Ecology
ECOLOGICAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT
Client: David Wilson Homes
Background: Landmark was commissioned in 2000 by David Wilson Homes (DWH) to undertake an ecological assessment of an allocated development site on the outskirts of Basingstoke, followed by production of the ecological element of an EIA. We produced a protected species management plan that formed part of a S106 Agreement, and prepared the application for a European Protected Species (EPS) licence to enable development and implementation of the mitigation strategy.
Description: The 32 ha site comprised arable land, bordered by hedgerows and a small copse, located adjacent to Popley Ponds Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC). The pond is a known breeding site for the European protected great crested newt and the application site represented the last remaining open countryside bordering Popley Ponds. Surveys of the breeding pond were undertaken to establish the population size and to determine the use of terrestrial habitat within the site by great crested newts.
A mitigation strategy was then formulated in collaboration with English Nature, entailing creation of a 40 m wide buffer of rough grass / scrub habitat along the boundary with the breeding pond, and two similar corridors with large, novel culvert underpasses beneath road crossings, linking through the site to countryside beyond. As an enhancement measure, two new ponds were proposed with potential to re-establish links to an extant breeding population of great crested newts 1 km from Popley Ponds.
To raise public awareness, leaflets in residents Home Buyers’ packs and interpretation boards have been provided. The development also features a great crested newt mosaic, designed by local school children and the artist Julieann Worrall Hood in a project sponsored by DWH. Ongoing monitoring indicates that the mitigation has been successful and the population is expanding.
Client Benefits : High quality research, close collaboration with English Nature, and supervision by our Ecological Clerk of Works to ensure adherence to the EPS licence, minimised development impact on an ecologically sensitive site, as well as creating an attractive environment for new residents.