ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT in respect of a proposed development of land to the south of Butland Road, Oakley Vale REF: 11-1642/3372/D17/R DATE: September 2011 Prepared For Lend Lease Projects PO Box 128 County Hall Northampton Northamptonshire NN1 1AS Prepared By Lockhart Garratt Ltd 7-8 Melbourne House Corbygate Business Park Weldon, Corby Northants NN17 5JG Telephone: 01536 408840 Fax: 01536 408860 Email: [email protected] Web: www.lockhart-garratt.co.uk 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................ 4 1.1 Terms of Instruction ................................................................................................... 4 1.2 Report Limitations ...................................................................................................... 4 1.3 Documents Provided .................................................................................................. 4 1.4 Qualifications ............................................................................................................. 4 1.5 The Site ..................................................................................................................... 4 2. APPROACH ............................................................................................................... 5 3. METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................................... 5 3.1 Desk Study................................................................................................................. 5 3.2 Extended Phase 1 Habitat Survey .............................................................................. 5 3.3 Habitat Assessment Evaluation Criteria ..................................................................... 5 4. RESULTS .................................................................................................................. 6 4.1 Desk Study Results .................................................................................................... 6 4.1 Field Survey Limitations ............................................................................................. 7 4.2 Habitat Descriptions ................................................................................................... 7 4.3 Protected Species and Other Faunal Interest ........................................................... 10 5. RELEVANT LEGISLATION ...................................................................................... 12 6. EVALUATION .......................................................................................................... 12 6.1 Local Context ........................................................................................................... 12 6.2 Habitats .................................................................................................................... 12 6.3 Species .................................................................................................................... 13 7. CONCLUSIONS ....................................................................................................... 14 8. RECOMMENDATIONS: ........................................................................................... 14 8.1 General .................................................................................................................... 14 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................... 17 LOCKHART GARRATT LTD Trees, Woodland, Forestry APPENDIX I: SITE LOCATION PLAN ................................................................................ 18 APPENDIX II: DESK STUDY RESULTS ............................................................................ 20 APPENDIX III: PHASE 1 HABITAT SURVEY PLAN .......................................................... 21 APPENDIX IV: INDICATIVE GREAT CRESTED NEWT MITIGATION PLAN ..................... 23 APPENDIX V: SITE PHOTOGRAPHS ............................................................................... 25 LOCKHART GARRATT LTD Trees, Woodland, Forestry 11-1642 260911 3372 D17 R Phase 1 Report.doc November 2011 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Terms of Instruction 1.1.1 This report has been commissioned by Lend lease Ltd (August 2011) to provide an ecological assessment of a proposed development of an area of derelict land to the south of Butland Road within Oakley Vale, Corby. 1.2 Report Limitations 1.2.1 This is an ecological report and as such no reliance should be given to comments relating to buildings, engineering, soils or other unrelated matters. 1.3 Documents Provided 1.3.1 As background information the following documentation was provided: Aerial View – GSS Architecture – New Primary School, Oakley Vale (Ref: SK- 02) Proposed Site Plan – GSS Architecture – New Primary School, Oakley Vale (Ref: SK-14, Rev A) 1.4 Qualifications 1.4.1 The authors of this report are detailed below: James R M Patmore BSc(Hons) CEnv MIEEM CBiol MSB Project Manager/Secondary Author James A Whiteford BSc (Hons) MIEEM MSB Primary Author/Primary Surveyor John Lockhart FRICS CEnv Project Director Alison Barrett BSc(Hons) Graphics 1.5 The Site 1.5.1 The site is approximately 2.2ha in size and is located within the centre of a new urban extension (Oakley Vale) on the south-eastern edge of Corby in Northamptonshire (GB Grid Reference: SP 88209 87016). 1.5.2 The site is currently disused and supports a mosaic of short and taller grassland habitats. 1.5.3 The landscape surrounding the site is urban in nature and includes a mixture of residential housing and Public Open Space (POS). The site is bound by residential housing to the south and east with a balancing lagoon beyond, to the west by a playing field and to the north by Butland Road and further residential housing. 4 LOCKHART GARRATT LTD Trees, Woodland, Forestry 11-1642 260911 3372 D17 R Phase 1 Report.doc November 2011 2. APPROACH 2.1.1 To assess the ecological issues associated with the site and to inform any further assessments the following tasks were undertaken: A Desk Study An Extended Phase 1 Habitat Survey 3. METHODOLOGY 3.1 Desk Study 3.1.1 The purpose of the desk study was to collect baseline data held by statutory and non-statutory consultees and to obtain any views they may have about the proposals. A secondary purpose of the desk study was to collect records of species that may not be present at the time of survey. 3.1.2 Information was requested for the site as well as a 2km radius around the site in line with the IEMA Guidelines (1995). This information was gathered from the following organisations (with the full information presented in Appendix II): Northamptonshire Biodiversity Records Centre (NBRC) Nature on the Map (Natural England) 3.2 Extended Phase 1 Habitat Survey 3.2.1 According to the IEEM Guidelines (1995), Phase 1 Habitat Surveys can be undertaken all year round to support and verify the findings of the desk top survey. 3.2.2 The aim of the Extended Phase 1 Habitat Survey was to provide information to establish the ecological value of the site and to determine any further assessments. During the Phase 1 Habitat Survey the dominant plant species present were recorded and the habitats classified according to their vegetation types. 3.2.3 This information is presented in accordance with the standard Phase 1 Habitat Survey format with habitat descriptions and a habitat map with Target Notes (Joint Nature Conservation Committee, 1993), see Appendix III. 3.2.4 As part of the survey any evidence of protected species was also recorded and a general assessment of the site’s likelihood of supporting protected species was also made. 3.2.5 In addition invasive weeds were also searched for during the Phase 1 Habitat Survey. 3.3 Habitat Assessment Evaluation Criteria 3.3.1 A five point evaluation scale has been applied to assist with the identification of key features of ecological significance in relation to the proposed development, following guidance outlined in IEEM (2006) guidelines. This is an arbitrary scale which experience has shown is effective at this level of assessment. 3.3.2 The five point scale is outlined below: low value; intermediate value; 5 LOCKHART GARRATT LTD Trees, Woodland, Forestry 11-1642 260911 3372 D17 R Phase 1 Report.doc November 2011 high value (Local/District importance e.g. Local Wildlife Site); very high value (County importance e.g. Local Nature Reserve); and exceptional value (National importance e.g. Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)). 4. RESULTS 4.1 Desk Study Results 4.1.1 The full information collected during the desk study is presented at Appendix II and summarised below. Ecological designations 4.1.2 The records search identified 1 statutory protected site (e.g. National Nature Reserve, Local Nature Reserve, RAMSAR or SSSI) within 2km of the study area. 1. Kingwood Nature Reserve (LNR): Species rich (250 species) area of Ancient Woodland located 1.5km west of the study area. 4.1.3 8 designated non-statutory sites (i.e. Local Wildlife Sites (LWS), Pocket Parks (PP). Potential Local Wildlife Site (pLWS)) have been identified within the 2km study area (see plan and further detail at Appendix II) which are summarised as: 1. Great Oakley Quarry: An old quarry face that has developed a good mixture of species rich neutral and calcareous grassland habitats. This site qualifies as an LWS under the neutral grassland criteria (12