Swindon Biodiversity Action Plan
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About the LBAP

The Swindon BAP is an extremely important document. It outlines the vision and strategy for protecting and enhancing the borough's biodiversity over the next ten years, along with a series of specific actions and targets for delivering the strategy. The Swindon BAP is particularly important in the light of the rapid growth of the urban area and the pressures this places on the environment. It is a crucial part of the community planning process and will have the status of Supplementary Planning Guidance.

Through the Swindon BAP we aim to achieve four fundamental aims:
1. Protection of the best areas for wildlife: this includes all nationally protected sites, locally designated sites (Wildlife Sites) and strategic green corridors
2. Enhancement of wildlife in the wider landscape: we need to focus activities in key areas where there is potential to achieve real and lasting gain
3. Protect and enhance populations of particularly important species, such as the Water Vole and the Greater Horseshoe Bat
4. Involve people in the process wherever possible

Like many BAPs, the Swindon BAP focuses mainly on habitats rather than speicies. This is because in the majority of cases the main threats to wildlife are associated with the loss, degradation or fragmentation of the habitats in which they live. If we can conserve the habitats, we have taken a vitally important step towards conserving the individual species.

The Swindon BAP is currently at draft status, and is aimed to be completed early 2005.

Click here to download a draft version of the Swindon BAP.

Local partnerships

Steering Group

  • English Nature
  • Environment Agency
  • Wiltshire Wildlife Trust (Chair and Coordinator)
  • Wiltshire and Swindon Biological Records Centre
  • LA21
  • Swindon Borough Council
  • Great Western Community Forest
  • BTCV
  • Seven Fields Conservation Group
  • FWAG
  • AFL (local Business)

Working group members

  • Wiltshire Ornithological Society
  • Dragonfly Society
  • Wilts and Berks Canal Group
  • Thames Water
  • Swindon Tenant Farmers Association
  • RSPB
  • Forestry Commission
  • Woodland Trust
  • Swindon Services (Rangers Department)
  • Civic Trust
  • Flowers and Butterflies
  • Swindon Wildlife Group
  • Millennium Volunteers
  • Wiltshire Bat Group

Other contributors

  • Butterfly Conservation
  • North Wessex AONB
  • DPDS
  • Richard Jefferies Society
  • Swindon and Cricklade Railway Society
  • Wiltshire Badger Group
  • FOE
  • CPRE
  • and a great many individuals

Habitat Action Plan list

Click here to download a draft version of the Swindon BAP.

1/ Farmland habitats
a) Arable Habitat Action Plan
b) Hedgerow Habitat Action Plan

2/ Water and wetland habitats
a) Standing Open Water Habitat Action Plan
b) Urban Ponds Habitat Action Plan
c) Rivers and Streams Habitat Action Plan
d) Wetlands Habitat Action Plan

3/ Grassland habitats
a) Amenity Grassland Habitat Action Plan
b) Neutral Grassland Habitat Action Plan
c) Downland Habitat Action Plan

4/ Urban habitats
a) Built-up areas and Gardens Habitat Action Plan
b) Development Sites Habitat Action Plan

5/ Woodland habitats
a) Woodland Habitat Action Plan
b) Scrub Habitat Action Plan
c) Parkland Habitat Action Plan

Species Action Plan List

Click here to download a draft version of the Swindon BAP.

Bats

Contact

Neil Pullen

Wiltshire Wildlife Officer
The Environment Centre
47b Fleet Street
Swindon
Wiltshire
SN1 1RE

wwtswindon@cix.co.uk

01793 526228

 

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