Birmingham & Black Country Local Sites Assessment Report EcoRec. Ref. No. EcoRec. Site Name EcoRec. Grid Ref. N.C. Designation(s) Date Notified Castle Vale Meadows & n/a Conservation Area SP153911 None n/a Planning Authority Site Ownership Area/Length Reason for Revision Report Date Birmingham Birmingham CC 10.3 hectares New Site 04/10/2017 Meets LS Criteria SLINC Type Wildlife i.e. Wildlife/Geological Amendment New Site i.e. None; New Site; Upgrade; Downgrade; Extension; Whole/Part Deletion Description (see map 1) An area of public open space assessed on the basis of maturing habitats and recent habitat creation. Citation (Summary of Value) Castle Vale Meadows & Conservation Area comprises two meadows created through the strewing of green hay in 2013 (Castle Vale Meadows) and young plantation woodlands, unmanaged neutral grassland, hedgerows and a pond (Castle Vale Conservation Area). The site is managed by the Community Environment Trust and Birmingham City Council for the purposes of nature conservation, education and community use. More recently a part of the created meadows has become a horse paddock for the nearby equestrian centre. The site is the largest area of publicly accessible greenspace in the area and forms part of a corridor along the River Tame which links the east of Birmingham to the Warwickshire countryside. Since creation the meadows have been managed annually with a late summer cut and removal of the arisings, and support a diverse flora including Green-winged Orchid (Anacamptis morio), Cowslip (Primula veris), Yellow-rattle (Rhinanthus minor agg.) and Quaking grass (Briza media). During survey visits a diverse range of invertebrate and bird species were recorded incidentally. Local Site Selection Criteria Ecological The site supports a good range of recent spontaneous and created habitats with transitory/edge zones between these. Due to their age, however these are often of low structural diversity and Habitat Diversity M frequently support a similar range of flora. Ongoing conservation management work undertaken to improve the quality of the woodlands, grasslands, pond and hedgerows will no doubt see diversity increase if continued. The overall species diversity of the site is relatively high due to the variety of habitats, natural colonisation and the introductions that have been undertaken. The highest floral species diversity is within the created meadows. Bird and insect diversity is medium, but will likely improve in line Species Diversity M-H with the ongoing habitat management. Butterfly surveys recently undertaken by the Wildlife Trust indicate good populations in the meadows, and incidental sightings during surveys of moth and bee species were frequent. Many of the habitats present on site are common across Birmingham and the Black Country including spontaneous scrub, tall-herb and neutral grassland, whereas most of the woodland on Habitat Rarity M site is of recent planted origin. The pond and meadows are considerably rarer habitats, however, these are of created origin. The majority of flora species recorded are Frequent to Common within Birmingham and The Black Country. A number of Uncommon, Rare and Very Rare species have been recorded, however, Species Rarity M these are predominantly recent introductions. A number of Red and Amber list bird species were recorded during survey visits. In the context of Birmingham’s Local Sites Castle Vale Meadows & Conservation Area is of Size or Extent M medium extent. The landscape is artificial having been regraded during the 20th century. The recent spontaneous Naturalness M and created habitats are comprised of predominantly locally native species. The site forms part of a corridor along the River Tame (SLINC) which links the east of Birmingham Position & Connectivity M to the Warwickshire countryside. The corridor includes Park Hall SINC, Water Orton Sidings SLINC and Minworth Sewage Works SINC. To the west of the site is a series of playing fields. Geological n/a No survey information available Social The site is of local historical significance due to its association with the British Industries Fair and Historical & Cultural M Castle Bromwich Aerodrome, however, no known features from these survive. Access is open with the exception of the paddock. There are footpaths in much of the site. For the Access M-H most part the site is used by the public for dog walking. Public access paths are well maintained and the tall hedgerows and woodlands act as a screen to Aesthetic M surrounding urbanisation. The meadows are arguably the most attractive aspect of the site, particularly in spring. Recorded History M The habitat creation and 20th century history of the site are well recorded. The area is used by the Community Environment Trust for school and community education and Value for Learning H events. The created meadow areas are used by the Wildlife Trust for visits and workshops. Site Description Castle Vale Meadows & Conservation Area is located to the northeast of the Castle Vale Estate near to the eastern boundary of Birmingham. To the south of the site is the Birmingham to Derby railway line, beyond which is the River Tame and the expansive Park Hall SINC. To the east are playing fields; whilst to the north are residential and commercial buildings and the Castle Vale Equestrian Stables. Beyond the junction of the Walsall and Water Orton branch railway - which forms the south-eastern boundary - is a large industrial park and the Minworth (disused sewage beds) SINC. The site surrounds an area of allotments. The area is predominantly level and comprises regraded ground in what would have been the natural floodplain of the River Tame. Historically the site comprised a typically rural part of Warwickshire adjacent to Berwood Hall Farm. In the early 20th century the wider area became a ‘Sewage Farm’ for the Birmingham Tame & Rea District Drainage Board - the survey site being shown on historic mapping as having old hedgerows removed and rectilinear boundaries installed. By the 1920s these had been partially removed and the area labelled as ‘Playing Fields’. By the late 1930s the British Industries Fair buildings, a Soap Manufactory and Fertiliser Works had been constructed on land to the west, whilst the playing fields became Castle Bromwich Aerodrome. During World War II the airfield was used to test Spitfires and Lancaster bombers manufactured nearby (now JLR). By the 1950s large storage tanks are depicted on the site of Castle Vale Meadows and Conservation Area. In 1960 the area was sold for the construction of the Castle Vale Estate, from which point the survey site is depicted as open ground, with the allotments being in situ by the early 1980s. A 2007 report produced by Atkins Limited states that during investigations undertaken by Birmingham City Council into possible soil contamination they concluded that the area was ‘a tip for incinerator residue and probably raw domestic waste in the years up to 1972. No pits or quarries appear to have existed prior to the tipping and therefore it was concluded by BCC that it was likely that a shallow spreading operation was carried out’. By the 1990s the plantations in the Conservation Area had been created, whilst the site of Castle Vale Meadows was horse paddocks up until the around 2004. At the centre of the site is a large area of grassland comprising meadow and a horse paddock. The southern and eastern areas are comprised of a mosaic of mown and unmanaged grassland, scrub and blocks of planted woodland. A strip of planted woodland forms the northern part of the site. There are a number of formal paths and desire lines which give pedestrian access to most of the site. Clearings in Compartments 5 and 7 are apparently being used for anti-social behaviour. Signs include littering, small fire-pits and evidence of drug use. In 2012 The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country were approached by the Community Environment Trust regarding the establishment of meadows on the former paddocks, with this being undertaken in July 2013. For the purposes of survey the site has been divided into 11 compartments (see Map 2). Habitats Phase 1 Name Phase 1 Code Statutory BAP Priority Habitat NERC P.I. Rarity Broad-leaved woodland - A112 plantation Broad-leaved plantation woodland is present as small blocks across the north, east and south of the site. The largest and most diverse woodland area is present in Compartment 7. The other woodlands are younger and less diverse but contain largely the same species mix. The mature trees include a mixture of Pedunculate Oak (Quercus robur), White Poplar (Populus alba), Hazel (Corylus avellana), Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), Field Maple (Acer campestre), Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), White Willow (Salix alba), Goat willow (Salix caprea), Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) and Silver Birch (Betula pendula). The shrub-layer and edge species generally comprise of young Ash (Fraxinus excelsior), Guelder Rose (Viburnum opulus) and Dog Rose (Rosa canina). Most of the woodlands are unmanaged and there is little light penetration to the ground. This has resulted in either a complete lack of field-layer flora or, in some small pockets, a mix of Nettle (Urtica dioica), Bramble (Rubus fructosa agg.), Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris), Wood Avens (Geum urbanum) and Ivy (Hedera helix). In Compartment 7 recent thinning and underplanting has been undertaken by Community Environment Trust volunteers and the Wildlife Trust. Species including Primrose (Primula vulgaris) were introduced. Scrub & Bramble A21 & A21Rf Dense stands of Bramble have colonised several of the open areas at the borders of grassland and woodland edges. Stands are also present in gaps within the hedgerows of compartment 9 and 10. Typical associates including Nettle, Creeping Thistle (Cirsuium arvense), Rosebay Willowherb (Chamerion angustifolium) and Great Willowherb (Epilobium hirsutum) are frequent throughout. Hemlock (Conium maculatum) is also present in the south of the site adjacent to the railway line (a large population exists just outside of the site associated with the River Tame).