APPENDIX 10 Kirk Langley environment 1.Physical characteristics. 1.1 Kirk Langley is situated in an area of settled mixed arable farmland, characterised by undulating fields bounded by hedgerows and isolated trees. It is an historic farmland area. It has a village centre, based around the church, school and village hall. The one village pub is situated in the settlement area of Langley Common. This settlement area comprises Adams Road, Poyser Lane/Moor Lane and Poles Road. It is situated about three quarters of a mile from the Church and sits in an elevated position above the village settlement. Beyond that, Kirk Langley Parish has a series of isolated farmhouses and small hamlets. Within the Parish lies Meynell Langley Hall situated between Kirk Langley Village and Kedleston Hall. Within the parish lies the key approach to Kedleston Hall, commencing at Flagshaw Lane. Apart from the pub, there are a number of other small businesses within the parish. 1.2 In October 2016 Amber Valley Borough Council (AVBC) undertook a landscape sensitivity survey, which underpinned the local plan. Kirk Langley is within The Needwood and South Derbyshire Claylands area and is characterised as settled farmland. This is described as follows1: “An undulating to gently rolling, dairy farming landscape with hedgerow trees, dense watercourse trees and occasional small woodlands. A well- settled landscape of red brick farmsteads and cottages along winding country lanes” The survey referenced the study of Areas of Multiple Environmental sensitivity (AMES) to identify those areas of landscape within the county considered to be most sensitive in relation to landscape character, biodiversity and the historic environment. The output of the study was the identification of Areas of Multiple Environmental Sensitivity, where two or more of the input indicators (visual unity, ecology or historic) were determined as significant. This resulted in the identification of areas of primary sensitivity (significant for all three of the indicators), and secondary sensitivity (significant for two of the indicators). Remaining land was identified as not being strategically sensitive. The study classes the majority of the south west corner of the borough as of primary sensitivity “comprising the landscape around Kedleston Hall and RPaG, and north of Kirk Langley. A narrow strip of land to the south of Kirk Langley is identified as not being strategical sensitive, and the remaining land within this NCA (within the Borough) is identified as being of secondary sensitivity”.2 1 Page 4, 1.1.5 2 3.3.3 AMES study 1 Within that assessment there are specific levels of sensitivity: low, medium and high: “determined by the presence of landscape receptors which affect susceptibility to change and landscape value, and the relationship between these two factors” The sensitivity levels are further explained as follows: High sensitivity: Land with a high susceptibility to change and/or which is of high value, e.g. land adjacent to or visually prominent from the World Heritage Site, land outside of the settlement pattern, land which has high visual prominence, land which contributes to heritage or ecological assets. Medium sensitivity: Land with a medium susceptibility to change and/or which is of medium value, e.g. land which has medium visual prominence, land which partially contributes to heritage or ecological assets. Low sensitivity: Land with a low susceptibility to change and/or which is of low value, e.g. land within the settlement pattern, land with low visual prominence, land which has no or very limited contribution to heritage or ecological assets. This assessment of sensitivity for Kirk Langley village (only) is described on the plan below referred to in the study: KEY: no colour: no sensitivity. Pale Purple: High sensitivity. Medium purple: Medium sensitivity. Deep purple: Low Sensitivity 2 2. ECOLOGY overview 2.1 Fields and boundaries The field boundaries are largely hedgerow, often supplemented by stock fences. Isolated trees can be seen within fields and within the hedge boundaries. The grassland in Kirk Langley is generally characterised as “improved grassland” (see below), with few flowers and few grass species, sown for forage and silage. Such flowers and plants which are present, such as buttercups, docks and thistles, have little value for wildlife. Thus, the grassland is generally “species poor”. There are no meadows within the parish. Meadows are characterised as “small, flower-rich, agricultural grassland which is not intensively managed”. These meadow grasslands are relatively undisturbed areas which have had time to develop complex ecosystems. See Annex 1 for further details of meadow grasslands. However, some wildflowers and grasses can be seen along some field edges and hedgerows, particularly along field edges which contain crops, when they are not ploughed up to the boundary. 2.2 Improved grassland This is one of the more intensively managed types of vegetation in Britain. They are dominated by grass species, with few flowers, and are often sown for agricultural or recreational use. The abundance of Lolium perenne, Phleum pratense and Trifolium repens is the result of application of fertiliser to encourage the growth of such species, or of direct reseeding of these swards. These grasslands are managed as grazing pastures or hay meadows for silage or both, where stock graze on the aftermath after hay is cut in summer. 2.3 Woodland Small pockets of deciduous woodland can be seen in the Parish, particularly in land to the North West of the A52, adjacent to Lodge Lane and land forming part of the Meynell Estate; such as Sandpit Wood and Crow Wood. Isolated mature native trees can be seen within some fields and hedge boundaries. 2.4 Lakes, ponds and watercourses There are a number of ponds within the parish and one small lake on private land in Nether Burrows. A couple of slow-flowing streams meander across the landscape with tributaries draining the surrounding farmland into these watercourses. 3. UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) and Priority Habitats The BAP must be taken account of in any planning decisions. For additional detail see Annex 2. The priority habitats mentioned in the BAP are referred to below. The focus of the BAP is on priority species listed in Section 41/42 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act (2006) together with species listed as Biodiversity 2020 Farmland. 3 3.1 These are the primary features set out in the BAP which appear to apply to Kirk Langley: A) “Wood-pasture and Parkland: Scattered across the area with fine examples at Kedleston, Meynell Langley..........” B) Veteran trees: Mainly found in the parks, but also in fields, hedges and woods across the area. C) Hedgerows: Widespread throughout the area. D) Ponds: Main concentration between Osmaston and Kedleston”. 3.2 (A) WoodPasture and Parkland The following is taken from the official habitat definition for wood pasture and parkland, agreed by the Habitat Action Plan technical advisory group and published by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee at the end of 2011: “Wood pasture is classifed as a mosaic habitat valued for individual park-like trees particularly veteran and ancient, and the fauna, flora and fungi it supports, including a number of species that only occur in wood pasture and parkland. Grazing animals are fundamental to the habitats existence and many sites are also important historic landscapes”. This appears to include part of the Meynell estate, falling within the parish boundary. 3.3 (B) Veteran trees These can be seen within the line of hedgerows and some are isolated within fields and include oaks, which support the greatest number of insect species. Native deciduous woodland supports greatest number of insects and enhance birdlife. 3.4 (C) Hedgerows and field boundaries Many farmland species have declined over recent years due to agricultural intensification, so arable field margins provide vital havens for these creatures. In the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP), cereal field margins, in particular, are a priority habitat. This is because wildflowers are important sources of nectar and pollen for bumblebees, wasps and butterflies. Grasshoppers and beetles take cover in the grasses, along with many beneficial predators, such as spiders and ladybirds, which feed on crop pests like aphids. Field margins can provide refuges for brown hares and small mammals, such as field voles, which attract barn owls and kestrels. They also offer nesting and feeding sites for birds such as corn bunting, skylark, tree sparrow and grey partridge, all of which are identified as priority species in the UK BAP. Arable field margins also buffer ditches, rivers and streams from agricultural activity and pollution and provide valuable wildlife corridors, allowing wildlife to move freely between habitats. Some field margins in Kirk Langley appear to be purposefully left unploughed. This is an area of land management which is controlled by DEFRA and the conditions attached to farm payments and in other land management schemes. This is described further in Annex 4. In addition to field margins, the most important resource for wildlife in Kirk Langley are its hedgerows. Hedgerow is valued locally by farmers as a stock-proof barrier and windbreak. They are protected in law from removal, but the same legal protections do not cover their 4 maintenance. Issues relating to maintenance are described in Annex 5. Hedges are best for wildlife when they include many varieties of types and heights of shrub, trees and rambling plants. 3.5 (D) Ponds and watercourses Kirk Langley has numerous ponds scattered through the Parish; including one opposite New House Farm, between New House farm and Tudor Farm, several off Church Lane and near the Green. There is one small lake on private land adjacent to the Burma Road at Nether Burrows. There is one stream (Flagshaw Brook) flowing west-east with tributaries flowing to the north of Ashbourne Road, until it reaches and merges with Mackworth Brook.