Halton HRA Bird Surveys on behalf of Halton Borough Council Non-Breeding Bird Surveys – Interim Report 1 September – mid-November 2018 Document Control Project Name: Halton HRA Bird Surveys Project Number: REF-Halto-536-1098 Report Title Non-Breeding Bird Surveys – Interim Report Issue Date Notes Prepared Reviewed V1 27/11/2018 Draft of Interim Report C Bonnington H Fearn for Client Approval BSc MSc DPhil MSc CIEEM MCIEEM This report has been prepared in accordance with the terms and conditions of appointment for the Non-Breeding Bird Surveys [on request]. Avian Ecology Ltd. (6839201) cannot accept any responsibility for any use of or reliance on the contents of this report by any third party. CONTENTS 1 SUMMARY ..................................................................................... 1 2 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................. 2 2.1 Project Background ............................................................................................ 2 2.2 Study Area Overview ......................................................................................... 2 3 METHODOLOGY ............................................................................. 4 3.1 Habitat Suitability Appraisal ............................................................................... 4 3.2 Non-Breeding Bird Surveys ................................................................................ 4 3.3 Limitations ......................................................................................................... 5 4 RESULTS ........................................................................................ 6 4.1 Habitat Suitability Appraisal ............................................................................... 6 4.2 Non-Breeding Bird Surveys ................................................................................ 7 5 DISCUSSION ................................................................................. 10 1 SUMMARY 1.1.1 This interim report summarises the results of the first period (autumn passage) of bird surveys carried out for Halton Borough Council, to provide an ornithological evidence base to allow the council to determine whether any local development plan will affect the integrity of European designated sites. 1.1.2 The council has identified some sites for allocations for potential future development. Of those sites identified, three are located in, and around, Hale village (termed the ‘Northern allocations’), and two, south-west of Halebank (termed the ‘Southern allocations’), to the north of the River Mersey. 1.1.3 The Mersey Estuary Special Protection Area (SPA)/ Ramsar is designated for a number of qualifying bird species, including some species which are alone qualifying species (e.g. golden plover and dunlin), and others which are part of a qualifying waterbird assemblage (e.g. curlew and lapwing). Habitats within 600m of the allocations were assessed for their suitability for supporting these qualifying bird features (termed ‘Target species’), and thus whether the fields were functionally linked to the SPA/ Ramsar. 1.1.4 The study area, which consisted of optimal habitats within 600m of the allocations, was subjected to Wetland Bird Counts (including one nocturnal count) and Targeted Vantage Point (VP) Surveys, carried out between September and mid-November 2018. 1.1.5 The preliminary results have found that in terms of the Northern allocations, field 24 (grazing marsh) supports >1% of the SPA qualifying population of golden plover and redshank. Furthermore, field 34 (arable, tilled land) also supports >1% of the SPA golden plover population. In terms of the Southern allocations, field 39 (grazing marsh) supports >1% of the SPA teal population. 1.1.6 Field 24 is buffered from the Northern allocations by woodland associated with Pickerings Pasture Local Nature Reserve and a water treatment plant, and field 39 is buffered from the Southern allocations by Hale village and the road network. There is also substantial spatial segregation between these fields and the allocations. Field 34 is however, adjacent to the Northern allocations. 1.1.7 It should also be noted that no evidence of usage by SPA associated bird species on any of the proposed allocation sites themselves was found. As such, any potentially adverse impacts on the Mersey SPA/Ramsar would be limited to disturbance of birds using land near to the allocation sites. 1.1.8 Subsequently, based on the findings to date, there is no clear evidence that inclusion of any of the currently proposed development sites within the Halton Delivery and Allocations Local Plan would lead to adverse effects on European site integrity. Halton HRA Bird Surveys Non-Breeding Bird Survey – Interim Report 1 1 2 INTRODUCTION 2.1 Project Background 2.1.1 Any plans or projects which may impact upon a European designated site (SPA/SAC) or Ramsar site are subject to Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) in accordance the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 (‘the Habitats Regulations’) and Articles 6(3) and 6(4) of the European Habitats Directive. 2.1.2 The HRA process requires competent authorities (in this case Halton Council; ‘HC’) to have adequate information so as to determine that any local development plan (or subsequent planning application submitted to them) will not affect the integrity of any European designated site or Ramsar site by compromising the conservation objectives of that site1. This includes possible impacts on nearby land outside the designated site boundary which is used by qualifying interest species in significant numbers. Such areas are referred to as ‘functionally linked’ land, and typically include farmland close to estuaries, such as that within Halton district around the River Mersey. Any plan or project which leads to adverse impact on the designated site integrity cannot lawfully proceed. It is therefore incumbent on HC to ensure the Halton Local Plan is in full accordance with the requirements of the Habitats Regulations whereby the integrity of the Mersey Estuary SPA/Ramsar will be fully maintained. 2.1.3 Avian Ecology was commissioned to provide an evidence base to assist in the formulation of future planning policy and site allocations within Halton. As such, the study will form part of the evidence base for the Halton Delivery and Allocations Local Plan. 2.1.4 This first interim report details the results of the autumn passage bird surveys. 2.2 Study Area Overview 2.2.1 In consultation with Natural England (NE), it is understood that HC has identified study areas within the Borough of Halton which may be allocated for future housing development and could, potentially, be considered as land which is functionally linked to the Mersey SPA. These are allocation sites H1, H2 and H3 located in Hale village, and W13 and W24 which are located to the south-west of Halebank. For the purpose of this interim report, these five allocation sites, and the fields within 600m of each site is considered as the study area. Fields which are only partly within the 600m buffer zone, are treated as within the study area. Figure 1 shows the location of the allocation sites with 600m buffer zone around each site. 2.2.2 For ease of analysis, and due to their close proximity, the following terms of reference are used: Southern Allocations, defined as allocation sites H1-H3 (and the buffer zones around these). Northern Allocations, defined as W13 and W24 (and buffer zones around these). 2.2.3 These two areas together constitute the study area. 2.2.4 The study area consists of fields which may support wetland birds. Part of the study area (within the buffer zone of the Northern allocations) includes estuary habitats within the Mersey SPA/Ramsar. Areas within the SPA/Ramsar are excluded as the objective of the study is to determine functional linkage only. Based on aerial maps, and subsequent ‘ground-truthing’ habitat appraisals, three other 1 Conservation Objectives are published by Natural England and provide a framework which should inform any ‘Habitats Regulations Assessments’. The Mersey Estuary SPA Conservation Objectives are available at: http://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/5790848037945344 Halton HRA Bird Surveys Non-Breeding Bird Survey – Interim Report 1 2 allocation sites; W47 (Halebank) and R12 and R58 (Runcorn), are considered unsuitable for wetland bird species, as these are either developed or provide sub-optimal habitat. This is further supported with reference to Review and analysis of changes in water-bird use of the Mersey Estuary SPA, Mersey Narrows & North Wirral Foreshore SPA and Ribble & Alt Estuaries SPA2, which indicates that no notable low and high tide waterbird assemblages are present on and surrounding these three allocation sites. These allocation sites are therefore not considered further in this interim report. 2 http://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/4713137133584384 (accessed 28/11/2018) Halton HRA Bird Surveys Non-Breeding Bird Survey – Interim Report 1 3 3 METHODOLOGY 3.1 Habitat Suitability Appraisal 3.1.1 All fields within 600m of the allocation sites were subject to a refined Phase 1 habitat (walk-over) survey following the UK industry standard Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) Phase 1 Habitat Methodology (Joint Nature Conservation Commitee, 20103). For each field, the habitats were marked using standard Phase I habitat codes, with further information on the suitability, or otherwise, for wetland