ECOLOGICAL APPRAISAL Holyoakes Field First School Prepared for: Jacobs UK Limited SLR Ref: 404.04946.00016 Version No:1 January 2019 Jacobs UK Limited Holyoakes Field First School – Ecological Appraisal 404.04946.00016: Filename: 190207_404.04946.00016 HolyoakesFieldFirstSchool_EA_JH_MPM_vf1 v1 February 2019 BASIS OF REPORT This document has been prepared by SLR Consulting Limited with reasonable skill, care and diligence, and taking account of the manpower, timescales and resources devoted to it by agreement with Jacobs UK Limited (the Client) as part or all of the services it has been appointed by the Client to carry out. It is subject to the terms and conditions of that appointment. SLR shall not be liable for the use of or reliance on any information, advice, recommendations and opinions in this document for any purpose by any person other than the Client. Reliance may be granted to a third party only in the event that SLR and the third party have executed a reliance agreement or collateral warranty. Information reported herein may be based on the interpretation of public domain data collected by SLR, and/or information supplied by the Client and/or its other advisors and associates. These data have been accepted in good faith as being accurate and valid. The copyright and intellectual property in all drawings, reports, specifications, bills of quantities, calculations and other information set out in this report remain vested in SLR unless the terms of appointment state otherwise. This document may contain information of a specialised and/or highly technical nature and the Client is advised to seek clarification on any elements which may be unclear to it. Information, advice, recommendations and opinions in this document should only be relied upon in the context of the whole document and any documents referenced explicitly herein and should then only be used within the context of the appointment. Jacobs UK Limited Holyoakes Field First School – Ecological Appraisal 404.04946.00016: Filename: 190207_404.04946.00016 HolyoakesFieldFirstSchool_EA_JH_MPM_vf1 v1 February 2019 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 3 1.1 Details of Proposed Development ............................................................................................... 3 1.2 Study Area ....................................................................................................................................3 1.3 Scope of Ecological Works ............................................................................................................3 1.4 Purpose of this Report .................................................................................................................. 4 RELEVANT LEGISLATION AND PLANNING POLICY3 .............................................................. 5 2.1 Relevant Legislation ......................................................................................................................5 2.1.1 Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 ............................................................................................. 5 2.1.2 Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) ........................................................................................................... 5 2.1.3 Protection of Badgers Act 1992 .................................................................................................................................... 5 2.1.4 Natural Environment & Rural Communities (NERC) Act 2006 ..................................................................................... 5 2.2 Relevant Planning Policy ............................................................................................................... 6 2.2.1 National Planning Policy ............................................................................................................................................... 6 2.2.2 Local Planning Policy ..................................................................................................................................................... 6 METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................................ 9 3.1 Desk Study ....................................................................................................................................9 3.2 Extended Phase 1 Habitat Survey ................................................................................................ 9 3.3 Limitations ................................................................................................................................. 10 ECOLOGICAL BASELINE .................................................................................................... 11 4.1 General Site Description ............................................................................................................ 11 4.2 Designated Sites ........................................................................................................................ 11 4.2.1 Statutory Designated Sites ......................................................................................................................................... 11 4.3 Non-Statutory Designated Nature Conservation Sites ............................................................. 12 4.4 Habitats ...................................................................................................................................... 13 4.5 Protected, Rare and Notable Species ........................................................................................ 18 4.5.1 Flora and Fauna – Data Search Records ..................................................................................................................... 19 4.6 Flora and Fauna – Extended Phase 1 Habitat Survey ............................................................... 21 4.6.1 Notable Flora .............................................................................................................................................................. 21 4.6.2 Mammals .................................................................................................................................................................... 21 4.7 Predicted Trends ....................................................................................................................... 23 4.8 Summary of Important Ecological Features .............................................................................. 23 POTENTIAL ECOLOGICAL CONSTRAINTS TO DEVELOPMENT ............................................. 25 . Jacobs UK Limited Holyoakes Field First School – Ecological Appraisal 404.04946.00016: Filename: 190207_404.04946.00016 HolyoakesFieldFirstSchool_EA_JH_MPM_vf1 v1 February 2019 5.1.1 Designated Sites ......................................................................................................................................................... 25 5.1.2 Habitats ....................................................................................................................................................................... 25 5.1.3 Invasive Non-Native Plant Species .............................................................................................................................. 25 5.1.4 Protected and Other Notable Species ........................................................................................................................ 25 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MITIGATION AND ENHANCEMENT ......................................... 27 6.1 Recommendations for Avoidance of Impact ............................................................................ 27 6.1.1 Positioning of the Development Footprint ................................................................................................................. 27 6.1.2 Timing of Site Clearance ............................................................................................................................................. 27 6.2 Recommendations for Mitigation of Potential Impact ............................................................. 28 6.3 Recommendations for Compensation ...................................................................................... 28 6.4 Recommendations for Ecological and Biodiversity Enhancement ........................................... 28 CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................................. 30 DOCUMENT REFERENCES DRAWINGS DRAWING 1: ECOLOGICAL SURVEY PLAN DRAWING 2: DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS APPENDICES Appendix 01: WBRC Data . Introduction In January 2019, Jacobs UK Limited commissioned SLR Consulting Limited (SLR) to undertake an Ecological Appraisal (EA) of the proposed new Holyoakes Field First School site, off Cookridge Close, Redditch, B97 6GU. Previous ecological appraisal of the site was undertaken in March 2016 on behalf of Worcestershire County Council and this report has been produced to renew the now out-of-date record. 1.1 Details of Proposed Development The proposed development comprises the relocation and expansion of the existing Holyoakes Field First School. The current school accommodates 48 pupils in facilities that are considered to be sub-optimal and deteriorating. The proposed new school would be purpose built and able to accommodate 60 pupils plus a 26 place nursery,