Heald Top Farm, Bacup, Lancashire Ecological Appraisal and Initial Breeding Bird Survey June 2012 QUANTS environmental Ltd Tel: 01765 600799 Email: [email protected] Web: www.quantsenvironmental.com QUANTS environmental Ltd Heald Top Farm, Bacup, Lancashire Ecological Appraisal & Breeding Bird Survey Contents 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 3 2 Survey Methodology .......................................................................................................... 4 2.0 Desk Study ........................................................................................................................... 4 2.1 Ecological Appraisal Field Survey ........................................................................................ 4 2.2 Breeding Bird Survey ........................................................................................................... 4 3 Survey Results ................................................................................................................... 6 3.0 Desk Study ........................................................................................................................... 6 3.1 Field Survey ......................................................................................................................... 6 3.2 Photos .................................................................................................................................. 9 4 Evaluation and Recommendations ................................................................................11 4.0 Habitats ..............................................................................................................................11 4.1 Bats ....................................................................................................................................11 4.2 Breeding birds ....................................................................................................................11 4.3 Other fauna ........................................................................................................................12 Appendix 1: Legislation and Conservation Context ...............................................................13 Appendix 2: Information provided by WYE and LERN ...........................................................14 2 QUANTS environmental Ltd Heald Top Farm, Bacup, Lancashire Ecological Appraisal & Breeding Bird Survey 1 Introduction This report presents the results of an ecological appraisal and initial breeding bird survey undertaken at Heald Top Farm, Bacup, Lancashire. The appraisal and bird survey were commissioned as part of the submission of a planning application to install and operate a 50kW wind turbine at the site. The site is centred on grid reference SD 887 250 (see Fig. 1 below) in the upland, sheep and horse grazed field to the south-east of the farm dwelling. The site is situated within a moorland landscape, 393 metres above sea level. The proposed locations for each turbine are presented in Figure 1 below. This report was completed to support planning decisions in relation to the application. Figure 1: Proposed turbine locations (yellow circle) 3 QUANTS environmental Ltd Heald Top Farm, Bacup, Lancashire Ecological Appraisal & Breeding Bird Survey 2 Survey Methodology 2.0 Desk Study West Yorkshire Ecology (WYE) and Lancashire Environment Record Network (LERN) were contacted for records of statutory / non-statutory designated sites and protected / notable species within a 2km radius of the site. The relevant search area surrounding the site includes the jurisdictions of both WYE and LERN; therefore, both were contacted to provide an overall coverage of relevant ecological data within the area. In addition, the following web sources were searched for additional ecological data of most relevance to the site. • Multi-Agency Geographic Information for the Countryside (MAGIC). • Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 mapping. • Aerial imagery. 2.1 Ecological Appraisal Field Survey An ecological appraisal of the site was undertaken on 14th May 2012 and conducted by Ryan Knight AIEEM of Quants Environmental in accordance with the standard JNCC habitat classification methodology1. The weather conditions at the time of the survey were dry, moderate to fresh breeze (Beaufort Scale – 4/5), moderate cloud cover and 7°C with good visibility. The site was also searched for evidence of protected/notable species and the habitats present were assessed in terms of their potential to support protected/notable species. 2.2 Breeding Bird Survey An initial breeding bird survey was undertaken on 25th May 2012 by Ryan Knight AIEEM in order to determine an initial assessment of the species, numbers and distribution of birds breeding within and adjacent to the site. The survey was based on a combination of the Brown and Shepherd methodology2 and the Common Birds Census (CBC) method (Gilbert et al. 1998)3. All bird observations were recorded on a 1:10,000 scale map using standard British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) notation. The surveys involved walking along the field boundaries within 200- 400m of the proposed turbine. The survey transect route is presented in Figure 2. The weather conditions for the survey are presented in Table 1 below. Table 1: Bird Survey Conditions Date 25th May 2012 Start time 05:30am Weather Dry, 100% cloud cover, Wind 2 gusting to 4 (Beaufort Scale). Visibility Moderate 1 JNCC, (2010), Handbook for Phase 1 habitat survey - a technique for environmental audit, ISBN 0 86139 636 7.1 2 Brown, A.F. & Shepherd, K.B. (1993) A method for censusing upland breeding waders. Bird Study, 40, 189-195. 3 Gilbert, G., Gibbons, D.W. & Evans, J. (1998) Bird Monitoring Methods. RSPB, Sandy. 4 QUANTS environmental Ltd Heald Top Farm, Bacup, Lancashire Ecological Appraisal & Breeding Bird Survey Figure 2: Transect route of breeding bird survey (indicated by blue line) 5 QUANTS environmental Ltd Heald Top Farm, Bacup, Lancashire Ecological Appraisal & Breeding Bird Survey 3 Survey Results 3.0 Desk Study Information provided by WYE and LERN is included in Appendix 2. Statutory protected sites The nearest statutory protected site is the South Pennine Moors SPA / SAC / SSSI, located 3.8km north-east of the site. South Pennine Moors qualifies as an SPA under Article 4.1 of the EU Directive (79/409/EEC) by supporting breeding populations of European importance such as the following species listed on Annex I of the Directive: golden plover Pluvialis apricaria, merlin Falco columbarius, peregrine Falco peregrinus, short-eared owl Asio flammeus and dunlin Calidris alpina schinzii. Due to the 3.8km distance, the site is not considered to be functionally connected to breeding bird populations from the South Pennine Moors SPA. Non-statutory sites The turbine will be positioned approximately 300m south of Heald Moor & Deerplay Moor Biological Heritage Site (BHS); a privately owned moorland that supports important breeding populations of short-eared owl in addition to breeding populations of lapwing, curlew, snipe, twite, wheatear, meadow pipit, linnet, reed bunting and red grouse. The moorland has also received the designation status for its dry bog and acid grassland habitats. Gorpley Clough Local Nature Reserve (LNR) is located approximately 2.6km north east of the site. The site has received its designation for its regionally important geological features. Cliviger Gorge runs within the LNR and is also a regionally important geological site. Other sites of interest within the local area include Dawk Hole Wood, an ancient and semi natural woodland approximately 2.4km north-east of the site; a replanted ancient woodland approximately 2.7km north-east of the site (above lower moor) and Stanley Wood an ancient and semi natural woodland approximately 2.8km north-east of the site. WYE – Protected / notable species records Ecological information provided by WYE is included in Appendix 2. WYE holds numerous records of birds within the search area including house martin, curlew, snipe, wheatear and stonechat. Notable mammal species records include the following: • Two noctule bat records including an aural detection record within 300 metres of the site to south-east • Several common pipistrelle bat records including a record in proximity to Heald Top Farm approximately 110 metres north of the turbine. LERN – Protected / notable species records LERN holds numerous notable bird records within the search radius including the following: short-eared owl, meadow pipit, peregrine, curlew, twite, linnet, kestrel, sparrowhawk and skylark. The data provided by LERN contains extensive flora records within the 2km study area which are available on request. 3.1 Field Survey Habitats The turbine will be positioned along the boundary of a sheep and horse grazed field comprising mainly species-poor semi-improved pasture dominated by perennial rye-grass Lolium perenne and broad-leaved dock Rumex obtusifolius. The land to the immediate south and the adjacent sheep grazed pasture to the north are of a similar habitat composition with additional coverage of soft and hard rush Juncus effusus & Juncus inflexus. The land to the west comprises a remnant wet heath/acid grassland & blanket bog mosaic that has been heavily degraded i.e., nutrient enriched and heavily grazed with tracts of colonising common pasture grasses. Species 6 QUANTS environmental Ltd Heald Top Farm, Bacup,