Hic

Bib

i L

ocal N

atu

re R

ese

rve

O

utlin

e B

usin

ess C

ase

Page

1

Ap

pe

nd

ix 4

PR

OJ

EC

T D

OC

UM

EN

TA

TIO

N

OU

TL

INE

BU

SIN

ES

S C

AS

E

Hic

Bib

i L

ocal

Natu

re R

eserve

R

ele

ase

: 1

.1

Da

te: 2

7 J

an

ua

ry 2

00

6

Th

is P

roje

ct

Uti

lises C

ho

rle

y B

oro

ug

h C

ou

ncil

s P

roje

ct

Man

ag

em

en

t M

eth

od

olo

gy

Au

tho

r: S

aghe

er

Akh

tar

Pro

ject

Ma

na

ge

r: S

aghe

er

Akhta

r

P

rogra

mm

e B

oa

rd:

Cap

ita

l

Hic

Bib

i L

ocal N

atu

re R

ese

rve

O

utlin

e B

usin

ess C

ase

Page

2

Ou

tlin

e B

us

ine

ss

Ca

se

R

evis

ion

His

tory

D

ate

of

this

revis

ion: 2

0/0

2/0

6

R

ev

isio

n

Date

S

um

mary

of

Ch

an

ge

s

Vers

ion

27/0

1/0

6

First D

raft

1.0

20/0

2/0

6

Min

or

chan

ges f

ollo

win

g q

ualit

y a

ssura

nce

1.1

Ap

pro

vals

T

his

docum

ent re

quires th

e f

ollo

win

g a

ppro

vals

:

Nam

e

Date

Ap

pro

ved

L

ink t

o A

pp

rov

al M

inu

tes

Vers

ion

Capital P

rogra

mm

e B

oard

01/0

2/0

6

1.0

Executive C

ab

inet

1.1

Dis

trib

uti

on

T

his

docum

ent has b

ee

n d

istr

ibute

d to:

Nam

e

Tit

le

Jane M

eek

Head o

f D

evelo

pm

ent and R

ege

nera

tion

Rebecca H

udd

lesto

n

Pro

ject S

upp

ort

Off

icer

Capital P

rogra

mm

e B

oard

Executive C

ab

inet

Hic

Bib

i L

ocal N

atu

re R

ese

rve

O

utlin

e B

usin

ess C

ase

Page

3

PR

OJ

EC

T B

AC

KG

RO

UN

D

Hic

Bib

i Local N

atu

re R

eserv

e is a

n 8

-hecta

re s

ite o

wned b

y N

ort

hern

Ventu

re C

apital Lim

ited. It has b

een leased f

or

999 y

ears

to C

horley B

oro

ugh

Council

sin

ce 1

993 w

hen it

was d

esig

nate

d a

s a

County

Bio

log

ical H

erita

ge S

ite. T

he location is a

form

er

brick w

ork

s a

nd c

lay q

uarr

y s

ite s

ituate

d

off

Coppull

Moor

Lane n

ear

Chorley. T

he n

atu

re r

eserv

e w

as c

reate

d o

n the s

ite in 1

997 w

hen r

ubbis

h w

as c

leare

d,

path

s a

nd p

onds c

reate

d, and

new

pla

nting

, fe

nces a

nd s

tile

s p

rovid

ed. T

he k

ey h

abitats

are

specie

s r

ich g

rassla

nds, ponds, scru

b a

nd m

ire. C

horley B

oro

ug

h C

ouncil

and its

part

ners

Lancashire W

ildlif

e T

rust, C

horley a

nd D

istr

ict N

atu

ral H

isto

ry S

ocie

ty,

Coppull

Parish C

ouncil

and L

ancashire C

ounty

Council

have

manag

ed the s

ite s

ince 1

994 a

nd it becam

e a

Local N

atu

re R

eserv

e in 2

000. T

he s

ite is v

ery

im

port

ant fo

r am

phib

ians,

birds,

dra

gonflie

s a

nd

dam

selflie

s a

nd m

am

mals

. N

ota

ble

specie

s inclu

de S

tonew

ort

, R

eed B

unting,

Bla

ck D

art

er

Dra

gonfly, W

ate

r V

ole

s, w

hic

h a

re U

K P

riority

B

iodiv

ers

ity s

pecie

s,

and G

reat C

reste

d N

ew

ts that

are

‘E

uro

pean P

rote

cte

d S

pecie

s’.

A f

ive-y

ear

ecolo

gic

al m

anag

em

ent pla

n h

as b

een p

repare

d for

Chorley B

oro

ug

h C

ouncil

runnin

g fro

m A

pril 2002 to M

arc

h 2

006.

As p

art

of th

e

manag

em

ent

pla

n t

he f

ollo

win

g e

colo

gic

al m

onitoring h

as taken p

lace b

iannually

to g

uid

e furt

her

site m

anag

em

ent.

a)

Record

ing a

nd m

onitoring a

ll ponds, am

phib

ian p

opula

tions a

nd a

quatic invert

ebra

te t

o a

ssess im

pact

and g

uid

e to futu

re m

anag

em

ent.

b)

Ma

inta

inin

g a

nd e

nhancin

g h

edg

ero

ws.

c)

Record

ing a

nd m

onitoring invert

ebra

te p

opula

tions o

f dra

gonflie

s,

dam

selflie

s a

nd b

utterf

lies a

nd t

o a

ssess t

he im

pact

of m

anag

em

ent.

d)

Mon

itoring c

hang

es in t

he s

tructu

re o

f th

e s

ite’s

veg

eta

tion

Follo

win

g s

ite m

onitoring o

f g

rassla

nds a

nd p

onds in 2

005, th

e C

ouncil’

s E

colo

gic

al C

onsultant str

ong

ly r

ecom

mended t

hat ecolo

gic

al enhancem

ent

work

be u

ndert

aken.

PR

OJ

EC

T O

BJE

CT

IVE

S

•

To h

alt the p

rocesses o

f natu

ral successio

n for

the b

enefit of flora

and f

auna a

lready liv

ing

on t

he s

ite.

•

To c

reate

new

ponds a

nd r

em

ove s

urf

ace v

egeta

tion t

o e

xpose c

lay s

ubstr

ate

s s

uitable

for

natu

ral colo

nis

ation o

f specie

s r

ich g

rassla

nds.

•

To c

reate

exte

nsiv

e n

ew

bre

edin

g h

abitats

for

gre

at

cre

ste

d n

ew

ts a

nd o

ther

am

phib

ians.

•

To s

afe

guard

the g

rassla

nds.

SC

OP

E

The s

cope is t

o r

esto

re a

nd e

nhance o

ne o

f th

e m

ost

ecolo

gic

ally

im

port

ant

Natu

re R

eserv

es in t

he B

oro

ug

h.

Hic

Bib

i L

ocal N

atu

re R

ese

rve

O

utlin

e B

usin

ess C

ase

Page

4

The w

ork

s inclu

des c

reation o

f new

ponds, ditches,

and e

sta

blis

hm

ent of

specie

s r

ich g

rassla

nds. T

he p

roje

ct w

ill b

e c

arr

ied o

ut w

ith h

elp

and

advic

e o

f site p

art

ners

. E

ng

lish N

atu

re w

ill b

e c

onsulted t

hro

ug

hout.

T

he s

ite w

ork

s h

ave t

o b

e c

arr

ied o

ut at th

e o

ptim

um

tim

es in o

rder

to n

ot dis

turb

bre

edin

g o

r hib

ern

ating b

irds a

nd a

mphib

ians. It is there

fore

essential th

at

pre

limin

ary

work

s s

tart

in A

ug

ust

at th

e late

st and w

ork

bein

gs o

n s

ite in S

epte

mber

with a

fin

ish d

ate

of

Novem

ber

2006.

AS

SU

MP

TIO

NS

The a

ssum

ption m

ade is t

hat:

•

The c

apital bid

for

Hic

Bib

i N

atu

re R

eserv

e is s

uccessfu

l.

•

The s

ite w

ill b

e m

anag

ed a

nd r

em

ain

ecolo

gic

ally

im

port

ant fo

r fu

ture

genera

tions

OV

ER

VIE

W O

F T

HE

BU

SIN

ES

S C

AS

E A

ND

BE

NE

FIT

S

Gra

ssla

nd m

anag

em

ent

is a

pro

ble

matic issue a

t H

ic B

ibi.

At

pre

sent

a r

ela

tively

sm

all

num

ber

of

com

part

ments

have b

een c

ut

by s

trim

min

g o

n a

n

annual or

rota

tional basis

. M

ost

of

the s

pecie

s-r

ich c

om

part

ments

have n

ot

been s

ubje

ct

to c

utt

ing

due t

o m

any f

acto

rs,

such a

s g

round topog

raphy,

access issues a

nd c

osts

.

It is n

ow

appare

nt

that

many o

f th

e s

pecie

s-r

ich g

rassla

nd a

reas a

t H

ic B

ibi are

under

thre

at

from

pro

cesses o

f natu

ral successio

n.

In p

art

icula

r th

e

follo

win

g f

eatu

res a

nd p

rocesses d

irectly t

hre

ate

n t

he s

pecie

s-r

ich g

rassla

nds:

•

Continued e

xpansio

n a

nd n

ew

colo

niz

ation o

f scru

b,

part

icula

rly w

illo

w s

pecie

s a

nd b

ram

ble

. M

ulti-ste

mm

ed r

e-g

row

th o

f pre

vio

usly

cut

scru

b c

ontr

ibute

s to t

he p

roble

m, e.g

. C

om

part

ment G

23.

•

Expansio

n o

f exis

ting

are

as o

f ta

ll ru

dera

l herb

s a

nd a

reas o

f re

ed c

anary

-gra

ss,

e.g

. C

om

part

ments

G17,

G28,

G26 a

nd G

25.

In a

dditio

n

less d

esirable

specie

s s

eem

to b

e m

ore

fre

quent

within

specie

s-r

ich g

rassla

nd c

om

part

ments

, e.g

. in

cre

ase in m

ars

h t

his

tle t

hro

ug

hout

the

reserv

es g

rassla

nds, part

icula

rly w

ithin

im

port

ant g

rassla

nd C

om

part

ments

G14, G

15, G

16 a

nd G

24.

T

here

is a

now

an u

rgent

need t

o a

ddre

ss t

hese m

anag

em

ent

issues in o

rder

to s

afe

guard

the g

rassla

nds.

The f

ollo

win

g r

ecom

mendation is m

ade

to e

nhance t

he g

rassla

nd h

abitats

.

Hic

Bib

i L

ocal N

atu

re R

ese

rve

O

utlin

e B

usin

ess C

ase

Page

5

•

Exte

nsiv

e s

cru

b c

ontr

ol and r

em

oval is

needed. C

ut

scru

b m

ust be tre

ate

d w

ith s

tum

p k

iller

herb

icid

e t

o p

revent

re-g

row

th. T

he locations a

nd

meth

ods n

eed t

o b

e a

gre

ed w

ith P

EN

NIN

E E

colo

gic

al to

safe

guard

oth

er

inte

rests

inclu

din

g; birds a

nd g

reat

cre

ste

d n

ew

ts.

•

The c

reation o

f new

po

nds a

nd d

itches s

urr

ounded b

y s

cra

pes c

leare

d o

f veg

eta

tion.

In p

art

icula

r th

is w

ill i

nclu

de c

om

part

ments

where

floristic inte

rest

is lim

ited a

nd /

or

som

e o

f th

e s

cru

b c

om

part

ments

. F

ollo

win

g v

eg

eta

tion r

em

oval, a

series o

f m

ultip

le s

mall

ponds a

nd lin

ear

ditches w

ill b

e c

reate

d s

urr

ounded b

y b

are

exposed c

lay s

ubstr

ate

s.

The f

ollo

win

g a

reas o

f th

e r

eserv

e a

re c

onsid

ere

d p

art

icula

rly s

uitable

fo

r th

is. T

he a

rea c

om

prisin

g C

om

part

ments

G24 a

nd G

29,

and,

in p

art

icula

r G

12 a

nd p

art

of W

4. A

new

gla

de in C

om

part

ment W

4 c

ould

be

cle

are

d o

f scru

b in o

rder

to lin

k C

om

part

ments

G12 a

nd G

7.

Oth

er

are

as a

lso n

eed t

o b

e c

onsid

ere

d,

althoug

h t

here

are

issues r

ela

ting

to

both

wate

r vole

s a

nd g

reat

cre

ste

d n

ew

t. E

vid

ence o

f sig

nific

ant

wate

r vole

activity in t

he form

of ru

ns a

nd feedin

g s

tations h

as b

een n

ote

d in

terr

estr

ial

gra

ssla

nd

com

part

ments

at

consid

era

ble

dis

tances

from

ponds.

In

part

icula

r th

e

are

a

west

of

Ponds

3

and

4,

inclu

din

g

Com

part

ments

G17,

G25,

G14,

G26 a

nd G

28 s

upport

s m

any s

igns o

f habitual use a

nd d

ispers

al fr

om

the p

onds w

hic

h a

re c

onsid

ere

d t

o b

e

the m

ain

bre

edin

g locations.

•

To c

arr

y o

ut

the m

eth

ods o

utlin

ed a

bove

there

is a

leg

al re

quirem

ent

to a

pply

for

a D

EF

RA

Conse

rvation lic

ence d

ue t

o t

he p

resence o

f th

e

pro

tecte

d g

reat

cre

ste

d n

ew

t. T

his

is a

costly e

xerc

ise b

oth

in t

erm

s o

f apply

ing

for

the l

icence a

nd t

he p

roduction o

f associa

ted m

eth

od

sta

tem

ents

, and,

not

least,

the i

mple

menta

tion o

f pro

tective m

easure

s a

nd t

err

estr

ial

cle

ara

nce o

f th

e s

pecie

s.

In b

asic

term

s t

he a

reas

aff

ecte

d b

y t

he v

eg

eta

tion c

leara

nce w

ould

initia

lly n

eed t

o b

e e

nclo

sed b

y t

em

pora

ry a

mphib

ian f

encin

g.

A n

um

ber

of

pitfa

ll tr

aps w

ould

then

need t

o b

e insta

lled w

ithin

the f

enced c

om

part

ments

and c

hecked o

n a

daily

basis

until such t

ime n

ew

ts w

ere

deem

ed t

o h

ave b

een c

leare

d

from

the a

reas.

The p

ond c

reation a

nd v

eg

eta

tion c

leara

nce c

ould

then take p

lace.

The b

enefits

of

this

schem

e w

ould

be t

wo f

old

. F

irstly,

the

cre

ation o

f exte

nsiv

e n

ew

bre

edin

g h

abitats

for

gre

at

cre

ste

d n

ew

ts,

and s

econdly

, th

e c

reation o

f new

exposed c

lay s

ubstr

ate

s w

hic

h w

ill

pro

vid

e s

uitable

conditio

ns f

or

the n

atu

ral esta

blis

hm

ent of

specie

s-r

ich g

rassla

nds.

The a

doption o

f th

e a

bove m

easure

s a

re c

onsid

ere

d e

ssential to

safe

guard

the s

ites intr

insic

bota

nic

al in

tere

st. T

he a

doption o

f th

e p

ond c

reation

with s

cra

pes w

ill a

lso e

nhance t

he s

ites v

alu

e f

or

am

phib

ians.

Althoug

h t

he a

mphib

ian s

tatu

s o

f th

e s

ite i

s n

ot

consid

ere

d t

o b

e t

hre

ate

ned,

it i

s

noticeable

that

Ponds 1

, 2 a

nd 3

are

becom

ing

incre

asin

gly

dry

and h

ave e

xcessiv

e v

eg

eta

tion c

olo

niz

ation.

In p

art

icula

r P

ond 1

is n

ow

virtu

ally

dry

th

roug

hout

the y

ear.

The n

ew

ponds (

Ponds 3

, 5

and 6

) cre

ate

d b

y C

horley B

oro

ug

h C

ouncil

are

without

doubt

the s

ites m

ain

bre

edin

g locations.

With

out th

e c

reation o

f P

onds 3

, 5 a

nd 6

, th

e s

ites s

tatu

s f

or

the s

pecie

s w

ou

ld n

ow

be s

ignific

antly t

hre

ate

ned.

This

pro

ject m

eets

our

corp

ora

te p

riority

in r

educin

g ‘pockets

of

ineq

ualit

y’, g

ett

ing

people

involv

ed in t

heir c

om

munitie

s a

s w

ell

as d

evelo

pin

g t

he

chara

cte

r of

Chorley a

s a

good p

lace t

o liv

e,

work

and v

isit.

Hic

Bib

i L

ocal N

atu

re R

ese

rve

O

utlin

e B

usin

ess C

ase

Page

6

BE

NE

FIT

S P

LA

N

•

Safe

guard

the s

ites intr

insic

bota

nic

al in

tere

st fo

r fu

ture

genera

tions.

•

Pro

vid

ing

an e

nvironm

ent th

at is

good f

or

natu

re.

•

Pro

tecting E

uro

pean P

rote

cte

d S

pecie

s a

nd U

K P

riority

Bio

div

ers

ity S

pecie

s.

GE

RS

HO

N E

FF

ICIE

NC

IES

E

ffic

ien

cie

s

Co

rpo

rate

Serv

ices

None a

nticip

ate

d.

Pro

cu

rem

en

t C

om

petitive t

endering w

ill b

e s

oug

ht.

Pro

du

cti

ve T

ime

No im

plic

ation t

o C

horley B

C in t

erm

s o

f additio

nal sta

ff tim

e a

nd c

ost.

Tra

nsacti

on

s

None a

nticip

ate

d.

TH

E D

O N

OT

HIN

G S

CE

NA

RIO

The r

esult o

f doin

g n

oth

ing c

an b

e s

um

marised a

s f

ollo

ws:

•

The d

esig

nation o

f B

iolo

gic

al H

erita

ge S

ite a

nd L

ocal N

atu

re R

eserv

e c

ould

be r

em

oved

•

The s

ite w

ill b

ecom

e n

egle

cte

d a

nd w

ill r

evert

to w

ood

land t

hro

ug

h t

he p

rocess o

f natu

ral successio

n

•

The im

port

ance o

f th

e s

ite f

or

bre

edin

g g

reat cre

ste

d n

ew

ts w

ill d

ecre

ase d

ue t

o loss o

f suitable

habitat.

•

The s

pecie

s r

ich g

rassla

nds w

ill loose f

lora

div

ers

ity d

ue t

o b

ein

g o

ut com

pete

d b

y r

udera

l w

eeds.

Hic

Bib

i L

ocal N

atu

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ese

rve

O

utlin

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usin

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ase

Page

7

ES

TIM

AT

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PR

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NA

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RA

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EN

TS

Po

sit

ion

N

am

e

Tit

le

Pro

ject

Sponsor

Executive C

abin

et

Senio

r U

ser

Jane M

eek

Head o

f D

evelo

pm

ent &

Reg

enera

tion

Pro

ject

Manag

er

S

ag

heer

Akhta

r R

eg

enera

tion P

roje

cts

Manag

er

Landscape A

ssis

tant

Lin

dsey R

als

ton

Landscape A

ssis

tant

Senio

r S

upplie

rs

Pennin

e E

colo

gic

al

Ecolo

gic

al C

onsultant

Descri

pti

on

Y

ear

Cap

ital C

ost

Esti

mate

R

even

ue C

ost

Esti

mate

Eng

lish N

atu

re L

icence A

pplic

ation

Aug

06

£610.0

0

Inte

rest G

roup C

onsultation

Aug

06

£210.0

0

Scru

b C

leara

nce (

tim

ed to n

ot

dis

turb

bre

edin

g b

irds)

Sept

06

£6,9

20.0

0

Ere

ction o

f T

em

pora

ry A

mphib

ian T

rappin

g F

ences /

Bucket T

raps

Sept

06

£3,0

00.0

0

Bucket T

rappin

g (

30 n

ights

) S

ept

– O

ct

06

£2,7

00.0

0

Gro

und C

leara

nce, T

ree a

nd S

cru

b C

leara

nce a

nd P

ond C

reation

Oct – N

ov 0

6

£11,0

25.0

0

Rem

oval of T

rappin

g

Fences/B

ucket T

raps &

Report

to E

ng

lish N

atu

re

Oct – N

ov 0

6

£1,0

75.0

0

Conting

ency (

10%

)

£2,5

54.0

0

To

tal

£28,0

94.0

0

Hic

Bib

i L

ocal N

atu

re R

ese

rve

O

utlin

e B

usin

ess C

ase

Page

8