Marsh House Bridge Planning Ecology Statement – ecology DRAFT Warrington Borough Council October 2013 Quality Management Job No Doc No. 1 Project Marsh House Bridge Planning Statement Location Document 1 Ref File reference L:\\Marsh House Bid Document\ Part 2|Section 5\Planning Appilcation\Ecology Planning Statement 2009.doc Date October 2013 Prepared by Colin Jenkins Signature (for file) Checked by Signature (for file) Authorised Signature (for file) by Contents Contents 1. Introduction 1 1.1 Legislative context 1 1.2 Local Planning Policies 1 2. Site Description 2 2.1 Site Location 2 2.2 Protected sites 2 2.3 Habitats 2 2.4 Protected Species 4 3. References 7 1. Introduction Warrington Borough Council have undertaken an ecological assessment based on survey findings of the existing Marsh House Bridge located at adjacent to Fiddlers Ferry Boat Yard off Station Road Penketh, Warrington, for inclusion in the submission of an outline planning application for proposals of the new bascule bridge which will be an on-line replacement. Warrington Borough Council is seeking outline planning permission to incorporate a new bascule bridge in an attempt to restore the St Helens Canal. Proposals comprise a bascule bridge with associated access arrangements. The existing bridge that had been destroyed has been replaced by a temporary bridge is within the proposal site boundary; however, this is due to be removed in February 2014 once the new bascule bridge is installed which is subject to funding until December 2013. 1.1 LEGISLATIVE CONTEXT Relevant UK wildlife and nature conservation legislation includes the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended), the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 (as amended), the Hedgerow Regulations (1997), the Countryside Rights of Way Act (2000), the Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act 2006 and Planning Policy Statement (PPS) 9. The NERC Act 2006 states that “every public body must, in exercising its functions have regard, so far as is consistent with the proper exercise of those functions, to the purpose of conserving biodiversity”. PPS 9 states that the Government’s objectives for planning are to “to conserve, enhance and restore the diversity of England’s wildlife and geology by sustaining, and where possible improving, the quality and extent of natural habitat and geological sites; the natural physical processes on which they depend; and the populations of naturally occurring species which they support”. In addition, the government has indicated that local authorities should take steps to further the conservation of Habitats and Species Of Principal Importance through their planning function (PPS 9 ODPM Circular, 2005) The aims of this report are: 1) to detail habitats, flora and fauna recorded during an ecological assessment undertaken by TEP throughout 2008 of the proposed development area, with particular attention given to habitats that have the potential to support protected or otherwise notable species; 2) to recommend mitigation and enhancement proposals which will enable the development to proceed in full compliance with relevant wildlife and nature conservation legislation. 1.2 LOCAL PLANNING POLICIES Local planning polices from the Warrington Borough Council Unitary Development Plan (2006) relevant to this assessment comprise: • GRN 10 Protection and Enhancement of Urban Greenspace; • GRN 18 Key Biodiversity Habitats and Priority Species; • GRN 20 Wildlife Corridors; • GRN 21 Protection of Nature Conservation Resource; • GRN 22 Protection and Enhancement of Landscape Features; 2. Site Description 2.1 SITE LOCATION The proposed development site is on the existing bridge which is situated approximately 6 miles west of Warrington Town Centre. The site is located within an industrial estate area bordered to the north by A562 Warrington Road with predominantly industrial units beyond; to the south of bridge is the River Mersey; to the west the Fiddlers Ferry Boat Yard; to the east the disused St Helens Canal continues towards our boundary with Halton. The proposed development site is approximately 0.1ha in size with a mosaic of habitats comprising predominantly weed beds, semi-improved neutral grassland, and scattered broad-leaved trees and scrub, standing water, St Helens Canal, in addition to buildings and hard standing. 2.2 PROTECTED SITES There are no statutory or non-statutory designated sites within 1 km of the proposed development area. The land within the survey area is predominantly allocated an Urban Green Space (local planning policy GRN 10) within a wildlife corridor (local planning policy GRN 20), however, development proposals aim to regenerate the disused canal for future navigational use, enhance the visual amenity, in addition to the community value of the area whilst retaining biodiversity features of importance and enhancing further habitats. At the most western boundary of the site at the boundary with Halton Council, the existing tow path is being upgraded to provide a cycle route link from Halton to Warrington. There will be no loss of green space will the proposals at the existing bridge location. The existing wildlife corridor along St Helens Canal will be enhanced through native tree planting, deepening and widening of selected sections, in addition to removal of significant proportions of accumulated litter and water quality improvements. A small corridor of rough unimproved grassland and weed bed will be retained bordering the west of the site. Further enhancements across the site, through incorporation of UK and Cheshire BAP habitats, will increase the overall biodiversity. These enhancements are discussed within this document. 2.3 HABITATS The existing habitats will remain. 2.3.1 AMENITY GRASSLAND/WEED BED Amenity grassland is the predominant habitat across the proposed development site. The habitat is species poor and offers very little in terms of biodiversity value as it is currently managed. Although a habitat of low biodiversity value, the area of grass land and weed bed will be retained to the west of the proposed bridge. Conservation management of these areas would contribute to the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) Priority Habitat, Lowland Meadows and the Cheshire BAP habitat unimproved grassland. 2.3.2 BROAD-LEAVED SCATTERED TREES AND SCRUB Broad-leaved trees are located predominantly to the west of the site, with scattered trees to the west of the site which are not dense and therefore provide no important foraging and potential roosting habitat for bats, in addition to an ideal habitat for breeding birds. All mature trees with bat roost potential will be retained in the proposed development; however, an additional survey prior to any works will be required to determine if any mitigation, such as sympathetic lighting proposals will be required in the month of February 2014. Scattered trees and scrub in the area proposed for boat mooring at the southwest corner of the bridge will be removed. However, additional planting of trees across the remainder of the site will compensate for the loss of these habitats. 2.3.3 SEMI-IMPROVED NEUTRAL GRASSLAND The grassland to the sides of the canal have in the past been left unmanaged and has grown into a denser, yet still relatively species-poor semi-improved neutral grassland. The same grassland aligns St Helens Canal and sections of the southern west and east boundary. All are considered important for invertebrates. Under appropriate conservation management, the semi-improved neutral grassland will contribute to the Cheshire BAP local priority habitat, Unimproved Grassland. Although a large proportion of the semi-improved neutral grassland habitat is not losted to the development, additional planting of more species rich grasslands could also be planted and log piles will be introduced to retain the tow path. Both these habitats are considered beneficial for invertebrates. All these measures are included to compensate for the loss of semi-improved neutral grassland. 2.3.4 STANDING WATER – POND The disused canal on site is currently shallow, with little open water. Species present include Common Reed (Phragmites australis). A combination of field surveys and information provided by site rangers recorded Dragonflies, the UKBAP priority species, the Common Toad (Bufo bufo), in addition to the Common Eel (Anguilla anguilla) (recorded in 2002) and birds were recorded using the pond. There was no evidence of the European Protected Species Great Crested Newt (Triturus cristatus). Ponds are a locally important UKBAP and Cheshire BAP habitat. In addition, Common reed reedbeds are a UKBAP Priority Habitat. With appropriate management the pond and reedbed habitats have the potential to support a diverse range of flora and fauna. Proposals for the pond include reprofiling the soft banks, with a gradual gradient, selective management of the Common Reed, in addition to selective planting of native species with high ecological value, such as Water Mint (Mentha aquatica), Brooklime (Veronica beccabunga) or Water Forget Me Not (Myosotis scorpioides). Proposals for swales and scrapes along the southern boundary of St Helens Canal will provide ecologically important habitats, in addition to flood attenuation. The swales will be lined due to the contaminated nature of the topsoil, but planting with native species considered to have high ecological value, such as Water Mint (Mentha aquatica), Brooklime (Veronica beccabunga) or Water Forget Me Not (Myosotis scorpioides) are proposed. In addition,