APPENDIX 2 DESIGNATED SITES - Lancaster City Council Appendix 2 & 3 - Torrisholme.pdfLesser Stitchwort, Ragged-robin, Selfheal, Bluebell, Meadow Vetchling, Yarrow and Field Wood-rush

LANCASTER SITE ALLOCATION – TORRISHOLME

LHS - 4 FEBRUARY 2016

APPENDIX 2 DESIGNATED SITES

LANCASTER SITE ALLOCATION – TORRISHOLME

LHS - 4 FEBRUARY 2016

APPENDIX 3 BIOLOGICAL HERITAGE SITES

© Lancashire County Council© Wildlife Trust for Lancashire Natural England

Lancashire County Heritage Sites Biological Heritage Sites Partnership:

Biological Heritage Site

This form may contain privileged and confidential information. Permission must be obtained from Lancashire County Council and the Wildlife Trust for Lancashire before reproducing or divulging information contained on this form to any party not directly in receipt of the form from the copyright holders.

Districts: Parishes:Lancaster Slyne-with-Hest

Description:

The site comprises a shallow valley, the low-lying parts of which are subject to seasonal flooding. A mosaic of habitats are present including open water, swamp, fen, grassland, scrub, hedgerows and broadleaved woodland.

The site is important in regularly supporting a “good” population of great crested newt, a protected species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) and the EC Habitats Directive. Smooth newt, palmate newt and frog are also present.

The site holds fluctuating areas of open water in the valley bottom which, together with associated swamp and fen communities, support a rich assemblage of plants and animals. Plants present include small pondweed, broad-leaved pondweed, fool’s water-cress, nodding bur-marigold, wavy bitter-cress, cuckooflower, common spike-rush, meadowsweet, marsh bedstraw, yellow iris, greater bird’s-foot-trefoil, gipsywort, water mint, tufted forget-me-not, water forget-me-not, amphibious bistort, water-pepper, reed canary-grass, lesser spearwort, water-cress, bittersweet, branched bur-reed, greater reedmace, brooklime, brown sedge, hairy sedge, common sedge and bottle sedge. Mare’s-tail (Hippuris vulgaris), a species listed in the Provisional Lancashire Red Data List of Vascular Plants, occurs frequently immediately north of the boardwalk. Invertebrates recorded include the nationally scarce scavenger beetle, Cercyon ustulatus.

The land rises gently to the east and comprises semi-improved neutral grassland. Steep banks support scrub such as hawthorn, blackthorn, elder, dog-rose and bramble.

A narrow belt of broadleaved woodland known as Reanes Wood is situated on a steep slope along the eastern edge of the site. The wood comprises a mixture of oak, ash, sycamore, beech, horse and sweet chestnut with some hawthorn, blackthorn, holly, elder and dog-rose. Recent fencing of the wood to exclude stock is allowing the ground flora to recover -species include bluebell, lesser celandine, Lords-and Ladies, bramble and ivy.

An old hedge borders the western edge of the site - species include hawthorn, blackthorn, hazel, elder, holly, ash and dog-rose with bramble, ivy, bluebell, lesser celandine, dog’s mercury, Lords-and-Ladies and red campion.

Site Name: Rakes Head

Site Ref: 46NE02

Grid Ref: SD471656

Approved:

Owner/Occupier:

Area (ha): 3.72 Date written/last updated:

01 September 1993

01 January 1999

Private

10 October 2014Page 1 of 2

46NE02 Rakes Head

Other Information/Comments:

The great crested newt is afforded protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) and the EC Habitats Directive.

Guideline(s) for Site Selection:

Flowering Plants and Ferns (Ff4b)?

Amphibians (Am1a)

Other Invertebrates (In2)?






Districts: Parishes:Fylde Newton-with-CliftonLancaster Bolton-le-Sands, Borwick, Carnforth, Ellel, Halton-with-Aughton, Lancaster

Over Kellet, Priest Hutton, Quernmore, Slyne-with-Hest, Thurnham, WartonYealand Conyers, Yealand Redmayne

Preston Barton, Fulwood, Lea, Preston, WoodplumptonWyre Barnacre-with-Bonds, Cabus, Catterall, Claughton, Forton, Garstang, Myerscough

Nateby, Winmarleigh

Description:

The site comprises the entire length of the Lancaster Canal in Lancashire, from the Cumbria border near Burton-in-Kendal to Preston. It includes the Glasson branch and Glasson Basin. The canal is the largest and most species-rich water body in the county. It supports a very rich assemblage of plants and animals characteristic of slow-flowing water bodies. The canal is fed by Killington Lake in Cumbria and a number of feeder streams, which give rise to variations in nutrient status. This, together with a varying substratum, produces calcareous conditions further south and results in a diversity of plant and animal communities along the length of the canal.

Approximately 250 aquatic and semi-aquatic plants have been recorded along the canal. These include several species in the Provisional Lancashire Red Data List of Vascular Plants, for example, greater spearwort, thread-leaved water-crowfoot, white water-lily, horned pondweed and Linton’s pondweed. A rare hybrid horsetail (water horsetail x giant horsetail) occurs in one locality close to the county boundary. Other noteworthy species include sweet-flag, flowering-rush, fennel pondweed, arrowhead and grey club-rush. A number of Red Data List<I/> species recorded in the past (namely bogbean, soft hornwort, greater bladderwort, opposite-leaved pondweed and red pondweed) have declined and may no longer be present.

Birds such as mallard, coot and moorhen breed regularly on the canal and kingfishers use it for feeding. The section between Glasson Dock and the county boundary is notable for regularly supporting more than eight pairs of breeding mute swans. Emergent vegetation is also a valuable habitat for birds such as reed warbler and reed bunting.

The canal, with its marginal vegetation, provides a habitat for dragonflies and damselflies, including blue-tailed damselfly, common darter and brown hawker. It also acts as a valuable foraging area for bats, particularly daubentons. There is a bat roost in a canal bridge at Salwick.

The embankments and towpath support additional semi-natural habitats, including grassland, scrub, hedgerow and woodland. Three additional species in the Provisional Lancashire Red Data List of Vascular Plants are associated with these habitats, namely round-leaved dog-rose, sweet-briar and sand leek.

A 200m long bank of grassland adjacent to the towpath hedge near Stubbins (SD 509425) is also included in the site. Species present include lady’s mantle, primrose, common dog-violet, lesser celandine, lords-and-ladies and field wood-rush.

Site Name: Lancaster Canal Whole Length in Lancashire Including Glasson Branch

Site Ref: LSCLA

Grid Ref: SD527302 to SD521767

Approved:

Owner/Occupier:


08 September 1993

01 January 2004


LSCLA Lancaster Canal Whole Length in Lancashire Including Glasson Branch


The site adjoins: BHS 46NE12 Lundsfields Quarry North; BHS 46NE10 Twaite End Pasture; BHS 46NE05 Crawstone Wood; BHS LSRLU River Lune; BHS 46SE02 Newton Beck Valley; BHS 45NE06 Park Coppice; BHS 45SE03 Ellel Grange Wood


Artificial Habitats (Ar1)

Flowering Plants and Ferns (Ff3) (Ff4a)? (Ff4b)






Districts: Parishes:Lancaster Slyne-with-Hest

Description:

The site comprises semi-natural neutral grassland and fen enclosed within a triangle of railway lines between Slyne and Bare, approximately 2.5 km north east of Morecambe. It is made up of 5 small fields together with ditches, hedges and semi-natural woodland. A track splits the site into two.

The 3 fields to the west and north of the track comprise dry species-rich neutral grassland managed as pasture. They support abundant Sweet Vernal-grass, Crested Dog’s-tail and Yorkshire-fog with frequent Common Bent, Great Burnet, Pignut, Ribwort Plantain and Common Sorrel, and locally frequent Common Spotted-orchid, Common Knapweed and Meadowsweet. Other species present include Common Bird’s-foot-trefoil, Lesser Stitchwort, Ragged-robin, Selfheal, Bluebell, Meadow Vetchling, Yarrow and Field Wood-rush. There is a small pond dominated by Common Reed.

The two fields lying east of the track are damp with a few areas of standing water and are bordered by ditches to the west and south. Mare’s-tail, (Hippuris vulgaris), a species included in the Provisional Lancashire Red Data List of Vascular Plants, is locally frequent in the wet areas. The fields support a variety of grasses, rushes and tall herbs with abundant Tufted Hair-grass, Red Fescue, Creeping Bent, Yorkshire-fog, Sweet Vernal-grass, Timothy and Creeping Buttercup. Meadowsweet is frequent/locally abundant and Lesser Stitchwort, Common Sorrel and Compact Rush occur frequently. Other species include Brown Sedge, Common Sedge, Common Spike-rush, Marsh Foxtail, Floating Sweet-grass, Soft-rush, Marsh Marigold, Meadow Vetchling, Greater Bird’s-foot-trefoil, Ragged-robin, Cuckooflower and Silverweed. Drier ground at the northern end supports Common Knapweed, Ox-eye Daisy, Crosswort, Bush Vetch, Red Clover and Hairy Sedge.

Plants present in the ditches include Yellow Iris, Wild Angelica, Meadowsweet, Great Willowherb and Common Reed. Hedgerow and woodland species include Alder, Ash, Wych-elm, Holly, Grey Willow, Guelder-rose, Bluebell, Dog’s Mercury and Red Campion.

Site Name: Belmount Farm Grassland and Fen

Site Ref: 46NE13

Grid Ref: SD462652

Approved:

Owner/Occupier:


01 January 2006

01 February 2006

Private


46NE13 Belmount Farm Grassland and Fen


Lowland hay meadow, which includes species-rich pasture, and swamp and fen are priority habitats in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.


Grassland (Gr3)

Swamp and Fen (Fe1)

Flowering Plants and Ferns (Ff4b)?






Districts: Parishes:Lancaster Morecambe and Heysham

Description:

The site comprises of a small area of species-rich neutral grassland pasture with a mosaic of both wet and well-drain plant communities, ditches and hedgerows occurring between Morecambe Golf Course and a housing estate.

The ditches and central drain support a diverse flora with locally abundant Common Reed, Marsh Marigold. Other species present include Marsh Cinquefoil, Large Bitter-cress, Water Crowfoot, Water Mint, Fool's-water-cress, Water-Plantain, Water Cress, Marsh Horsetail, Meadowsweet, Marsh-bedstraw, Yellow Flag, Wild Angelica, Water Forget-me-nots and Square-stalked St John's-wort. In the grassland areas and alongside the associated ditchbanks Yellow-Rattle is locally abundant with Greater Bird's-foot-trefoil, Ragged-Robin, Carnation Sedge, Glaucous Sedge, Lesser Spearwort, Devil's-bit Scabious, Lesser Stitchwort, Autumn Hawkbit, Oxeye Daisy, Sneezewort, Common Knapweed, Cat's-Ear, Meadow Vetchling, Marsh Ragwort, Field Wood-Rush, Selfheal, Bulbous Buttercup and Betony.

Hedgerows bordering the site comprise of Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Dog Rose, Hazel, Holly, Elder, Bramble, Honeysuckle and Black Bryony with a ground flora that includes Lords-And-Ladies, Garlic Mustard, Red Campion and Lesser Celandine.

Site Name: Chestnut Drive Pasture

Site Ref: 46NE01

Grid Ref: SD457650

Approved:

Owner/Occupier:


08 September 1993

18 December 2013



Grassland (Gr1)






Districts: Parishes:Lancaster Heaton-with-Oxcliffe

Description:

The site comprises a relict area of saltmarsh vegetation associated with a watercourse on Oxcliffe Marsh.

In the north-west of the site, to the west of Lancaster Road, a basin formation lies either side of the watercourse. The basin is now only flooded by exceptionally high tides, but is still sufficiently saline to support a variety of plants characteristic of upper saltmarsh. The vegetation comprises abundant common saltmarsh grass, creeping bent and saltmarsh rush. Other species include glasswort, sea-spurrey, sea aster, sea arrowgrass, sea couch and sea rush. Common reed dominates in the north-east corner of the basin.

The watercourse passes under Lancaster Road and continues in a southerly direction, draining into the River Lune. Saltmarsh vegetation occurs alongside the watercourse and includes sea aster, English scurvygrass, sea-milkwort, saltmarsh rush, glasswort, lesser sea-spurrey, greater seaspurrey, sea arrowgrass and sea mayweed.

The site is also important for the occurrence of three species included in the Provisional Lancashire Red Data List of Vascular Plants, namely slender spike-rush, brackish water-crowfoot and round-fruited rush.

Site Name: Oxcliffe Marsh

Site Ref: 46SE01

Grid Ref: SD451622

Approved:

Owner/Occupier:


01 September 1993

01 December 1999

Private


The site was formerly part of a much larger area of saltmarsh, which included the area now used for landfill (Salt Ayre). The site boundary was amended at the Annual Reviews in December 1996 and November 1997.


Coastal (Co1)

Flowering Plants and Ferns (Ff4a) (Ff4b)






Districts: Parishes:Lancaster Arkholme-with-Cawood, Burrow-with-Burrow, Caton-with-Littledale, Claughton

Gressingham, Halton-with-Aughton, Heaton-with-Oxcliffe, Hornby-with-FarletonLancaster, Melling-with-Wrayton, Quernmore, Tunstall, Whittington

Description:

The site comprises the full length of the River Lune in Lancashire, from the county boundary near Kirkby Lonsdale (SD 615778) downstream to Oxcliffe (SD 448614) where it meets the eastern boundary of the Lune Estuary Site of Special Scientific Interest. The tidal limit of the river is restricted by Skerton Weir. The Lune is one of the largest rivers in north-west England and is a Class 1 river (good/excellent water quality) for the whole of its length. As well as the course of the river itself, which can change appreciably from year to year, the site includes associated riverbanks, shingle beds, earth banks and fringing trees and shrubs because of their value for plants, mammals, birds and invertebrates. In addition, the site includes adjoining areas of semi-natural habitat such as saltmarsh by Carlisle Bridge, old osier beds around Aughton and Arkholme, woodland and scrub, species-rich grassland and pools, ditches and marshes along old courses of the river, together with some areas of pasture within the flood plain at Claughton, Hornby and Arkholme which are important for breeding and overwintering birds.

It is an outstanding area for riparian birds and has one of the richest river breeding bird communities in England. The varied habitat attracts many species of wader. Oystercatcher, ringed plover, lapwing, curlew, redshank and common sandpiper are all regular breeders. Snipe and little ringed plover breed less frequently and in smaller numbers. Other riparian species also breed regularly and include mute swan, shelduck, mallard, goosander, moorhen, coot, kingfisher, sand martin, yellow wagtail, grey wagtail, pied wagtail, dipper and reed bunting. In winter the area supports large numbers of wildfowl, waders and gulls.

The Lune is one of the best salmon rivers in the country and is important for otters. The river is also a valuable feeding area for bats. There is a daubenton’s roost beside the river near Halton and several other roosts of various species in buildings close to the river. Common frog, common toad, smooth newt and great crested newt breed in oxbows.

The site supports a large variety of invertebrates including many local and nationally notable species. For example, Arcosta cinerea, a nationally scarce wolf spider, occurs on shingle banks around Thrush Gill; Andrena humilis, a nationally scarce mining bee, occurs on banks nearby; Lathrobium angusticolle, a nationally scarce rove beetle and three nationally scarce ground beetles, Bembidion fluviatile, B. monticola and B. stomoides, have been recorded from the Lune at Gressingham. In addition, the river is important for the occurrence of the freshwater pearl mussel whose larvae are dependent on salmonid fish as a host. The four-spotted chaser dragonfly, a notable species for Lancashire, is also present.

Although the river itself is in general too fast flowing and prone to flash floods to support many vascular plants, the associated habitats support a good variety of species. Of special value are several areas of species-rich, ancient semi-natural grassland mainly on steep slopes, and pools, ditches and marshes along the lines of old river courses which support many aquatic plants. Species on the Provisional Lancashire Red Data List of Vascular Plants include rough horsetail (Equisetum hyemale) on riverbanks near Halton, fan-leaved water-crowfoot (Ranunculus circinatus) in a pond on the old course of the River Wenning, and slender tufted-sedge (Carex acuta) on the riverbanks on both sides of the Lune Aqueduct. Two uncommon mosses, Fissidens celticus and Myrinia pulvinata, have also been recorded in the site. These are the only known Lancashire records for the species.

Site Name: River Lune

Site Ref: LSRLU

Grid Ref: SD448614 to SD615778

Approved:

Owner/Occupier:


08 September 1993

01 June 2001


LSRLU River Lune

Districts: Parishes:Lancaster Arkholme-with-Cawood, Burrow-with-Burrow, Caton-with-Littledale, Claughton

Gressingham, Halton-with-Aughton, Heaton-with-Oxcliffe, Hornby-with-FarletonLancaster, Melling-with-Wrayton, Quernmore, Tunstall, Whittington

Description:

The site comprises the full length of the River Lune in Lancashire, from the county boundary near Kirkby Lonsdale (SD 615778) downstream to Oxcliffe (SD 448614) where it meets the eastern boundary of the Lune Estuary Site of Special Scientific Interest. The tidal limit of the river is restricted by Skerton Weir. The Lune is one of the largest rivers in north-west England and is a Class 1 river (good/excellent water quality) for the whole of its length. As well as the course of the river itself, which can change appreciably from year to year, the site includes associated riverbanks, shingle beds, earth banks and fringing trees and shrubs because of their value for plants, mammals, birds and invertebrates. In addition, the site includes adjoining areas of semi-natural habitat such as saltmarsh by Carlisle Bridge, old osier beds around Aughton and Arkholme, woodland and scrub, species-rich grassland and pools, ditches and marshes along old courses of the river, together with some areas of pasture within the flood plain at Claughton, Hornby and Arkholme which are important for breeding and overwintering birds.

It is an outstanding area for riparian birds and has one of the richest river breeding bird communities in England. The varied habitat attracts many species of wader. Oystercatcher, ringed plover, lapwing, curlew, redshank and common sandpiper are all regular breeders. Snipe and little ringed plover breed less frequently and in smaller numbers. Other riparian species also breed regularly and include mute swan, shelduck, mallard, goosander, moorhen, coot, kingfisher, sand martin, yellow wagtail, grey wagtail, pied wagtail, dipper and reed bunting. In winter the area supports large numbers of wildfowl, waders and gulls.

The Lune is one of the best salmon rivers in the country and is important for otters. The river is also a valuable feeding area for bats. There is a daubenton’s roost beside the river near Halton and several other roosts of various species in buildings close to the river. Common frog, common toad, smooth newt and great crested newt breed in oxbows.

The site supports a large variety of invertebrates including many local and nationally notable species. For example, Arcosta cinerea, a nationally scarce wolf spider, occurs on shingle banks around Thrush Gill; Andrena humilis, a nationally scarce mining bee, occurs on banks nearby; Lathrobium angusticolle, a nationally scarce rove beetle and three nationally scarce ground beetles, Bembidion fluviatile, B. monticola and B. stomoides, have been recorded from the Lune at Gressingham. In addition, the river is important for the occurrence of the freshwater pearl mussel whose larvae are dependent on salmonid fish as a host. The four-spotted chaser dragonfly, a notable species for Lancashire, is also present.

Although the river itself is in general too fast flowing and prone to flash floods to support many vascular plants, the associated habitats support a good variety of species. Of special value are several areas of species-rich, ancient semi-natural grassland mainly on steep slopes, and pools, ditches and marshes along the lines of old river courses which support many aquatic plants. Species on the Provisional Lancashire Red Data List of Vascular Plants include rough horsetail (Equisetum hyemale) on riverbanks near Halton, fan-leaved water-crowfoot (Ranunculus circinatus) in a pond on the old course of the River Wenning, and slender tufted-sedge (Carex acuta) on the riverbanks on both sides of the Lune Aqueduct. Two uncommon mosses, Fissidens celticus and Myrinia pulvinata, have also been recorded in the site. These are the only known Lancashire records for the species.


The site supports four UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority species, namely reed bunting, otter, great crested newt and freshwater pearl mussel. It adjoins the Lune Estuary and Burton Wood Sites of Special Scientific Interest as well as many Biological Heritage Sites, most of which are ancient semi-natural woodlands. Part of the site is in the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.


Rivers and Streams (Ri1)

Flowering Plants and Ferns (Ff3) (Ff4a)

Bryophytes (Br1a) (Br3)

Mammals (Ma1a)

Amphibians (Am?)?

Fish (Fi1)

Dragonflies and Damselflies (Od4)?

Molluscs (Mo1)

Other Invertebrates (In2)?

Birds (Av3) (Av8k)


Documents

APPENDIX 2 DESIGNATED SITES - Lancaster City Council Appendix 2 & 3 - Torrisholme.pdfLesser Stitchwort, Ragged-robin, Selfheal, Bluebell, Meadow Vetchling, Yarrow and Field Wood-rush