TRANSPORT AND WORKS ACT 1992 Transport and Works (Applications and Objections Procedure) (England and Wales) Rules 2006 THE NETWORK RAIL (EAST WEST RAIL WESTERN SECTION PHASE 2) ORDER DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT CHAPTER 9: ECOLOGY 133735-PBR-REP-EEN- Document Reference 000009 Author Network Rail Date June 2017 Date of revision and revision June 2017 number 2.0 The Network Rail (East West Rail Western Section Phase 2) Order Draft Environmental Statement CONTENTS 9. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................... 1 9.1 General .......................................................................................................... 2 9.2 Limitations and Assumptions ......................................................................... 3 9.3 Legislation, Policy and Guidance ................................................................... 3 9.4 Approach and Methodology ........................................................................... 6 9.5 Baseline ....................................................................................................... 23 9.6 Effects ....................................................................................................... 197 9.7 Mitigation ................................................................................................... 325 9.8 Residual Effects ......................................................................................... 376 9.9 Species Scientific Name Glossary ............................................................. 377 LIST OF TABLES Table 9.1 Summary of Ecological Field Surveys and Corresponding Technical Appendices .............................................................................................................. 10 Table 9.2 Ecology Study Areas ................................................................................ 13 Table 9.3 Species and aquatic feature baseline information for the Cherwell District Council sub-section .................................................................................................. 31 Table 9.4 Species and aquatic feature baseline information for the Aylesbury Vale: Claydon/Quainton sub-section ................................................................................. 53 Table 9.5 Species and aquatic feature baseline information for the Aylesbury Vale: Winslow/Swanbourne sub-section............................................................................ 82 Table 9.6 Species and aquatic feature baseline information for Aylesbury Vale: Aylesbury sub-section ............................................................................................ 108 Table 9.7 Species and aquatic feature baseline information for Wycombe District Council sub-section ................................................................................................ 128 The Network Rail (East West Rail Western Section Phase 2) Order Draft Environmental Statement Table 9.8 Species and aquatic feature baseline information for Milton Keynes Council sub-section ................................................................................................ 142 Table 9.9 Species and aquatic feature baseline information for Central Bedfordshire Council sub-section ................................................................................................ 161 Table 9.10 Species and aquatic feature baseline information for Bedford Borough Council sub-section ................................................................................................ 180 Table 9.11 Developments that will affect the character and importance of ecological resources prior to construction of the Project ......................................................... 193 Table 9.12 Species Scientific Name Glossary ........................................................ 377 The Network Rail (East West Rail Western Section Phase 2) Order Draft Environmental Statement 9. INTRODUCTION Summary Baseline The majority of the Project Area is an active railway surrounded by agricultural, and to a lesser degree, residential land uses. A section of the Project Area between approximately Claydon Junction and Bletchley is a disused railway which has been colonised by semi- natural grassland, scrub and small areas of woodland. There are a large number of designated site, habitat and species ecological features in the Project Area or in close proximity to the Project Boundary. Of particular note are the following ecological features: Sheephouse Wood SSSI; A number of non-statutory Local Wildlife Sites which are designated for unimproved neutral or calcareous grassland; Mosaics of grassland, scrub and ruderal/empheral habitats which are present along the disused railway and in several former industrial sites near Bletchley; A number of watercourses which provide habitat for aquatic invertebrates, fish and plants; Populations of bats including Bechstein’s bat in the Calvert area and populations of Daubenton’s bat, Natterer’s bat and brown long- eared bat which use the disused railway as a key commuting path; Barn owl and populations of Birds of Conservation Concern red list species; Populations of great crested newt and reptiles; and Populations of terrestrial invertebrate and black hairstreak butterfly. Effects Without mitigation, there would be a range of significant adverse construction effects on ecological features. These are mainly associated with: The loss of breeding/foraging/sheltering or growing habitat; Construction phase disturbance; Alterations to small sections of watercourse; and Mortality to bat and barn owl associated with collisions with train/air pressure changes during train operation. Volume 2 Chapter 9 Page 1 The Network Rail (East West Rail Western Section Phase 2) Order Draft Environmental Statement Mitigation A range of ecological mitigation measures have been proposed to address significant adverse ecological impacts. These include: Creation of compensatory grassland, scrub and wetland habitat outside of the Project Area; Creation of compensatory grassland and scrub habitat in the Project Area after construction has been complete (on new embankment and cutting slopes); Measures to address construction disturbance to animal species (e.g. controlled working practices and lighting controls); and Provision of replacement barn owl nesting habitat (nest boxes). The requirement for a bat mitigation structure is being considered following provisional assessment of potential impacts on Sheephouse Wood SSSI. The results of further operational impact assessment on bats and consultation with NE will be presented in the Final ES. Residual Effects All significant construction effects will be fully mitigated. No construction phase significant residual adverse effects are anticipated. 9.1 General 9.1.1 This chapter identifies and assesses the likely significant effects of the Project on ecological features that could arise from construction and operation. These include impacts on species, habitats and designated sites for nature conservation. This chapter also sets out agreed avoidance, mitigation, compensation and enhancement measures where appropriate, and assesses the significance of the residual effects of the Project on these features. 9.1.2 Species scientific names have been removed from the main body of this chapter (wherever a widely accepted species common name exists) and are provided instead in Section 9.9. Volume 2 Chapter 9 Page 2 The Network Rail (East West Rail Western Section Phase 2) Order Draft Environmental Statement 9.2 Limitations and Assumptions 9.2.1 In addition to the overall ES limitations explained in Section 4.11 of Chapter 4: EIA Methodology, the following limitations and assumptions apply to this chapter. Field Surveys 9.2.2 The limitations, constraints and any deviations from good construction practice survey methodologies associated with particular survey types are reported in Technical Appendices 9.2 to 9.16. 9.2.3 Access was not provided to all of the land area where ecological surveys were planned. Information on locations where access was restricted is provided in Technical Appendices 9.2 to 9.16. 9.2.4 Where land access was not available and field survey data therefore not obtained, a precautionary baseline was built up according to the approach outlined in Section 9.4 (Approach and Methodology). This constitutes a ‘reasonable precautionary case’ basis for the subsequent assessment. Assessment of Impacts 9.2.5 Unless otherwise stated, the assessment of ecological impacts was undertaken using the general assumption that all vegetation will be removed from the TWAO Scheme Area in a single season in order to construct the Project. 9.3 Legislation, Policy and Guidance 9.3.1 The following key pieces of nature conservation legislation are relevant to this assessment: Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and Wild Fauna and Flora (the Habitats Directive); The Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (the Bern Convention); The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010 (as amended) (the Habitats Regulations); The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) (WCA); The Countryside and Rights of Way (CRoW) Act 2000; Volume 2 Chapter 9 Page 3 The Network Rail (East West Rail Western Section Phase 2) Order Draft Environmental Statement The Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act 2006; The Protection of Badgers Act 1992;and