ITEM NO. 18 Sefton Coast Partnership Nature Conservation Strategy and Biodiversity Delivery Plan 2007 Summary of draft strategy The Sefton Coast Partnership (SCP) follows EU principles of Integrated Coastal Zone Management in developing plans and strategies for the Sefton Coast. The nature conservation strategy considers the management of landscape and wildlife and how this relates to people’s use and appreciation of the coast. A nature conservation strategy; − supports land managers in the conservation and management of protected sites, − helps meet statutory obligations for nature conservation, − helps to delivery of the targets of the North Merseyside Biodiversity Action Plan, − guides progress towards the targets for coastal nature conservation in the Local Area Agreement, − supports the implementation of the Forest Plan and Red Squirrel Refuge − supports the operation of BioBank (the Merseyside biological records centre) and; − maintains good lines of communication between stakeholders. The strategy supports the goal of the Coast Management Plan to ‘conserve, protect and enhance the landscape character, natural beauty and biodiversity of the coast’. Conservation is the careful management of change. It is about revealing and sharing the significance of places and ensuring that their special qualities are protected, enhanced, understood and enjoyed by present and future generations. 1 The Sefton Coast is a special place. It covers 20% of the dune area in England, it is probably the richest site for invertebrates in the region, over 1000 vascular plants have been identified for the dune area, the Ribble and Alt estuaries support some 350,000 over-wintering and passage waterbirds and there are significant national populations of many species, including Natterjack Toad, Sand Lizard, Red Squirrel and Dune Helleborine. Most of the area is protected through legal instruments and local planning policies which support a series of international, national and local designations. • Ribble and Alt Estuaries Ramsar site (2002) • Sefton Coast Special Area of Conservation (2005) • Ribble and Alt Estuaries Special Protection Area (2002) • Mersey Narrows and North Wirral Shore potential SPA (and Ramsar site) • Liverpool Bay potential Marine SPA 1 National Trust Conservation Strategy Group 2003 Summary –draft Nature Conservation Strategy 2007 1 ITEM NO. 18 • Sefton Coast SSSI (2000) –includes geological conservation review (GCR) site • Hesketh Golf Links SSSI (1989) • Mersey Narrows SSSI (2000) (part in Sefton) • Ribble Estuary SSSI (1984) (part in Sefton) The international sites on the Sefton Coast are part of the Natura 2000 network established under the EU Habitats Directive (1992). Natura 2000 gives the highest level of protection to nature under UK law. The Natura 2000 network, however, is not just about site protection –it seeks to promote the sustainable use of sites for people and nature, in partnership. Policies and strategies The management of the Sefton Coast lies within a framework of other plans and strategies, Government guidance and national and international legislation. • The obligations on Sefton Council and other bodies to follow national legislation2 and guidance for nature conservation; • The regional and local planning system. • The preparation and review of Shoreline Management Plans (SMPs). • The work of the Local Area Partnership • The strategic planning of the Mersey Forest and the Mersey Waterfront Regional Park. • The specific policies of organisations within the Sefton Coast Partnership Six management principles To adopt a coastwide approach To regard the Sefton Coast and the Mersey and Ribble estuaries as ‘systems’ and to understand the issues and threats in a wider regional, national and international context. To allow nature to adapt to change To allow nature to take its course wherever possible, planning for the long term in the context of predicted climate change. To work with coastal processes To accept erosion and accretion as part of the dynamic character of the coast whilst recognising that some constraints to this approach may be set by socio-economic needs. To ensure continuity of management To conserve semi-natural habitats through active and sustained management. To restore nature To identify opportunities for the restoration of processes, hydrology and habitats and the recovery of species. To involve people in nature conservation To involve local communities in helping develop solutions to conservation challenges. 2 Section 40 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act places a new biodiversity duty on all public sector bodies. Guidance will be published for local authorities in 2007. Summary –draft Nature Conservation Strategy 2007 2 ITEM NO. 18 The Strategy process The strategy is based on an approach to the evaluation of protected sites, where the features are identified, objectives developed for each feature, factors which influence each feature are identified and monitoring is based on ‘attributes’ (e.g. size, extent etc). Some of the features are a component of the protected sites, others reflect local interests. For national sites Natural England develops Conservation Objectives for the key features. The Conservation Objectives for the Sefton Coast will be revised by Natural England in 2007. In the strategy the Sefton Coast is described in terms of its; − Landform –a product of geology, geomorphological processes and hydrology. − Intertidal habitats –sand-flats, mudflats and saltmarshes. − Dune habitats including the slacks, natural woodland, heathland and scrub. − The plantations, ponds, asparagus fields, ditches and grazing marshes − Value for passage, over-wintering and breeding birds − Characteristic, rare and protected animal and plant species − Overall high biodiversity value − Cultural landscape and archaeology − Value to society for access, recreation, education, tourism and economic use. The strategy advocates a flexible, adaptable and open approach to management. As new information comes to light about climate change, management practice or species conservation we need to be able to respond. The input to the strategy, at an early stage, from a wide range of interests, has helped to identify some of the issues. Without management some habitats and species of the Sefton Coast would become restricted or even locally extinct. The high wildlife value is partly a product of centuries of management by local communities, creating the mosaic of dunes, woods, fields, heaths and marshes. Nature conservation, at the landscape scale, needs to be part of this continuity of management. The ‘condition’ of the Sefton Coast Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) The strategy area includes the Sefton Coast SSSI and part of the Ribble Estuary SSSI. The condition of these sites is monitored by Natural England3. This gives a ‘health check’ based on scientific criteria. The UK Government target is that 95% of all SSSIs should be in favourable condition by 2010. In preparing the strategy the Sefton Coast Partnership has worked closely with Natural England to help land managers understand the challenge and the process. On the dune system a significant area is in unfavourable condition. The Sefton Coast Partnership has accepted the responsibility to meet the national target for SSSI condition through the Local Area Agreement. Given the timescale this work is pressing and land managers will now work with Natural England to agree how sites should be best managed. Management may include scrub control programmes, mowing of meadows or the introduction of grazing funded through agri-environment schemes. Conservation Issues 3 using the UK Common Standards Monitoring approach (see www.jncc.gov.uk/page-2217 ) Summary –draft Nature Conservation Strategy 2007 3 ITEM NO. 18 Conservation issues include; − The potential impacts of climate change and accelerated sea-level rise on land-use, habitats and species − The impact of atmospheric nutrient deposition on vegetation and soils − The consequences of coastal change leading to changes in the position of the coastline − The conservation of the geomorphological processes which maintain the ecosystem − Trends in plant communities which show a loss in the plants associated with young dunes and an increase in coastal grassland − The consequences of fragmentation which can divide and isolate habitats and species − The medium and long-term conservation of water resources − The impact of human use which puts pressure on the natural environment − The need to establish good channels of communication with local communities The table below summaries the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges for the Sefton Coast in relation to the natural environment. Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Challenges Size-the largest dune Sub-division into many Some opportunity to Impact of nutrient system in England landholdings makes it expand habitats on dune accumulation in dune soils c.2000ha. difficult to plan at backlands may be difficult to reverse landscape scale Size allows different Increasing opportunities to Climate change may bring management approaches – Range of land uses reduces make nature more problems –falling water adds to diversity full potential to manage at accessible through Natural tables are predicted ecosystem scale England policies and local Most of area protected by cooperation on tourism Coastal changes may will conservation designations Fragmentation of site by and access lead to losses and gains of roads, railway, plantations habitats.