1. PROJECT SPECIFICATION 1.1 The Wirral Biodiversity Audit Project, commissioned by Wirral Metropolitain Borough Council, was designed to develop a Biodiversity Evidence Base for the LDF and to review and update Wirral’s Local Wildlife sites selection criteria and guidelines. Under these two primary aims, a range of Tasks were identified, each of which has been addressed individually in subsequent sections of this report. Project Rationale 1.2 RPG 13, the Regional Planning Guidance for the North West, sets out the framework into which the LDF sits. The Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS – currently under review) sets out the framework for the environment under its heading of ‘ Enjoying and Managing the North West: Environmental Enhancement and Protection ’. This requires sound environmental management to be delivered across the North West by: • protecting and enhancing the most significant biodiversity, landscape, heritage and woodland assets; • land and water management; • the delivery of a green infrastructure – creating functional networks of greenspaces important not only for their environmental quality but also providing for recreation, opportunities for improving health, adaptation to climate change and other social and economic benefits; and, • ensuring that the coast is properly managed. 1.3 As far as biodiversity is concerned, the targets for the North West in the RSS are derived from the UK BAP. Local BAPs are seen as the key mechanism for implementing BAP targets and the regional biodiversity targets form a natural link between the two stages. 1.4 The LDF provides the local dimension within the RSS framework. It consists of a collection of statutory Development Documents that together set out the vision and spatial strategy for the future development and investment across the whole Borough. Development Plan Documents within the Framework will form part of the Development Plan for the area. As part of the LDF for Wirral, a Core Strategy is to be developed which will have status alongside the RSS as part of the statutory Development Plan. 1.5 The Core Strategy Development Plan will set out the vision, strategy and spatial strategy for the Borough. It will not be site specific, but will form the framework for the site or area-specific Development Plan Documents that will be prepared at a later date. A Proposals Map will be prepared alongside the Development Plan Documents to illustrate the geographical application of the Council’s policies and this will include areas designated for protection such as wildlife sites. 1.6 As part of the development of the Core Strategy Development Plan, a series of technical studies are required. The Wildlife Sites and Biodiversity Audit is one of these, on which this project focuses. The Core Strategy has to be consistent with the emerging RSS and the biodiversity scope required for this is set out as described above. At the same time, under the NERC Act (2006), all Local Authorities now have a duty to have regard for the purpose of Ref No. 090412 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council August 2009 Biodiversity Audit of the Wirral conserving biodiversity. This new duty is a catalyst for considering biodiversity data. The material needed on which the Development Plan Documents are prepared is evidence based. This can be interpreted as providing a sound foundation based on survey and assessment against consistent criteria. This is important so that the judgements and decisions made are clearly understood, are transparent as they are made against published and accepted criteria and are defendable. 1.7 The ALGE report ‘Biodiversity Data Needs for LDFs ’ (2005) sets out the biodiversity information requirements to achieve this for local authorities. They include: • a geographically comprehensive set of detailed data on species, habitats and designated sites for development control, Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), countryside management and other activities; • survey information covering the whole plan area for setting targets and objectives in the development of local BAPs as well as more general spatial and strategic plans; • an audit of available information as a first step to identifying critical gaps; and, • a data delivery mechanism that should include database reports and GIS layers for integration with other spatial datasets. 1.8 The list of biodiversity information needs given in the ALGE report for developing the LDF reflect those set out in the remit for this project: • an information audit and gap analysis; • an assessment of the number, distribution, condition and extent of statutory and non- statutory nature conservation sites in the area; • the distribution and extent of key habitats within the area, together with trends and comparative data from other areas; • the distribution of important species and comparative data from other areas; • boundaries of critically important areas for maintaining favourable conservation status of important species assemblages and BAP priority habitats including potential areas for expansion; and, • summary statistics and /or maps of important ecosystem functions and landuses factors that affect biodiversity than can be linked to the data collected. 1.9 This list forms the foundation of the first part of the remit in this project. The evidence-base requires a systematic approach. Much of the information available for collation to prepare the Biodiversity Evidence Base has been collected over a long period of time, by different surveyors and organisations, using different methods and has often been evaluated using different criteria. An exercise is required that collates all the available information, sets it into a uniform context, provides it spatially, reviewed against modern criteria and key objectives such as the priority habitats and species and provides an assessment of the quality of the habitats and data. Ref No. 090412 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council August 2009 Biodiversity Audit of the Wirral Overview of Wirral’s Biodiversity 1.10 The current MBW has a population of over 300,000 and covers an area of 60.35 square miles (15,902ha above the mean high tide mark), bounded by the Cheshire Plain, the River Dee and the River Mersey. The Irish Sea lies to its northwest side. The Shropshire Union Canal joins the River Mersey at Ellesmere Port and the River Dee at Chester. Figure 1.1. Location Map for the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral Greater Manchester Merseyside Warrington The Wirral Halton Flintshire Cheshire Conwy Denbighshire Wrexham Stoke-on-Trent 1.11 Within the MBW, a wide range of ecosystems is supported, from those relatively undisturbed in character, such as ancient woodlands, to landscapes with mixed patterns of human use, to ecosystems intensively managed and modified by humans, such as agricultural land and urban areas. The MBW is home to sandstone ridges and outcrops, estuarine habitat including mud/sand flats with extensive dune systems, mixed woodland, heathland and many lanes bridleways and footpaths. Biodiversity is an integral part of all such ecosystems and, given the prevalence of managed ecosystems and the anthropogenic pressures on them, it is critical that the value of biodiversity is appreciated and addressed. Habitats 1.12 Natural and semi-natural habitats now account for only 11% of the MBW land area, many of which are of particular nature conservation value in national and regional terms. Important habitat types with the MBW include both local and UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) priority habitats, including seven local BAP habitats and ten UK BAP habitats (see Table 1.1). The individual habitats and the species which occur within them have been further analysed in Chapter 4. Ref No. 090412 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council August 2009 Biodiversity Audit of the Wirral Table 1.1. Local and UK BAP Priority Habitat Types Present across the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral Priority Habitat Type Description Ancient semi-natural woodlands are those that have persisted in the Ancient Semi- landscape since approximately 1600AD. Continuity of such woodland Natural on a site determines whether it is classed as ancient. Such woodlands Local BAP Broadleaved usually support a diverse array of animal and plant species, many of Woodland which are unique to such sites and which also represent the remaining link to the original 'wildwoods', which once covered most of England. Ponds are defined as small, man-made permanent or seasonal water bodies up to 2ha in extent. Ponds at all successional stages are important for wildlife, including many invertebrates such as: broad bodied chaser ( Libellula depressa ), the red-eyed damselfly (Erythromma najas ) and the protected lesser silver water beetle (Hydrochara caraboides ). In Cheshire, ponds are particularly important Local BAP Ponds for great crested newts ( Triturus cristatus ) (one in three ponds in Cheshire contain populations of great crested newts). Ponds also provide habitat for other amphibians such as, common toad ( Bufo bufo ), smooth newt ( Triturus vulgaris ), palmate newt ( Triturus helveicus ) and common frog ( Rana temporaria ). Water voles ( Arvicola terrestris amphibious ) and white-clawed crayfish ( Autropotamobius pallipes ) can also be found in ponds. Roadside verges probably constitute the largest extent of grassland of Roadside nature conservation value in many counties. They provide important Local BAP Verges corridors for the movement of species and regularly support important plant and animal communities. Before the influence of humans on the British