Wildlife value and future outlook for open mosaic habitats on previously developed land in derbyshir

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Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................ 4 1.0 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 6 2.0 The extent and distribution of open mosaic habitats ............................................................... 7 3.0 The importance of brownfield sites with open mosaic habitats for species of conservation value ..................................................................................................................................................... 9 3.1 Plants .......................................................................................................................................... 9 3.2 Invertebrates ............................................................................................................................ 10

3.3 Amphibians .............................................................................................................................. 14 3.4 Reptiles ..................................................................................................................................... 14 3.5 Birds .......................................................................................................................................... 15 3.6 Mammals .................................................................................................................................. 15 4.0 Potential impact of development .............................................................................................. 16 4.1 Existing and future development .......................................................................................... 16 4.2 Remediation ............................................................................................................................. 17 4.3 Losses in each Local Authority ............................................................................................. 19 4.4 Area with a nature conservation designated ....................................................................... 21 5.0 Implications of loss of open mosaic habitat for species and ecological connectivity ...... 22 6.0 The value of open mosaic habitats for local people and communities ............................... 25 7.0 What needs to be done to address the potential loss of open mosaic habitat? ................. 26 8.0 Appendices .................................................................................................................................. 32

8.1 Appendix 1: Methodology ...................................................................................................... 33 Mapping brownfield sites of high biodiversity .......................................................................... 33 8.2 Appendix 2: Derbyshire Red Data List Plant recorded from Open Mosaic habitats ....... 34 8.3 Appendix 3a: Brownfield sites with identified Open mosaic habitats on previously developed land known to be threatened .................................................................................... 35 8.4 Appendix 3b: Brownfield sites with identified Open mosaic habitats on previously developed land not known to be threatened .............................................................................. 37

9.0 References ................................................................................................................................... 39

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Brownfield sites often support ‘Open Mosaic Habitats on previously Developed Land’ one of the most important and extensive wildlife habitats left in the lowlands of Derbyshire and a habitat of principal importance for biodiversity conservation as prescribed in Section 41 of the NERC Act 2006.

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Open mosaic habitats have so far been identified across an estimated 784 ha in Derbyshire. They occur in most areas, but are especially significant in the Coalfields and Magnesian Limestone of north east, eastern and southern Derbyshire, but are also associated with quarries, ironworks, disused railway sidings, sandpits and old industrial land.

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430 ha of open mosaic habitat (55% of what remains) is threatened by development, remediation, landscaping or forestry. Many sites have already been remediated or developed.

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It is essential that Brownfield Site registers take account of the biodiversity value of sites and identify sites of high environmental value.

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Open mosaic habitat is rich in wildlife and supports many species that are in serious decline across the British Isles and in Derbyshire. In many cases brownfield sites are of far greater value for wildlife than more intensively managed greenfield sites.

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As many as 80 species listed as UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority species (species of principal importance listed under Section 41 of the NERC Act 2006) occur on brownfield sites in Derbyshire.

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42 plant species that are rare or in decline and listed on the Derbyshire Red Data List for vascular plants are found on brownfield sites.

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Some species are dependent on habitats found within brownfield sites. For example half of the brownfield sites that currently support the UK BAP priority butterfly Dingy skipper could disappear in the next 15 years, threatening the future viability of this species in many parts of the County.

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These habitats are widely used by local people and contrary to received opinion are often well loved places that provide much needed respite from the stresses of modern life.

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Opportunities to avoid and minimise this potential loss must be taken wherever possible.

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Where losses are unavoidable the habitat must be replaced by the creation and restoration of similar habitats that support a similar composition of species and continue to provide corridors for dispersal.

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Retained, created and restored habitat needs careful and long term management to sustain the biodiversity and key species.

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Brownfield sites are often rich in wildlife and occur across much of Derbyshire. They include former limestone, gritstone, sand and gravel quarries, collieries, ironworks, railway sidings, storage areas and stations as well as many old building sites. They can be relatively large extending over tens of hectares, but smaller sites down to 0.25 ha can also be of interest. A variety of habitats can be found on brownfield land including woodlands, scrub, marsh, open water, grasslands and bare ground. Some of these habitats are collectively described as open mosaic habitats on previously developed land (OMHPDL) (Maddock, 2010). The habitat has been recognised as a UK BAP priority habitat type and is listed under Section 41 (S41) of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act 2006 as a habitat of principal importance in England. This list guides decision-makers such as councils and statutory bodies, as to their duty under Section 40 of the NERC Act to ‘have regard to the conservation of biodiversity in England’ in day to day decisions.

The State of Nature 2016 (Hayhow, D.B. et al 2016) report found that out of 4000 species assessed 56% had declined over the past forty years and that the UK is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world. Wildlife has declined and vanished from the wider countryside, but brownfield sites have helped mitigate for these losses by providing much needed refuges for biodiversity at a critical time. In some parts of lowland Derbyshire they now provide the only areas of habitat for many rare and declining species.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) (DCLG, 2012) states that local planning policies should encourage the re-use of ‘previously developed’ (brownfield) land, stating that it should be prioritised for development as long as it is not of ‘high environmental value’. The NPPF also states that planning decisions should ‘contribute to and enhance the natural and local environment by minimising impacts on biodiversity and providing net gains in biodiversity wherever possible, contributing to the Government’s commitment to halt the overall decline in biodiversity, including by establishing coherent ecological networks that are more resilient to current and future pressures’.

Whilst redeveloping brownfield land can provide development opportunities it is having a significant impact on wildlife. Often these impacts are not fully understood or appreciated until after land has been allocated within Local Plans or at the planning application stage when more detailed ecological surveys are submitted. In addition there is a new requirement on local planning authorities in England to prepare, maintain and publish registers of previously developed land that they consider appropriate for residential development within their area (brownfield land registers). In Derbyshire, as elsewhere, there is a significant and challenging conflict between the development of brownfield sites and biodiversity. These sites are a legacy of our industrial past and are unlikely to ever be appear again as land-use needs have changed. The window for saving these sites and recognising the essential role they now play in conserving our wildlife heritage is fast disappearing. All stakeholders and decision makers need to act collectively and collaborate to protect as much of this land as possible.

This report sets out our current understanding of the importance of these sites for the conservation of wildlife in Derbyshire and attempts to quantify the threats faced by many sites both now and in the future. The report then makes recommendations regarding what needs to be done to try and protect and encourage sympathetic management of these sites.

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The current estimate of the extent of the habitat in Derbyshire (outside of the Peak District National Park) is estimated to be 784 ha (see Appendix 1 for methods). The distribution of these sites across Derbyshire is illustrated in Figure 1. A number of smaller sites have not been sufficiently evaluated at this time and are excluded.

Figure 1: The provisional distribution of open mosaic habitats on previously developed land in Derbyshire outside of the Peak District National Park.

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In many parts of Derbyshire open mosaic habitat extends over a greater area than any other UK BAP priority habitat type excluding woodlands and wood-pasture/parkland (Figure 2). For many areas especially in the north-east and east of the County it has become one of the most significant priority habitat types. This is a reflection of the wide scale loss of flower-rich grasslands in lowland Derbyshire estimated to be between 80% and 91% over the past 40 years or so (Huston, 2001) as well as losses of wetlands and heaths. As these habitats disappeared many industrial sites were being abandoned or mothballed and were slowly being colonised or ‘rewilded’ by nearby or mobile species of plant and animal. These sites have inadvertently acted as refuges providing new opportunities and challenges for nature conservation.

Open mosaic habitats are less extensive and make a smaller contribution to the total area of habitat within the Peak District National Park and are thought not to be under the same level of threat. Nonetheless individual sites may still be of great value and further work on sites inside the PDNP would be useful.

Area (ha)

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Open mosaic habitats typically support a diverse assemblage of higher and sometimes lower plants and often include rare and/or declining plant species. Many brownfield sites in Derbyshire were re -colonised by plant and animal species during the 1970 – 2000 period and these sites have often provided a refuge for many native species. The plant communities that have become established on these sites sometimes resemble grassland vegetation communities, but many sites also have a distinct element of ruderal and annual species as well as wetland plants too. It is not unusual to find between 150 and 200 different plant species associated with some of the larger brownfield sites for example Steetley Quarry in north-east Bolsover.

At least 42 plant species that are rare or in decline and listed on the Derbyshire Red Data List for vascular plants are found on brownfield sites (Appendix 2). These include 12 Nationally Threatened species for example Spring sandwort (Minuartia verna), Common cudweed (Filago vulgaris), Yellow bird’s-nest (Hypopitys monotropa) Fly orchid (Ophrys insectifera) and Frog orchid (Coeloglossum viride). There are three Nationally Rare or Scarce species including the locally common Alpine penny-cress (Noccaea caerulescens), Stinking hellebore (Helleborus foetidus) and Limestone fern (Gymnocarpium robertianum). 14 Locally Scarce or Locally Declining species can be found notably Narrow-leaved everlasting pea (Lathyrus sylvestris), Small cudweed (Filago minima), Common broomrape (Orobanche minor), Bird’s-foot (Ornithopus purpusillus) and Horned pondweed (Zannichellia palustris) and at least 12 species that are Near Threatened in England (Stroh et al, 2014) including notable populations of Wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca), Autumn gentian (Gentianella autumnalis), Devil’s-bit scabious (Succissa pratensis), Common valerian (Valeriana officinalis) and Ragged robin (Silene flos-cuculi).

Many of these sites also support interesting and diverse assemblages of lower plants, though these are often poorly recorded. Steetley Quarry is the only site in Derbyshire for Flamingo moss (Tortula cernua) a Nationally Rare species at the southern edge of its range in Derbyshire.

Common cudweed (Filago vulgaris) a Nationally Threatened plant species almost entirely found on Brownfield sites in Derbyshire.

Wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca) a Near Threatened plant species often abundant on Brownfield sites in Derbyshire.

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Many open mosaic habitats support diverse assemblages of invertebrates including species of conservation concern. Data for Derbyshire open mosaic sites is typically rather patchy, but is improving. Surveys of brownfield sites undertaken as part of ecological assessments relating to potential development have often identified rare or notable species including new species for Derbyshire or the East Midlands. Typically invertebrate assessments undertaken as part of planning applications have found between 250 and 400 species. The insect orders that are sampled do seem to depend on the expertise of the recorder so comparing different sites can be problematic. Recent surveys have included Hartington Tip (BSG Ecology, 2011) where Mark Telfer identified a diverse invertebrate assemblage including several beetle species not previously recorded in Derbyshire. A recent survey of Cawdor Quarry (BSG Ecology, 2016) identified over 300 species including 50 ‘pollinators’ (30 bees and 20 hoverflies) and a survey of the Sanctuary LNR in Derby by Andy Godfrey also identified over 300 species (Mott McDonald, 2012). A more recent survey of Oxcroft Colliery (Heaton Planning, 2017) concluded that the site was of regional value for its invertebrate assemblage. There are older surveys of Steetley Quarry and Woodside Reserve which found high diversity as well as numerous uncommon species. Surveys of sites near Stanton Ironworks and Friargate Station in Derby by local entomologists have identified rare craneflies, bugs and beetles.

Many butterfly species that are in decline nationally (Fox et al, 2015) are recorded from, and to varying degrees are dependent upon, brownfield sites. These species include four that are UK BAP priority species dingy skipper, small heath, wall and grizzled skipper. Butterfly Conservation has been co-ordinating systematic surveys of these species on brownfield sites in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire for many years and there is now an excellent and reliable evidence base.

Dingy skipper (Erynnes tages) is especially dependent upon open mosaic habitats within brownfield sites across much of its lowland Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire range. The butterfly requires warm short grassland with common bird’s-foot-trefoil (larval food plant) and bare ground. It has declined nationally by 61% over 40 years and is listed as a UK BAP priority species.

1. Methodologies do differ, but broadly speaking the surveys include 2 or 3 site visits using at least 3 different sampling methods.

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The dingy skipper butterfly has been recorded on 58 open mosaic sites (almost 52%). In lowland Derbyshire the butterfly is now almost confined to open mosaic sites or restored colliery sites such as Stanton, Arkwright, Williamthorpe Ponds/Holmewood, Pleasley Tip, Poulter Country Park, Shirebrook Wood and Swadlincote Wood. Colonies associated with semi-natural grassland sites are much less common, but do occur for example Crich Chase Meadows SSSI and Pennytown Ponds LNR. The grizzled skipper has a precarious existence in Derbyshire and is thought to be virtually extinct. A number of recent sightings have yet to be fully verified. The small heath, once the most ubiquitous butterfly in the country, has seen its abundance and occurrence halved across the British Isles in the past 40 years. It is recorded from an estimated 36% of open mosaic sites. These have become increasingly important for small heath as other suitable grassland habitats have disappeared.

Under-recorded insect orders include moths (Lepidoptera) as nocturnal surveys using light traps are rarely undertaken. This is disappointing as much is now known about the conservation status of many of the larger moths (Fox et al, 2013) and information from brownfield sites could be informative. Where data exists it is clear that a diverse range of moths are also dependent on open mosaic habitats due to the presence of food plants such as legumes, grasses and shrubs. Thirty seven species of moth known to be in decline and now listed as UK BAP priority species (and hence species of principal importance) have been identified as associated with brownfield sites during this study. For example the latticed heath a species that requires various legumes for its larval stage (declined by 85% in the past 40 years) is increasingly restricted to open mosaic sites whilst the shaded broad-bar (declined by 68% between 1968 and 2002) can be abundant within open mosaic habitat, but does occur more widely. The wood tiger is also declining nationally due to loss of habitat and is now very local in White Peak. It is associated with former limestone quarries and limestone dales as these habitats provide the right mix of scrub and grassland.

The green hairstreak (Callophrys rubi) is relatively common in the Peak District where it occurs on moorlands, dales and limestone quarries. In lowland Derbyshire it is very rare, but was recently found at Stanton Ironworks in Erewash. It has declined by 30% in occurrence in the past 40 years (Fox et al. 2015). .

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Latticed heath (Chiasmia clathrata) is found on brownfield sites where legumes such as melilots are abundant. It is a species that has declined nationally by 85% and is now listed as a UK BAP priority species.

Photo, Hilton Pete

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Wood tiger (Parasemia plantaginis) a localised moth found in the White Peak where it is often associated with quarry sites such as Old Lane in Wirksworth, Hopton Quarry and Hoffman Quarry near Buxton.

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Great crested newts are known to have breeding ponds on at least 11 open mosaic sites. 23 sites provide terrestrial habitat and lie within 250m of a breeding pond and a further 10 sites provide terrestrial habitat between 250 and 500m from the breeding pond. Many water bodies associated with brownfield land have not been surveyed and no doubt further breeding ponds are present. In some areas such as north-east Derbyshire brownfield sites have proved to support significant great crested newt populations e.g. The Avenue Coking Works south of Chesterfield. Smooth newt occurs more widely in the County and is not thought to be of conservation concern. It is likely to be present in many ponds on brownfield sites but this has not been quantified.

Common toad another UK BAP priority species has been recorded on at least 10 sites, but is likely to be present on many more than this, especially where wetlands are present within or close to the site. Common frog is widespread and is likely to take advantage of habitats within brownfield sites wherever it can.

Grass snake is the most likely reptile to be encountered on an open mosaic site especially in the north east. In total there are records of grass snake on 26 sites and as many sites are under recorded for reptiles and the true occupancy is likely to be higher than this. The same is likely to be true of common lizard which occurs across much of the County, but now has a fragmented distribution. Certainly in the limestone quarries of the Peak District and in north-east Derbyshire common lizard is often present, but it also occurs at Sinfin in Derby and Stanton in Erewash. The slow worm has a more restricted distribution in Derbyshire and is more likely to be found in the White Peak and Derwent Valley south to Derby. The adder has a very restricted distribution in Derbyshire and is not known from any brownfield sites at the current time.

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Open mosaic habitats provide breeding and foraging habitat for a wide range of bird species throughout the year. This includes numerous UK BAP priority species including skylark, lapwing, yellowhammer, song thrush, woodlark, linnet, grasshopper warbler, grey partridge, starling, house sparrow, yellow wagtail, short -eared owl and reed bunting. Little ringed plover have successfully bred on several brownfield sites and sites with larger water bodies have proved valuable habitat for waterfowl and sometimes wading birds.

Peregrine, kestrel, raven and other corvids all take advantage of nesting opportunities within working and former quarry sites. In winter some brownfield sites are used by short-eared owls for hunting.

There is limited data on the use of open mosaic sites by mammals, but it is likely that they are used by a wide variety of mammals including mice, voles, shrews, rabbit, brown hare, polecat, fox, badger and bats.

Brown hare is certainly known to occur on brownfield sites in the Coalfields and Bolsover area. Water vole has readily colonised, or persisted at, a number of restored sites such as Steetley Quarry, Doe Hill Community Park, Oxcroft Colliery, and Stavely. Bats too may take advantage of roosting and foraging opportunities afforded by old buildings, rock faces, woodland, scrub and trees. Recent surveys of Cawdor Quarry found significant foraging activity within the quarry by six species and roosting by two.

Listed on Schedule 1 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 (as amended)

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Existing and future planning applications currently recorded by the Trust indicate that 430 ha of open mosaic habitat which is around 56% of the remaining resource in Derbyshire will be affected. The detailed nature of these developments are not known for many sites, but the level of loss of the habitat is expected to be high especially where development has been agreed by Local Planning Authorities and/or sites have been identified within Local Plans. Appendix 3a lists the sites that are highly likely to be impacted by development in the near future. The physical characteristics of the habitat and nature of development mean that for many sites avoiding or minimising impacts will be difficult. The translocation of these habitats is constrained by the lack of available land to act as receptor sites. Recreating the habitat is often not feasible given that many sites are the result of land abandonment after industrial processes. The loss of open mosaic habitat will be most keenly felt in north-east Derbyshire including Chesterfield and Bolsover, but impacts in Derby City, Erewash, South Derbyshire and parts of the Derbyshire Dales are also likely to be significant. Figure 3 illustrates the extent of the resource now and the predicted extent in the future based on planning impacts alone.

Figure 3: The present and future extent (ha) of open mosaic habitats on previously developed land in Derbyshire (excluding the Peak District National Park)

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A number of sites will not be destroyed directly as a result of construction, but could potentially be affected by remediation and landscaping required as part of development. Sites where this has been identified as likely include Stanton Ironworks, Oxcroft Colliery Coal Stacking Yard, Whitwell Tip, Cinderhill Tarpits, Glapwell Void and sites around Stavely. The estimated area likely to be affected is around 35 – 50 ha (see Appendix 3a)

Old Lane Station near Wirksworth will be completely lost if plans for development are approved. Old Lane supports a rich diversity of plants and insects including over 22 species of butterfly.

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Glapwell Void in Bolsover is home to grass snake, dingy skipper, yellowhammer, brown hare and numerous other species. It is threatened by infilling and subsequent remediation and landscaping.

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The predicted loss of open mosaic habitats is likely to be greatest in Derby, Derbyshire Dales, South Derbyshire and Chesterfield where development pressure is high and brownfield sites have often been identified as suitable for development. Here 95%, 72%, 69% and 63% respectively of existing habitat is predicted to be affected. Figure 4 highlights the extent of existing habitat and predicted future habitat within each Local Authority. In Derby City open mosaic habitats are fairly limited in extent and comprise only a few sites. Of these Friargate Station, Chaddesdon Sidings and land near Accordis adjacent to the river are all subject to planning applications or identified for future development. The only site that is currently protected is the Sanctuary Local Nature Reserve. In Derbyshire Dales development pressure has resulted in many former quarries being allocated for housing. Cawdor Quarry and Hall Dale Quarry already have planning permission whilst others such as Middle Peak Quarry are allocated in the draft Local Plan. In South Derbyshire there are large areas of open mosaic habitats associated with former power stations, collieries and gravel workings. Many of these are earmarked for re-development. A similar situation exists in Chesterfield where many of the open mosaic sites are part of the former Staveley Works and much of this land has already or is likely to be the subject of planning applications or potentially affected by HS2. Remediation of several sites is likely to further impact on some sites.

Figure 4: The current and future (predicted) extent (ha) of open mosaic habitats on previously developed land in each LA in Derbyshire (excluding Peak District National Park).

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In Bolsover open mosaic habitats have already been lost around the Markham Vale Growth Zone and others are threatened by potential development (e.g. Coalite). Several more sites such as Oxcroft Colliery Coal Stacking Yard, Whitwell Colliery, Creswell Colliery and Glapwell Void are threatened by landfill and landscaping. A further two sites in Bolsover (Snipe Bog and Cambro Tip) are in the direct line of the proposed HS2 route and would be entirely lost if this goes ahead as planned.

Oxcroft Coal Stacking Yard lies north of Bolsover. It supports a large population of dingy skipper as well as small heath and latticed heath. There is also a diverse flora with many uncommon species. It is a rich and varied habitat capable of supporting a diverse mix of animal species. The site is threatened by restoration and landscaping following infilling.

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In Erewash several sites are now protected and another area of around 20 ha is likely to become a ‘Wildlife Park’, but will be subject to some degree of remediation due to contamination. An estimated 34 ha is likely to be lost in Erewash with 20 ha of this in and around the former Stanton Ironworks site. In Amber Valley an estimated 12 ha (25%) of remaining open mosaic habitat will be lost and another 11 ha at Cinderhill Tarpits will be remediated. In North East Derbyshire open mosaic habitats are not as extensive, but around 15 ha is likely to be lost (40%). The lowest predicted loss is in High Peak where 25 ha have been identified as likely to be affected by applications. This is mostly associated with Tunstead Quarry where around 17 ha is potentially affected.

218 ha (28%) of open mosaic habitats are currently designated as Local Wildlife Site. A small area is included within Biological (Hopton Quarry) or Geological SSSIs (Fall Gate SSSI and Cole Hills SSSI). The remaining sites are listed as potential Local Wildlife Sites and it is likely that in many cases all or a significant part of these sites will meet the selection guideline. Local Authorities where a relatively high percentage of open mosaic habitat is designated include Erewash (67%), Amber Valley (54%) and High Peak (46%). Those LAs with the lowest area designated are Derbyshire Dales (15%), South Derbyshire (7%) and Chesterfield (4.7%).

Figure 5: The percentage of open mosaic habitats designated as Local Wildlife Site within each Local

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The loss of 390 – 440 ha of open mosaic habitat will have a significant adverse impact on the diversity and richness of wildlife at a District to County level with the most severe impacts likely to be in the north-east around Chesterfield and in parts of North East Derbyshire and Bolsover.

Those most at risk are species that are now uncommon or rare in the wider countryside and as a consequence they have become increasingly dependent on brownfield land. This includes several butterflies and moths as well as other invertebrates, many bird species and to some extent reptiles, amphibians and mammals as well. The most closely monitored of these are the butterflies and there are at least two species that will be significantly adversely affected. In lowland Derbyshire the dingy skipper butterfly is very dependent on brownfield land with around half of the current populations including many of the larger ones associated with open mosaic habitat. Outside of these sites populations occur on former colliery sites such as Pleasley and Poulter Country Parks as well as a few surviving patches of flower rich grassland. If all of the sites identified as threatened in this report were to be lost this would reduce the number of brownfield sites supporting dingy skipper from 58 sites to 28. Some of these sites are known to support significant populations and may be the source site for dispersal to the smaller populations nearby some of which are not on brownfield sites.

Small heath occurs on 46 sites which is 30% of the remaining brownfield sites and of these around 25 (54%) could be lost. It may occur on other sites, but has not been surveyed for yet. The wider implications for small heath are unclear, but these losses will result in further decline in terms of occurrence and abundance within lowland Derbyshire. Even the common blue butterfly has declined in recent years and populations associated with brownfield sites are becoming increasingly important for this species. The loss of open mosaic habitats will impact on a range of declining moth species including the latticed heath, cinnabar, shaded broad-bar and wood tiger.

However, there is insufficient data to know what the overall impact on moths is likely to be.

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Whilst further work is needed to better understand these dynamics, the potential impact is very high and could certainly reduce the geographical distribution of several butterfly and moth species in Derbyshire.

The impact on other invertebrates is also likely to be significant for some species especially those that rely on early successional herb rich habitat. Many bees, beetles and bugs fall into this category and ecological surveys of brownfield land have identified a number of rare species and species new to Derbyshire within the last 10 years. Losses of diverse assemblages of pollinating insects is very likely as brownfield sites offer many opportunities for these species and are free of agricultural pesticides or damaging disturbance. However, data is insufficient to be able to understand the full impact. Recent surveys undertaken in South Wales as part of the Colliery Spoil Biodiversity Initiative have underlined the importance of these habitat types for a range of invertebrates including many pollinators as well as rare and uncommon species (Olds, 2017).

Reptiles also find brownfield sites highly suitable especially grass snakes which tend to be more mobile. 16 of the 24 sites known to support grass snake populations are threatened. Some birds have been able to breed undisturbed on brownfield sites and are now uncommon or rare elsewhere. This includes lapwing and little ringed plover in particular, but other farmland birds have benefited from the presence of brownfield land.

The loss of these sites will further reduce available habitat for wildlife and increase habitat fragmentation potentially severing some important habitat corridors. In some places such as Derby City the loss of remaining brownfield sites will virtually eliminate larger (>2ha) semi-natural habitats from the centre of the City.

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One of the key features of many brownfield sites is their comparatively large size. They are often significantly larger than other surviving areas of wildlife rich habitats such as semi-natural grasslands and marshes. For species that require a mosaic of different habitats to complete their lifecycle larger sites are often better than smaller sites and in general larger sites support larger populations which are more resilient to extinction.

For many species the size of individual populations varies from one site to another depending upon the suitability of the habitat and other interacting factors relating to disturbance, predation, parasitism, weather etc. The concept of meta-populations holds that populations interact and that some populations will function as a ‘source’ of new individuals to smaller populations which are called ‘sinks’. The ‘sink’ populations go extinct more frequently than the ‘source’ population, but are replenished through dispersal. Understanding which populations are potential sources and which are sinks is difficult and requires long-term monitoring. The dingy skipper is probably the only species that we have this kind of data for and it is currently the subject of a separate study. In summary if all the ‘source’ populations are lost over time the sink populations are likely to disappear as well and the species becomes locally or regionally extinct. This is a real possibility for many species that now rely on brownfield sites.

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In many cases these sites provide the last ‘wild space’ in urban areas for local communities, allowing them access to nature and consequently improving the communities’ well-being. Many urban and rural brownfield sites are actively visited, surveyed and monitored by people interested in wildlife. The loss of these sites will further reduce opportunities for people to get access to wildlife rich places with all the benefits that this provides. Where these sites have been sensitively restored whilst also retaining significant wildlife interest they have become popular and valuable recreational sites.

Photo, Anne-Marie Randall

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The important role that open mosaic habitats are playing in helping to maintain biodiversity needs to be fully considered within the planning process. The National Planning Policy Framework states that Local authorities should ‘encourage the effective use of land by reusing land that has been previously developed (brownfield land), provided that it is not of high environmental value’.

The Planning Practice Guidance accompanying the Framework 4 states that environmental value should be assessed before development decisions are taken. However, with no definition of ‘high environmental value’ available there is a lack of understanding of what this means in practice.

This leads to delays in the planning process and ultimately causes sites of high value for wildlife to be lost with little, inappropriate or no mitigation High environmental value can be determined by the presence of one or more of the features listed below:-

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Presence of a UK BAP priority habitat type such as Open mosaic habitats on previously developed land

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Presence of protected species

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Presence of rare, uncommon and/or UK BAP priority species

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Presence of significant assemblages of key invertebrates such as pollinators

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Statutory designation as a Site of Special Scientific Value

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In general planning policies and ecological designations have failed to fully take account of the importance of these brownfield sites for the maintenance of biodiversity across the landscape and this remains a problem in the effective conservation of these sites.

Compounding this is poor evaluation of the habitat at application stage and a lack of consistency in the approach taken by ecological consultants with regard to mitigation and compensation. In some cases there are problems with the identification of the habitat which can result in losses going unnoticed. The argument that the habitat is temporary and will be lost anyway due to natural succession to shrubs and trees is also used in some cases as a justification for the loss of habitats and even for not providing sufficient mitigation or compensation. In other cases the same strand of argument is used to support remediation and landscaping. In our experience some of these natural changes are occurring very slowly and often do not detract significantly from the overall value of the site for wildlife. In some cases the development of areas of scrub as well as the open grassland habitats is actually beneficial and can enhance the overall value of the site.

If the severity and scale of impacts on open mosaic habitat, associated species and the vital role the habitat plays in connecting up the landscape is to be reduced a suite of measures is going to be needed that provide a more effective planning and nature conservation framework that can then lead to more positive outcomes for individual sites.

Measures that need to be addressed include the following:Brownfield Site Registers a)

Brownfield Site Registers should seek to take account of environmental value including biodiversity at an early stage and either exclude sites or parts of sites from the Register or seek to establish from the outset that development will need to mitigate and where necessary compensate for losses.

Wider awareness, appreciation and recognition

b)

Raising awareness and improving the public perception of brownfield sites is going to be vital in building wider support and appreciation for the retention of these sites in our environment. Interpretation of retained sites should be improved.

3. Wildlife and Countryside Link have produced guidance on the assessment of ‘high environmental value’ of brownfield sites (2015) which is now available from their website ( Open mosaic habitats high value guidance: when is brownfield land of ‘high environmental value’?)

Defending wildlife, restoring habitats, inspiring people 27

Improving ecological evaluation c)

Ensuring that the habitat is accurately evaluated and that impacts are fully considered during the planning process is essential to being able to address the impacts on wildlife.

Designation

d)

A programme of designation should be pursued for the sites that are known to be threatened or in need of sympathetic management. Priority sites should be identified based on the data collected during the preparation of this report.

Better ecological data

e)

A programme of invertebrate surveys and evaluation is needed to help inform decisions in relation to planning, nature conservation and site management.

Threats to individual species such as dingy skipper, small heath and other UK BAP priority species need to be better understood and evaluated and actions identified.

Avoiding and minimising impacts f)

The retention of as much open mosaic habitat in situ as part of the layout of development is essential and needs to be considered by the developer at the outset of the development as a matter of priority. Ideally we would identify where the most important areas of habitat are located and try and save these as a priority (work is underway to try and identify the habitat used by dingy skipper). However, retention of other land that has the potential to be enhanced restored or act as a receptor site is also important.

Proposed remediation and landscaping of land that has developed into open mosaic habitat should be scrutinised with the utmost thoroughness in cases where significant habitat and key species loss is a consequence. It should only go ahead if there is an overriding economy ic or social need for this to happen and the application can convincingly demonstrate the longer term benefits for biodiversity. Remediation should only be targeted at are as of land where there is a real risk to the public from contaminated land.

Natural processes should be favoured over technical reclamation wherever possible as this will have the best outcomes for wildlife.

Defending wildlife, restoring habitats, inspiring people 28

Mitigation and compensation g)

Where impacts are unavoidable it is likely that a combination of mitigation and compensation will be required in order to avoid a loss of biodiversity. Measures such as better management of habitats, translocation of open mosaic habitat to suitable receptor sites, restoration and management of translocated, retained and/or nearby similar habitats. Creation of habitats with similar conditions to open mosaic habitats is feasible and should be implemented in situ where possible. The importance of having professional ecologists directly overseeing this work needs to be included in the costs of development and paid for by the applicant or developer.

Compensation for loss of habitat is considered a last resort, but in cases where it is not pos sible to avoid or mitigate for the impacts in situ compensation is likely to be required to avoid or reduce a net loss of biodiversity. This is likely to require creation of open mosaic habitats (or equivalent) and/or long term management and restoration of open mosaic habitats in the locality. It may in certain cases be necessary to purchase land or enter into agreements with nearby landowners.

Alternatively developments impacting on open mosaic habitats could choose to assess the ecological impacts using the biodiversity metric approach and either liaise with Derbyshire Wildlife Trust or the Environment Bank.

Where restoration is applied it is essential that it reflects the underlying functionality and structure of open mosaic habitat providing the full range of early successional habitats that many of the species identified in this report need. In order to achieve the best outcomes for open mosaic habitats and associated species there needs to be a concerted and consistent approach to achieving positive restoration on these sites.

Given the high costs of creating and then managing some grassland and woodland habitats, a low cost solution that establishes ephemeral grassland and ruderal vegetation on very low nutrient substrates offers an attractive alternative.

Defending wildlife, restoring habitats, inspiring people 29

Monitoring and long-term management h)

Monitoring the success of mitigation and compensation is important and needs to be enforced through planning conditions where appropriate. Long term many of these sites will require management to retain the areas of open mosaic habitat free of scrub, bramble and tall herb. Long term management (at least 25 years) needs to be agreed as part of mitigation/compensation measures associated with planning consent.

For those sites not currently threatened by development (Appendix 3b) the main issue is how to maintain their current interest which is usually associated with open habitats (bare ground, grasslands, wetlands and ruderal) and can often be slowly reduced through natural succession to habitats of less interest such as single species scrub communities.

Development can also help to meet the costs of this wider management, through targeted biodiversity offsets and financial contributions.

New Initiatives

i)

In order to take forward many of the above proposals it would be beneficial to see a project develop along the lines of other successful initiatives currently running such as the Colliery Spoil Biodiversity Initiative in south Wales, but there also needs to be a countywide strategic approach to the future conservation of these sites.

Defending wildlife, restoring habitats, inspiring people 30

Whitwell Tip supports large areas of flower rich early successional habitat that is rich in wildlife including many orchids, bees and butterflies. However, it is threatened with development and restoration as a Country Park. In these cases it is vital that the design of the Country Park reflects the needs of open mosaic species including plants, insects, reptiles and birds.

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Mapping brownfield sites of high biodiversity Derbyshire Wildlife Trust has been identifying and mapping brownfield sites of wildlife value for over 20 years. Since around 2008 attempts have been made to try and identify areas within these brownfield sites that meet the definition for ‘Open mosaic habitats on previously developed land’. This has been done using field evidence collected by DWT staff and volunteers, ecological reports submitted as part of planning applications and analysis of aerial photos. The boundaries for these areas have been mapped on a GIS system (MapInfo) and attribute data compiled for each site.

Assessing species on brownfield sites The presence of protected and UK BAP priority or local Red Data List species has been assessed using datasets held by the Trust and updated annually. Whilst not entirely comprehensive these datasets are thought to provide a reasonable indication of the species likely to be present within each of the sites. For most species presence was confirmed by at least one record of the species found within or immediately bordering the site. Records located close to the open mosaic habitat were also assessed to determine if they were likely to be using the open mosaic habitat. For great crested newt the assessment looked at the presence of breeding ponds and whether or not the site potentially provided terrestrial habitat for a population of newts. This was determined by the distance from the breeding pond using cut offs of 250m and 500m.

Assessing threats to brownfield sites The extent to which open mosaic habitat is threatened by development was undertaken by overlaying the open mosaic data with historic, current and potential development boundaries based on information collated by DWT through our planning work with Local Authorities. This data is considered to include all of the major developments extant in the area. Where planning applications or allocations overlap with areas of open mosaic habitat the area (ha) likely to be impacted has been recorded.

Assessing the conservation status of brownfield sites In addition the extent of open mosaic habitat currently designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest or as a Local Wildlife Site (LWS) has also been calculated. The extent to which any open mosaic habitat is considered to be protected and/or favourably managed has also been reviewed, though condition data for some sites is limited.

Defending wildlife, restoring habitats, inspiring people 32

Taxa Baldellia ranunculoides Clinopodium acinos Coeloglossum viride Filago vulgaris Hypopitys monotropa Juncus compressus Minuartia verna Neotinea ustulata Ophrys insectifera Pyrola rotundifolia Scleranthus annus Tilia platyphyllos Gymnocarpium robertianum Heleborus foetidus Noccaea caerulescens Dactylorhiza incarnata Filago minima Lathyrus sylvestris Orobanche minor Potomageton obtusifolius Carex acuta Carex disticha Clinopodium acscendens Dryopteris carthusiana Leontodon saxatilis Lepidium heterophyllum Ornithopus purpusillus Verbascum nigrum Zannichellia palustris Arabis hirsuta Briza media Calluna vulgaris Campanula rotundifolia Erica cinerea Eriophorum angustifolium Fragaria vesca Gentianella amarella Salix repens Silene flos-cuculi Succisa pratensis Valeriana officinalis

Common name Lesser water plantain Basil Thyme Frog orchid Common cudweed Yellow-bird's-nest Compressed rush Spring sandwort Burnt orchid Fly orchid Round-leaved wintergreen Annual knawel Large-leaved lime Limestone fern

Conservation Status Nationally Threatened Nationally Threatened Nationally Threatened Nationally Threatened Nationally Threatened Nationally Threatened Nationally Threatened Nationally Threatened Nationally Threatened Nationally Threatened Nationally Threatened Nationally Threatened Nationally Rare or Scarce

Stinking hellebore Alpine penny-cress Early marsh orchid Small cudweed Narrow-leaved everlasting pea Common broomrape Blunt-leaved pondweed Slender tufted sedge Brown sedge Common calamint Narrow buckler-fern Lesser hawkbit Smith's pepperwort Bird's-foot Dark mullein Horned pondweed Hairy rock-cress Quaking grass Heather Harebell Bell heather Common cotton-grass Wild strawberry Autumn gentian Creeping willow Ragged robin Devil’s-bit scabious Common valerian

Nationally Rare or Scarce Nationally Rare or Scarce Locally Scarce Locally Scarce Locally Scarce Locally Scarce Locally Scarce Locally Declining Locally Declining Locally Declining Locally Declining Locally Declining Locally Declining Locally Declining Locally Declining Locally Declining Near Threatened in England Near Threatened in England Near Threatened in England Near Threatened in England Near Threatened in England Near Threatened in England Near Threatened in England Near Threatened in England Near Threatened in England Near Threatened in England Near Threatened in England Near Threatened in England

Defending wildlife, restoring habitats, inspiring people 33

LPA and Site name Amber Valley Pye Bridge Works Bridge Street Sidings Aldercar Open Mosaic Alfreton Trading Estate Mosaic American Adventure 1 American Adventure 2 Chevin Quarry Cinderhill Tar Pits and Morrells Brook Smotherfly Bolsover Glapwell Reclamation Site Duke of Portland Sidings and Tip Colliery Road Open Mosaic Oxcroft Coal Disposal Point, Stanfree North Coalite land Woodhouse Lane Spoil Heaps Cambro Tip (former Blackwell Tip) Snipe Bog Open Mosaic Oxcroft Colliery Hardstanding area Creswell Colliery Complex Oxcroft Solar Panels Steetley Quarry Chesterfield Chesterfield Open Mosaic 4 Chesterfield Open Mosaic 3 Chesterfield Open Mosaic 6 Chesterfield Open Mosaic 1 Seymour Coal Stacking Yard Markham Vale Hartington Tip 2 Hartington Tip 1

Easting

Northing

Size

Area threatened

Area designated as LWS

443848 444912 445410 441896 444368 444807 433602 437702

353215 347443 347654 354545 344568 344093 345870 347025

8.53 0.75 0.49 0.69 5.29 1.84 2.16 11.85

0.55 0.75 0.49 0.69 5.29 1.84 0.01 11.85

0 0 0.03 0 0 0 2.16 11.81

444371

353481

4.50

1

0

446835 453901 452074 447149

367060 375931 373647 374230

10.62 11.71 1.57 11.00

10.62 11.71 1.57 11

0.01 0.56 0 0

445252 446144 446150

371580 371233 357802

16.16 6.89 4.18

16.16 0.63 3.45

0 0 0

445987 446904

371088 374196

0.27 4.40

0 4.4

0 0

452270 446775 454713

373552 374134 378735

6.95 4.87 18.71

4.3 0 4

0 0 18.3

442716 442284 441831 440695 444875 445158 442743 442986

375317 375436 374763 374903 373926 372783 375560 375660

5.26 4.73 17.89 32.35 29.94 4.95 2.25 4.32

5.26 3.26 10.17 28.99 27.53 4.95 2.25 4.32

0 0 0 0.17 0 0 0 0

Defending wildlife, restoring habitats, inspiring people 34

LPA and Site name Derbyshire Dales Old Lane Middle Peak Quarry 2 Middle Peak Quarry 1 Hall Dale Quarry Stone Centre Railway Mosaic Middle Peak Quarry 5 Middle Peak Quarry 3 Middle Peak Quarry 4 Derby Hills Grassland south Derby Hills Grassland north Lathkill Drive Mosaic Ashbourne Airfield 3 Ashbourne Airfield Mosaic 2 Mansell Park Farm Sand Pit Cawdor Quarry Derby City Chaddesdon Sidings North Friargate Station Acordis Effluent Beds The Sanctuary Open Mosaic North The Sanctuary Open Mosaic Erewash Stanton Ironworks East Grove Farm Stanton Ironworks (South) Stanton Ironworks High Peak Gamesley Sidings Tunstead Works 1 Tunstead Quarry 2 Bridge Mills Hoffman Quarry Railway Hoshaw (former sidings)

Easting

Northing

Size

Area threatened

Area designated as LWS

428703 428234 427867 428948 428708 428354 428157 428326 427928 427986 419285 420329 420137 425406 428847

354762 354190 354663 359989 355360 354488 354414 354596 345240 345528 345909 345810 345825 344929 360454

1.52 5.38 13.57 12.40 0.83 1.25 1.90 1.08 6.22 3.78 0.16 0.71 1.43 7.80 4.77

1.52 5.38 13.57 12.4 0 1.25 1.9 1.08 6.22 3.78 0 0.71 1.43 7.8 4.77

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7.78 4.57

436448 434531 440238 437503

335915 336235 333990 335293

2.30 1.55 15.00 4.15

2.3 1.55 15 3.73

0 1.06 1.16 4.1

437429

334969

1.12

0.01

1.11

447801 445535 445872 447392

338796 338901 338963 339077

11.77 4.96 7.22 21.25

11.77 4.96 7.22 15

0 0 0 17.76

401332 409507 409819 401903 406560 406311

394044 375173 375112 396873 370633 374188

31.13 17.00 2.33 3.15 9.34 2.24

4 17 2.33 3.15 4 2.24

31.03 0 0 0 0 2.25

Defending wildlife, restoring habitats, inspiring people 35

LPA and Site name North East Derbyshire Markham Vale, Long Duckmanton S The Avenue North Fall Gate Quarry SSSI South Derbyshire Former Willington Power Station, Twyford Road Former Drakelow Power Station, Walton Road Elvaston Quarry Coton Park 2 Coton Park 1 Cadley Hill Railway Area

Easting

Northing

Size

Area threatened

Area designated as LWS

445416

371342

11.72

11.72

0

439609 435468

367476 362381

3.09 0.68

3.09 0.68

0 0

430667

329047

50.00

50

0

423786

319779

43.00

27.69

0

442846 427318 427380 427166

331559 317899 317888 319143

8.03 0.30 0.96 2.28

0 1.31 0 2.28

0 0 0 2.28

Defending wildlife, restoring habitats, inspiring people 36

Site name Amber Valley Woodside Open Mosaic car park Woodside Open Mosaic Muggington Quarry Sandpits Carr Wood Open Mosaic Grassland Bolsover Doe Lea Open Mosaic Woodhouse Lane Spoil Heaps Woodthorpe Road Open Mosaic Oxcroft south-west Fox Covert and Hawke Brook Spinkhill Railway Alfreton Parkway Railway Land Tibshelf Sidings Westleigh Marsh and railway cutting Oxcroft Colliery North Barlborough Country Park Grassland Chesterfield Chesterfield Open Mosaic 2 Chesterfield Open Mosaic 5 Hundall Tip Chesterfield Open Mosaic 7 Chesterfield Open Mosaic 11 Chesterfield Open Mosaic 10 Newbold Spoil Heaps, Hills and holes

Easting

Northing

Area designated as LWS

Size

445040 444741 429324 440316

343916 343772 343222 351131

1.79 7.20 1.24 0.33

0 0 12.16 0.33

446274 445850 446573 447038 447615 445555 442251 442423 448395 447080 448365

366963 371768 373624 373671 372662 379270 356811 358487 375583 373841 376645

6.96 0.00 1.89 1.01 0.93 5.01 3.13 3.17 1.19 1.24 0.19

0 0 0 0 0.92 4.99 3.12 3.06 1.19 1.24 0.19

442331 442508 439045 442308 442321 442822 436150

375077 374658 376781 374771 374934 374843 373536

15.70 7.81 4.58 1.64 8.27 4.15 3.79

0 0 3.73 0 0 0 3.78

Defending wildlife, restoring habitats, inspiring people 37

Site name Derbyshire Dales Coal Hills Quarry Stone Centre 3 Stone Centre 4 Steeple Grange Quarry Stone Centre 2 Birch Quarry Hoe Grange Quarry Oldfield Lane Mosaic Hopton Quarry south Hopton Quarry Ashbourne Airfield Mosaic 1 Newhoptonwoodstone Quarry Grassland Erewash Attenborough Junction Tip Shipley West Reclamation Site Oakwell Brickworks High Peak Waterswallows Furness Vale Railway Site Victory Quarry Longsidings Quarry Crist Quarry North East Derbyshire Star Quarry Star Quarry Smithy Brook Mosaic The Fabrick The Avenue Washlands Westthorpe Railway Cutting Morton Colliery South Derbyshire Park Road, Newall Coton Park 3 Drakelow Power Station Chellaston East Junction Marston Junction Disused Railway

Easting

Northing

Area designated as LWS

Size

428461 428542 428519 428778 428800 427457 422314 426258 426466 426180 419944 427396

355274 355132 355183 355240 355087 357224 356014 362306 355428 356199 346085 355860

1.48 0.37 0.20 0.95 0.44 4.61 4.36 1.81 6.77 0.53 2.61 0.87

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.87

450389 444730 446052

333373 342180 340936

12.26 18.28 9.97

12.22 18.19 9.25

408509 401509 407837 409700 402727

374993 383495 377054 375957 381909

12.47 6.80 2.34 13.60 2.68

0 6.78 2.34 13.6 2.67

435045 435192 445408 435800 439966 444777 441243

362191 362005 377847 363700 366573 380190 360540

2.87 5.11 1.81 0.69 3.83 1.18 10.00

2.86 5.1 0 0.69 3.82 1.18 9.96

427565 427289 422668 438924 424079

320343 317842 320082 328062 328930

3.33 0.03 5.61 4.64 1.40

0 0 0 4.63 1.4

Defending wildlife, restoring habitats, inspiring people 38

BSG Ecology. (2016). Matlock Spa – Gateway Further Ecology Survey March 2017.

BSG Ecology. (2011). Environmental Statement Section 2.5 Ecological Impact Assessment: Ecological Impact Assessment Revision 3. September 2011. The recovery of secondary aggregates, opencast coal and ancillary development, Hartington Reclamation, Farndale Road, Staveley Application Code No. CM2/0911/81.

DCLG, (2012) National Planning Policy Framework. Department for Communities and Local Government, HMSO, London.

Fox, R., Parsons, M.S., Chapman, J.W., Woiwod, I.P., Warren, M.S. & Brooks, D.R. (2013) The State of Britain’s Larger Moths 2013. Butterfly Conservation and Rothamsted Research, Wareham, Dorset, UK. Fox, R., Brereton, T.M., Asher, J., August, T.A., Botham, M.S., Bourn, N.A.D., Cruickshanks, K.L., Bulman, C.R., Ellis, S., Harrower, C.A., Middlebrook, I., Noble, D.G., Powney, G.D., Randle, Z., Warren, M.S. & Roy, D.B. (2015). The State of the UK’s Butterflies 2015. Butterfly Conservation and the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wareham, Dorset.

Hayhow DB, Burns F, Eaton MA, Bacon L, Al-Fulaij N, Brereton T, Brookman E, Burke O, Butler J, Davis J, De Massimi S, Gambling P, Lewis S, Macadam CR, Matthews F, Meredith C, Newson SE, Noble DG, O’Hara D, Pearson J, Stevenson K, Tansley D, Winder F, Wynde RM and Gregory RD (2016) State of Nature 2016: England. The State of Nature partnership

Defending wildlife, restoring habitats, inspiring people 39

Heaton Planning. (2017). Planning and Environment Statement (for Importation of inert fill and soils to achieve beneficial restoration of the colliery tip at the former Oxcroft Disposal Point).

Harworth Group. Ecological Surveys undertaken by FPCR. Huston, K. R. (2001) Changes in the extent of semi-natural grasslands in lowland Derbyshire between 1983 and 1999, and recommendations for future conservation action. Derbyshire Wildlife Trust report.

Maddock, A. (2010) UK Biodiversity Action Plan; Priority Habitat Descriptions. Open Mosaic Habitats on Previously Developed Land. Published online, Defra, London.

Mott McDonald. (2012). Ecological Impact Report. Derby Outdoor Cycle Track. September 2012.

Olds, L. (2017) Invertebrate Survey of Clydach Vale Country Park, Rhondda Cynon Taf. Report for Rhondda Cynon Taf Borough Council, Colliery Spoil Biodiversity Initiative.

Stroh, P.A. et al (2014) A Vascular Plant Red List for England. Botanical Society of the British Isles.

Wildlife and Countryside Link (2015) Open mosaic habitats high value guidance: when is brownfield land of ‘high environmental value’? Available as a pdf from WCL website.

Defending wildlife, restoring habitats, inspiring people 40

Report author Kieron Huston, Regional Manager (White Peak) Data collation and analysis by Amy Bonsall (Volunteer Conservation Trainee) and Kieron Huston Acknowledgements We would like to thank all of the volunteers, local wildlife enthusiasts and groups who have provided wildlife records for th ese sites over many decades. In particular the records collected by East Midlands Butterfly Conservation have proved invaluable to our appreciation of these sites for butterflies. Understanding the wildlife value of the sites reference d in this report would not have been possible without these records. I am also grateful to Jim Steele (East Midlands Butterfly Conservation) for his comments and assistance in preparing this report.

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust | Tel: 01773 881188 | Website: www.derbyshirewildlifetrust.org.uk | Registered charity No: 222212 | Company No: 715675

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