Travis Perkins Site Heol Y Doll, Machynlleth SY20 8BQ

Transcription

1 Travis Perkins Site Heol Y Doll, Machynlleth SY20 8BQ Demolition and Site Re-development Preliminary Ecological Study Survey date: 11th June 2018 Client: H & N DEVELOPMENTS (POWYS) Ltd. Planning Authority: Powys Council: Grid Reference: SH Reported by: Guy Sparey BSc (arch), Dip (arch), RIBA

2 Figure 1: Site Location

3 CONTENTS 1. Summary 2. The survey 3. Site Description 4. Results 5. Survey Limitations 6. Ecological Impacts 7. Conclusions 8. Mitigation & Recommendations 9. Legal Implications 10. Appendices

4 Travis Perkins site Heol Y Doll, Machynlleth, SY20 8BQ Demolition and Site Re-development Preliminary Ecological Study Date of Survey: 11th June SUMMARY The site is located on A487 within the town of Machynlleth (OS Grid Reference: SH745010, see Figure 1). It is proposed to demolish all the buildings currently present on the site and re-develop the site with a total of 20 units of residential living accommodation. The 0.66 hectare site consists of two old large retail outlet buildings. The remainder of the site is tarmac hard standing. An ecological survey report is required by Powys County Council to accompany the forthcoming planning application. A preliminary ecological survey was carried out on 11th June 2018 on the site. The buildings and site survey involved methodically looking for signs of bats and other protected species living within the buildings and assessing on their potential to support these protected species. The presence of any non-native invasive plant species were also recorded. No evidence of bats or bat occupation was recorded during the survey and the buildings were concluded to have only minimal potential to support roosting bats at any time of year. Other habitats within the site is the hard-standing area which is considered to be of negligible ecological interest, if any, and therefore any losses of these habitats to the proposals are considered to be of negligible significance. There was no evidence of the presence of any other protected species within the buildings. However, the scattered areas of scrub have some potential to support nesting birds during the recognised breeding season and some precautionary measures should be taken during the site clearance to avoid any disturbance. There were no bio-security issues associated with the proposals. A few RAMs (Reasonable Avoidance Measures) have been recommended to avoid any inadvertent breach of legislation with regard to the disturbance of nesting birds. Some Ecological enhancements have been recommended to compensate for the loss of existing habitat: where appropriate new landscape planting based on native species should be introduced together with some commercially available bird boxes and bat boxes.

5 2. THE SURVEY 2.1 Objectives The survey was carried out on 11th June Building and Site Survey Identify any signs of the presence of bats and any other protected species within the buildings and the site Assess the potential of the buildings to support bats and other protected species Identify any important habitats on the site and assess the impacts of the proposed works Make recommendations for mitigation/compensation. Identify any bio-security issues that may arise as a result of the proposed development All likely bat roosting areas were searched for signs of bat occupation, such as droppings, feeding remains and marks on timbers from oils in the fur Vegetation Survey Identify all habitats present on the site Assess the impacts of their loss due to the re-development of the site. Identify any non-native invasive plant species. 3. SITE DESCRIPTION The site is a former Travis Perkins builders merchants yard. The 0.66 hectare site consists of two large retail outlet buildings. The remainder of the site is hard standing. The site has been unused and unmanaged for 10 years Buildings (see Figure 2) Building A is the former Travis Perkins office and sales building, located adjacent to the north-western site boundary. The building is constructed from a range of materials, with stone and breezeblock forming the main structural fabric of the building with intermittent wooden and corrugated sheet metal panels. Inside, a timber framework supports a pitched roof of corrugated sheet material. The building is divided into two floors, with the roof-space being open-vaulted and un-enclosed. There are three unglazed slot windows within the gable-end wall adjacent to the road, and the roof incorporates a skylight in the eastern section, such that the internal space is relatively well illuminated. A single-storey extension was added to the northern gable end of the building, which was used for storage. Part of this extension is fully enclosed and accessed via the main building; the remainder is open-fronted and exposed to the elements. The extension is supported by a timber framework with corrugated sheet metal walls and a gently sloping corrugated sheet metal roof containing skylight panels, such that the internal space is relatively well illuminated.

6 Figure 2: Aerial picture of former builders merchants yard with marked buildings and boundaries Building B is situated closer to the south-western site boundary. The building has one level and appears to be solely used for storage. Wooden framework and steel girders support a pitched roof comprising corrugated sheet metal. Its section B2 is noted to be particularly well-illuminated internally due to a glass-covered window within the gable-end wall, and missing doors covered with perforated sheet metal Hard Standing The majority of the site comprises tarmac and concrete hard-standing, which forms the base to car parking and an access road Surrounding Habitats The site is situated just outside the high street of Machynlleth and surrounded by urban development (see Figure 3). There are no nature conservation designations located within or adjacent to the site. The nearest statutory designation is Cwm Llyfnant Site of Special Scientific Interest located approximately 4km south-west of the site, whilst the nearest non-statutory designation is a Road Verge Nature Reserve located approximately 1.25km south-east of the site. These and other nature conservation designations are well separated from the site and are highly unlikely to be adversely affected by the proposals (see Figure 4).

7 Figure 3: Location of the site within Machynlleth and surrounding habitats Site location Road Verge Nature Reserve Ancient Woodland (PAWS) Ancient Woodland (ASNW) Wildlife Site Figure 4: Location of the site showing the nearest nature conservation areas

8 4. RESULTS 4.1. Vegetation Re-colonising Ground The hard standing area is colonising with vegetation, in particular where cracks have formed around the buildings. These habitats contain a numbers of common and widespread species of no conservation concern. These species are: Common Nettle (Urtica dioica), Common Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea), Common Vetch (Vicia sativa), Creeping Thistle (Cirsium arvense), Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), Greater Plantain (Plantago major), Nipplewort (Lapsana communis), Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata) and Smooth Sow-thistle (Sonchus oleraceus) Bittercress (Cardamine sp.), Red Valerian (Centranthus ruber) and Rosebay Willowherb (Chamerion angustifolium) Scrub Areas along the sides of the buildings and fences have developed some scattered overgrown vegetation. The scrub varies in maturity and height, but is generally dominated by Bramble (Rubus fruticosus), Buddleia (Buddleja davidii), Common Ivy (Hedera helix) and Common Nettle (Urtica dioica). Other species present here occur sporadically, including Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) and Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) saplings Invasive Species No invasive plant species was recorded within the site Bats There was no evidence, such as bat droppings, feeding remains or staining to suggest the use of the current or past by bats on either the interior or exterior of the buildings. The lacking of internally enclosed loft voids and relatively well-illuminated buildings due to various windows and skylights are not considered suitable for roosting bats. Elsewhere in the site, roosting opportunities are negligible. Background Records. Information from COFNOD and BIS has records of Common Pipistrelle, Brown Long-eared Plecotus auritus, Noctule Nyctalus noctula as well as a number of unidentified species. The majority of these records are associated with River Dovey and its tributaries and are therefore well separated from the site Other Protected Species No evidence was recorded during the survey to suggest that any other protected, rare of notable animal species are present at the site.

9 5. SURVEY LIMITATIONS Bats are highly mobile and some species move roosts on a regular basis. It is often possible to find signs of bat occupation, in the form of droppings and feeding remains, however, these dissipate over a period of time. An accurate assessment of the potential of a building to support bats is therefore important to establish the need for further survey work. But in this case, it is considered that the roosting potential available is very low and it is unlikely that bats will be present at any time of the year. 6. ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS 6.1. Bats Given the very poor quality of the available roosting areas for bats, it is considered highly unlikely that the site will be utilised at any time of the year. It is therefore considered unlikely that roosting bats in the local area will be adversely affected under the proposals. In fact, enhancements incorporated within the development will increase the value of the site in respect of bats through the provision of bat boxes, such that there will be a net gain in roosting opportunities at the site under the proposals Vegetation The hard standing habitat contains only small numbers of common and widespread species of no conservation concern. The scrub areas however, are of some potential importance to nesting birds which must be taken into consideration with regards to the timing of any vegetation removal works. In order to avoid a potential offence it is recommended that any clearance of nesting habitat is undertaken outside of the bird nesting season (May to September). The enhancements incorporated within the development will help to reduce the impact in respect of nesting birds through the introduction of new landscape planting based on native species and bird boxes 7. CONCLUSIONS 7.1. Bats It is concluded that there is only very minimal potential for bats to be present within the scope of the proposed works and this potential is further minimised by the poor quality of the available roosting habitat for bats Vegetation The habitats present on the site are of no conservation concern, but the areas of scrub have some potential to support nesting birds. The adoption of the RAMs outlined below will ensure that there is no inadvertent breach of legislation due to the disturbance on nesting birds during the nesting period.

10 8. MITIGATION & RECOMMENDATIONS 8.1. Bats With the extremely low potential for any bats to be present or impacted by the proposed works, it is not considered reasonable to recommend any further survey work on the site. No specific mitigation measures are required. If however bats are found to be present at any stage during the proposed works, Natural Resources Wales must be contacted as there may then be a requirement for a licence to proceed with the works Vegetation There is no mitigation recommended due to the loss of this minimal amount of a common habitat, however, the RAMs (Reasonable Avoidance Measures) below should be adopted to ensure no impact on nesting birds associated with the habitat RAMs (Reasonable Avoidance Measures) The demolition of the buildings and the removal of the vegetation should be done outside of the recognised nesting bird season (1st May to 30th September, as recommended by the RSPB). If however this is not possible, a thorough search for active nests should be made by a qualified ecologist prior to the works commencing. If any nests are recorded, the works will need to be postponed until such time as any chicks have fledged. 9. ECOLOGICAL ENHANCEMENTS Given the types of habitats and ecological features within the site and its surrounding areas, the following enhancements would be appropriate in the local context: 9.1. Landscape Planting: Landscape planting will incorporate native tree and shrub species of local provenance so as to complement the local ecology, and will also include berry yielding shrubs considered to be of value to wildlife (Lists of appropriate species are available from many sources, including the North Wales Wildlife Trust) Bat Boxes: Six Type 27 Schwegler Brick Boxes for bats are recommended to be suitable. The inclusion of these potential roost sites increases the roost availability for a range of bat species. The bricks should be built into the fabric of the gable end of units. These elevations are subject to the least amount of light pollution from surrounding buildings and street lighting. The boxes must be located as high as possible from the ground to reduce the potential for disturbance Bird Nesting Boxes: Four Schwegler 1B bird nesting boxes are recommended to be installed on the gable end of the bike-bin store. The architect s plan (Figure 5) of the proposed site with incorporated Rowan trees (Sorbus aucuparia) and Wild Cherry (Prunus aviun) trees, brick bat boxes and bird nesting boxes are shown in recommended locations.

11 Figure 5: Architect s plan of the proposed developement showing the ecological enhancements

12 9. LEGAL IMPLICATIONS 9.1. Bats Bats are protected under UK law by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and also under European law by the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations Under these laws it is an offence to deliberately kill or injure a bat, to disturb a bat or to damage, destroy or block access to a roost. Bat roosts are protected under these laws whether the animals are present at the time of survey or not. NRW are empowered to issue licences to carry out work to bat roosts for reasons of overriding public interest Nesting birds Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, all nesting birds and their nests are protected. Once a bird places a single piece of material then it constitutes a nest. It is then an offence to cause damage to the bird, nest, eggs or chicks and immediate habitat which is likely to result in damage by causing the bird to desert its nest. This covers all bird species, with a small number of exceptions (pest species which can be controlled by special license). In 2000, the Countryside and Rights of Way Act (CROW Act) was made law, strengthening the legal protection for many species and introducing a reckless disturbance offence.

13 10. APPENDICES: SITE PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD Figure 6: Building A, view from centre of the site Figure 7: Front view of Building B (foreground) and A (background) Figure 8: Building B (South-east side wall) Figure 9: Road access,south-east boundary, withbuilding B and scrub Figure 10: Scrub area around the north-east fence

14 BAT BOXES Figure 11: Scrub area on hard standing near to building B Figure 12: Rear view of building B, from hard standing Figure 13: Scrub area North-west corner BATS AND BIRDS BOXES Figure 14: Type 27 Schwegler Brick Box for Bats Figure 15: 1B Schwegler Nest Box