA, 2012); Biodiversity 2020: A strategy for England’s wildlife and ecosystem services (DEFRA, 2011); UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UKBAP)1; The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) 2012 (DCLG, 2012); Technical Advice Note 5; Nature Conservation and Planning 2009; Northamptonshire Biodiversity Action Plan (2008). 1 The UK BAP