Hampshire Biodiversity Information Centre Annual Report 2018-19 July 2019 Hampshire Biodiversity Information Centre Annual Report for 2018-19 The Gilbert White Bioblitz at the Selbourne Festival of Nature 2018 Sharing information about Hampshire’s wildlife The Hampshire Biodiversity Information Centre Partnership includes local authorities, government agencies, wildlife charities and biological recording groups. Page 1 Hampshire Biodiversity Information Centre Annual Report 2018-19 July 2019 Contents 1. Summary of Key Activities for 2018/19 ............................................................................ 3 2. Staffing & Contact Details ................................................................................................ 4 3 Habitat Survey Programme ............................................................................................. 5 4. SINC Programme ............................................................................................................ 9 5 Provision of Data ........................................................................................................... 12 6 Screening of Planning Applications and Road Works .................................................... 15 7 Data Holdings ................................................................................................................ 16 8 Additional Community Recording inc. Living Record ...................................................... 19 9 Updating the GIS habitat layer ....................................................................................... 22 10 Special Projects ............................................................................................................. 23 11 IT Development & Improvements .................................................................................. 23 12. Financial Statements ..................................................................................................... 24 13. Annual Recorders Forum .............................................................................................. 27 Tables Table 1 : Summary of HBIC staff roles and contact details.....................................................................4 Table 2 : Request for Surveys Allocated to each Partner .......................................................................5 Table 3 : Additional Requests and funding received ..............................................................................8 Table 4 : Summary of SINCs submitted to Panel ...................................................................................9 Table 5 : Time spent on evaluation of SINCs ....................................................................................... 11 Table 6 : GIS data to Partners ............................................................................................................. 12 Table 7 : Data requests summary........................................................................................................ 13 Table 8 : Data requests allocated to each partner ................................................................................ 13 Table 9 : Data requests by type of enquirer ......................................................................................... 14 Table 10 : Planning applications screened by partner .......................................................................... 15 Table 11 : Screening Road Works ....................................................................................................... 15 Table 12 :Total Species data holdings by database ............................................................................. 16 Table 13 :MapMate Holdings .............................................................................................................. 16 Table 14 : Recorder Holdings .............................................................................................................. 17 Table 15 : Bioblitz results .................................................................................................................... 19 Table 16 : Living Record Verification ................................................................................................... 19 Table 17 : Survey updates outstanding on the GIS Habitat layer ......................................................... 22 Table 18 : Income from Partners ......................................................................................................... 24 Table 19 : Expenditure and income ..................................................................................................... 25 Table 20 : Local Recorders Fund ....................................................................................................... 26 Table 21 : HBIC Forum 2019 Organisations attending.………………………………………………28 Page 2 Hampshire Biodiversity Information Centre Annual Report 2018-19 July 2019 1. Summary of Key Activities for 2018/19 a. Delivered services to 25 funding partners set through Service Level Agreements & Data Supply Agreements, the National Trust becoming the 25th partner this year. Services Include field survey & provision of comprehensive GIS data b. Reported to the HBIC Steering Group which met twice in July 2018 & February 2019 and the HBIC Users Advisory Group which met twice in May 2018 and November 2018. c. Organised the 16th Annual HBIC Recorders Forum attended by 90 local recorders and recording groups - see page 28 for organisations represented d. Carried out a Habitat Survey Programme (Phase 2/NVC) of 269 sites (down from 367 last year) which included a review of 133 Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (up from 122 last year). e. Evaluated the 2017 survey data and recommended 25 new SINCs (down from 31 last year), 44 amended SINCs (up from 37 last year) and 10 SINCs for deletion (up from 5 last year) to the SINCs Panel. f. Imported 460,033 new species records through on-going Data Exchange Agreements with the species recording groups, other individuals, and HBIC’s own survey programme. The Recorder and MapMate databases now hold 6,913,800 species records again up just over 7% on the previous year. g. Continued to support Living Record as an efficient user-friendly on-line data capture tool for many recording groups/local community groups with 72,604 new records entered for 2018/19, down slightly from 73,322 in 2017/18 h. Responded to 711 requests for biodiversity information, up 8% on last year with chargeable time also increasing from 68% to 76%, and an increase in income of 9%. 95% of requests were dealt with within 10 working days, up from 91% last year. i. Screened 12,971 planning applications – down 1% on last year despite now covering Eastleigh again. 22% were flagged as having a potential impact on designated sites, priority habitats and notable species - up from 21% last year. j. Updated the Ecological Network Map for Hampshire and rolled it out to all LPAs k. Provided representation on the Association of Local Environmental Records Centres (ALERC) Board of Directors. NC Stepped down as Director at Oct 2018 AGM having served 9 years. l. Provided training and work experience to 3 volunteers. m. Supported four Bioblitz activities at Gilbert White’s Selbourne Nature Festival, Holt Farm ‘Cluster Farm project’ nr Winchester, Pear Tree Green, Southampton, and finally Yateley Common as part of Chris Packham’s UK Bioblitz Tour. Acknowledgements The Hampshire Biodiversity Information Centre is grateful to the HBIC Steering Group*, for support and guidance and to the many species recording groups who provide regular updated copies of their data: Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland, Butterfly Conservation, Hampshire Amphibian & Reptile Network, Hampshire Bat Group, Hampshire Ornithological Society, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, the Hampshire Mammal Group, and several other national schemes & societies including the Bees, Wasps & Ants Recording Society, the British Dragonfly Society, the British Bryology Society, and PTES. The following organisations provide funding and other in-kind support to HBIC in return for a Biodiversity Information Service; Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council, East Hampshire District Council, Eastleigh Borough Council, Forestry Commission, Environment Agency, Fareham Borough Council, Gosport Borough Council, Hampshire County Council Economy, Transport & Environment Department and the Countryside Service, Hart District Council, Havant Borough Council, New Forest District Council, New Forest National Park Authority, Portsmouth City Council, Portsmouth Water, Rushmoor Borough Council, South Downs National Park Authority, Southampton City Council, Southern Water, Test Valley Borough Council, Thames Water, Wessex Water and Winchester City Council. * See page 4 for Steering Group members, and 3 District/Unitary Councils per year in rotation. Page 3 Hampshire Biodiversity Information Centre Annual Report 2018-19 July 2019 2. Staffing & Contact Details Table 1 : Summary of HBIC staff roles and contact details Role Staff Email Tel. Specialist Environmental 01962 Nicky Court [email protected] Services/HBIC Manager 832322 IT databases/GIS/Species Wolfgang Ritter Senior 01962 [email protected] data/Special Projects Ecologist (Data Manager) 832324 SLA Lead inc. Survey Sarah Callegari Programme organisation 01962 Ecologist [email protected] and validation. SINCs 832320 (part-time Mon –Thurs) Programme Habitat Surveys & SINC