REPORT Millport Coastal Flood Protection Scheme: Environmental Statement Chapter 16 Terrestrial Ecology Client: North Ayrshire Council Reference: PB4749-RHD-ZZ-XX-RP-Z-0016 Status: Final/P01.01 Date: 31 January 2020 Project related HASKONINGDHV UK LTD. 74/2 Commercial Quay Commercial Street Leith Edinburgh EH6 6LX Industry & Buildings VAT registration number: 792428892 +44 131 5550506 T [email protected] E royalhaskoningdhv.com W Document title: Millport Coastal Flood Protection Scheme: Environmental Statement Document short title: Reference: PB4749-RHD-ZZ-XX-RP-Z-0016 Status: P01.01/Final Date: 31 January 2020 Project name: Millport Coastal Flood Protection Scheme Project number: PB4749 Author(s): Jen McMillan Drafted by: Jen McMillan Checked by: Gordon Campbell Date / initials: 12/11/2019 Approved by: Frank Fortune Date / initials: 10/12/2019 Classification Project related Disclaimer No part of these specifications/printed matter may be reproduced and/or published by print, photocopy, microfilm or by any other means, without the prior written permission of HaskoningDHV UK Ltd.; nor may they be used, without such permission, for any purposes other than that for which they were produced. HaskoningDHV UK Ltd. accepts no responsibility or liability for these specifications/printed matter to any party other than the persons by whom it was commissioned and as concluded under that Appointment. The integrated QHSE management system of HaskoningDHV UK Ltd. has been certified in accordance with ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018. 31 January 2020 PB4749-RHD-ZZ-XX-RP-Z- i 0016 Project related Table of Contents 16 Terrestrial Ecology 1 16.1 Introduction 1 16.2 Legislation, Policy and Guidance 1 16.3 Consultation 8 16.4 Methodology 8 16.5 Existing Environment 15 16.6 Impact Assessment 22 16.7 Interactions 38 16.8 References 44 Table of Tables Table 16-1 Summary of key legislation and policy relevant to this proposed scheme 2 Table 16-2 Relevant local planning policies 5 Table 16-3 Consultation responses 8 Table 16-4 Study areas 10 Table 16-5 Definitions of importance levels for terrestrial ecology 11 Table 16-6 Definitions of magnitude levels for terrestrial ecology 12 Table 16-7 Impact significance matrix 14 Table 16-8 Impact significance definitions 14 Table 16-9 Non Statutory Designated Sites 16 Table 16-10 Embedded mitigation measures for terrestrial ecology 24 Table 16-11 Embedded mitigation through Best Practice and Policy 24 Table 16-12 Potential Cumulative Impacts 34 Table 16-13 Summary of projects considered for the CIA in relation to terrestrial ecology 35 Table 16-14 Inter-topic relationships 38 Table 16-15 Potential interactions between impacts on terrestrial ecology 39 Table 16-16 Potential Impacts Identified for Terrestrial and Coastal Ecology 42 Table of Figures Figure 16-1 Project Infrastructure and Study Boundaries Figure 16-2 Extended Phase 1 Habitat Survey Figure 16-3 Designated Sites 31 January 2020 PB4749-RHD-ZZ-XX-RP-Z- ii 0016 Project related Figure 16-4 Otter and Polecat records Figure 16-5 Bat records Figure 16-6 Reptile records Figure 16-7 Invasive non- native species records Appendices Appendix 16.1: Extended Phase 1 Habitat Survey (EP1HS) 31 January 2020 PB4749-RHD-ZZ-XX-RP-Z- iii 0016 Project related 31 January 2020 PB4749-RHD-ZZ-XX-RP-Z- 0016 Project related Acronyms Acronym Acronym description AJPU Ayrshire Joint Planning Unit BCT Bat Conservation Trust BSBI Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland CARS Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme CEMP Construction Environmental Management Plan CIA Cumulative Impact Assessment CIEEM Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management CIRIA Construction Industry Research and Information Association DMRB Design Manual for Roads and Bridges EAP Ecological Action Plan EcIA Ecological Impact assessment ECoW Ecological Clerk of Works EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EP1HS Extended Phase 1 Habitat survey EPS European Protected Species ES Environmental Statement EU European Union ICZM Integrated Coastal Zone Management ILP Institute of Lighting Engineers 31 January 2020 PB4749-RHD-ZZ-XX-RP-Z- i 0016 Project related JNCC Joint Nature Conservation Committee LBAP Local Biodiversity Action Plan LDP Local Development Plan LNCS Local Nature Conservation Sites MAGIC Multi-Agency Geographic Information for the Countryside NALBAP North Ayrshire Local Biodiversity Action Plan NBN National Biodiversity Network NPF National Planning Framework NPMS National Plant Monitoring Scheme NPPG National Planning Policy guidelines OS Ordnance Survey PANS Planning Advice Notes PEA Preliminary Ecological Appraisal SAC Special Area of Conservation SEA Strategic Environmental Assessment SNH Scottish Natural Heritage SPA Special Protection Area SPP Scottish Planning Policy SSSI Special Site of Scientific Interest SWSEIC South West Scotland Environmental Information Centre SWT Scottish Wildlife Trust 31 January 2020 PB4749-RHD-ZZ-XX-RP-Z- ii 0016 Project related TPO Tree Preservation Order UK United Kingdom UKBAP United Kingdom Biodiversity Action Plan 31 January 2020 PB4749-RHD-ZZ-XX-RP-Z- iii 0016 Project related Glossary Glossary Term Glossary Text Bats Study Area 5km from Terrestrial Ecology Study Area Desk Study Area 2km from Terrestrial Ecology Study Area Ecological Impact EIA specifically for ecological receptors (i.e. habitats and species) which may be Assessment (EcIA) affected, following guidance published by the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) Guidelines for Ecological Impact Assessment in the UK and Ireland: Terrestrial, Freshwater, Coastal and Marine (2018) as amended Environmental A statutory process by which certain planned projects must be assessed before a Impact Assessment formal decision to proceed can be made. It involves the collection and (EIA) consideration of environmental information, which fulfils the assessment requirements of the EIA Directive and EIA Regulations, including the publication of an Environmental Statement. Environmental A document reporting the findings of the EIA and produced in accordance with the Statement (ES) EIA Directive as transposed into UK law by the EIA Regulations. Holt Resting place for otter The scheme consists of offshore rock armour structures which will be built in the Millport Coastal vicinity of the rock islets within Millport Bay. Onshore works will include flood Flood Protection walls, improvement works to existing coast protection structures, and works to Scheme raise the level of existing grass areas. Works on the foreshore include shore- connected rock armour breakwaters and rock armour revetments. Terrestrial Ecology 250m from the footprint of the proposed scheme Study Area 31 January 2020 PB4749-RHD-ZZ-XX-RP-Z- iv 0016 Project related 16 Terrestrial Ecology 16.1 Introduction 1. This chapter of the Environmental Statement (ES) considers the potential impacts of the proposed Millport Coastal Flood Protection Scheme (the ‘proposed scheme’) on terrestrial ecology. Potential impacts on birds are discussed in full in Chapter 11 Offshore and Coastal Ornithology . Impacts on the intertidal ecology are discussed in full in Chapter 8 Benthic and Intertidal Ecology . 2. This chapter provides an overview of the existing baseline environment in respect to terrestrial ecology within a study area (see Section 16.4.1.4) around the proposed scheme’s infrastructure (Figure 16-1a and 16-1b). This chapter then provides the findings from an Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA) that has been undertaken of the potential impacts of construction, operation and decommissioning of the proposed scheme based on this baseline environment. This EcIA also considers cumulative impacts of existing and proposed projects in respect to terrestrial ecology. 3. The potential effects on terrestrial ecology are assessed conservatively using realistic worst-case scenarios for the proposed scheme. 4. All figures referred to in this chapter are provided in Volume II of this ES. 5. Other chapters which this chapter interacts with are identified in Section 16.6.8. 6. The assessment of potential effects has been made with specific reference to Scotland’s National Planning Framework and Planning Policy. These are discussed further in Chapter 2 Policy and Legislation and outlined below in Section 16.2. These are the principal decision-making documents for flood protection schemes. 7. This Chapter has been prepared by Royal HaskoningDHV, using information obtained from a suite of ecological field surveys that have been undertaken by Royal HaskoningDHV ecologists. The assessment follows guidance published by the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) Guidelines for Ecological Impact Assessment in the UK and Ireland: Terrestrial, Freshwater, Coastal and Marine (2018) as amended. 8. Additional information to support the assessment of impacts on terrestrial ecology is provided separately in the following appendices: • Appendix 16.1: Extended Phase 1 Habitat Survey (EP1HS) (Volume III of this ES). 16.2 Legislation, Policy and Guidance 16.2.1 Legislation 9. There are a number of pieces of legislation applicable to terrestrial ecology, with the following key pieces of International, UK and Scottish legislation being relevant to this chapter. Further on the following legislation is provided in Chapter 2 Policy and Legislation . 10. Table 16-1 below provides a brief summary of the key legislation and policy relevant to the scheme. 31 January 2020 PB4749-RHD-ZZ-XX-RP-Z- 1 0016 Project related