| Urban - Wiltshire |
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| Extent/Distribution The urban area of Wiltshire is thought to be 28,000 ha. It is not known how much green space occurs in urban areas of Wiltshire, although two recent biodiversity audits in Swindon and Salisbury have revealed some information. The Swindon audit found 82 urban spaces with wildlife value in Swindon and Wroughton, 46 having an existing wildlife value that was medium to high. The Salisbury audit examined 50 sites owned by Salisbury District Council and made management recommendations to further the wildlife interest on 27 of these. Wiltshire currently has five Local Nature Reserves: Sevenfields and Coate Water Country Park in Swindon, Drews Pond Wood in Devizes, Smallbrook Meadows in Warminster and the Avon Valley Project in Salisbury. There are nine SSSIs in urban areas: the River Avon System, West Harnham Chalk Pit and East Harnham Meadows in Salisbury; Gripwood Quarry in Bradford-on-Avon, and in Swindon, Hayden Meadow, Coate Water, Old Town Railway Cutting, Great Quarry and Okus Quarry. Wiltshire Wildlife Trust manages five reserves in urban areas: Conigre Mead in Melksham, Vincients Wood in Chippenham, Hagbourne Copse and Rushy Platt in Swindon, plus Smallbrook Meadows in Warminster (mentioned above). There are also a number of community nature reserves scattered through the county, often owned by parish councils and managed by friends of groups e.g. Mortimers Wood in Chippenham and Conigre Mead in Malmesbury. Lack of awareness and information Once rural features such as hedgerows are incorporated into an urban
setting, they may be inappropriately managed or even destroyed by new
owners. Pollution 1. Involve local communities and businesses wherever possible in enhancing wildlife in urban areas, to raise awareness of wildlife and other environmental issues. 2. Safeguard the status of wildlife habitats in urban areas. 3. Increase the area of land managed sympathetically for wildlife in urban areas. 4. Encourage the provision of a network of green spaces and the incorporation of English Nature guidelines in local authority planning policies. 5. Work with developers and local authority planners to create biodiversity gain from new developments. 1. Identify Wildlife Sites in urban areas. 2002 no information currently available
Policy and legislation Encourage local authorities to endorse revised Wildlife Sites criteria
which include urban areas. Identify Wildlife Sites in urban areas and notify landowners and managers. LEAD:WWT PARTNERS:LAs, WSBRC Incorporate English Nature guidelines (see footnote 1 above) and green networks in local authority policies/Local Plans. LEAD:LAs PARTNERS:WWT, EN Incorporate Wildlife Sites and BAP habitats in local authority planning policies /Local Plans. LEAD:LAs PARTNERS: EN, WWT. EA Employ development control measures to create a net biodiversity gain in 50% of new developments, such as the use of native species in new EA planting schemes (see 18 below for training). LEAD:LAs PARTNERS:WWT, EN Encourage the use of sustainable urban drainage in new developments. LEAD:EA. PARTNERS:LAs Management
Encourage local authorities and other landowners to carry out an audit of green space (including both Wildlife Sites and other sites) to determine their actual biodiversity and their potential for increased biodiversity , where not already done. Involve local communities where possible, e.g. in , wildlife mapping projects. LEAD: WWT PARTNERS:LAs, EA, Railtrack, churches, Highways Agency Prioritise the above sites and identify the management needed to enhance wildlife in existing urban green spaces, writing management plans or providing grant information where necessary. LEAD: WWT PARTNERS LAs,Highways Agency, churches, Railtrack, businesses, BTCV, EA, communities Encourage landowners to implement sympathetic management on the sites identified above, with training where necessary (see 20 below). LEAD:WWT PARTNERS: Highways Agency, LAs, EA, PCs, churches, Railtrack, businesses, communities, BTCV, garden centres Draw up a list of simple guidelines that could be implemented on a part of all open spaces, e.g. allowing grass to grow long (where space allows) in one part of each site, or greater use of native species. Encourage local authorities to adopt these. LEAD:WWT Promote the sympathetic management of allotments and gardens. LEAD:WWT PARTNERS:Communities,LAs, PCs,garden centres Where possible support environmental projects carried out by local community groups, including involvement with community nature LEAD: WWT PARTNERS: communities LAs, PCs Encourage local authorities to create or extend Local Nature Reserves to support other types of community reserve or extend Local Nature Reserves or to support other types of community reserve> LEAD:EN PARTNERS:LAs, PCs, WWT Research and
monitoring
Where possible monitor new habitats created through planning gain. LEAD: WWT PARTNERS: LAs, EN Promote the use of biodiversity indicators as an awareness-raising measure and to encourage action to enhance the environment. LEAD: WSBRC PARTNERS: LAs, WWT Continue survey and collation of data from urban areas. LEAD: WSBRC PARTNERS: Communities, WWT, GWCF Continue with responses to planning applications as appropriate LEAD: WSBRC Advisory Provide advice/training seminars for local authority officers, on the
contribution they can make to biodiversity gain through the development
process and through the management of green space. Provide advice/training seminars for developers on the contribution
they can make to biodiversity gain through new developments. Provide guidance on managing land to enhance wildlife e.g. packs
for land managers and residents. Education and awareness raising
Raise public awareness of the importance of wildlife in urban areas, e.g. through the media. LEAD: WWT, LAs PARTNERS: EN Set up gardens to demonstrate good practice in terms of sustainability and encouraging wildlife. LEAD: WWT PARTNERS: Communities, businesses, LAs Encourage schools to manage their grounds sympathetically. LEAD: WWT PARTNERS: LAs, GWCF Encourage schools with limited grounds to develop links with local
green spaces Put together maps of Wildlife Sites and walks along green corridors which are accessible to the public in urban areas. LEAD: LAs, WWT Put up simple signage on sites to inform passers-by about the
reasons for changes in management. no information currently available |
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