Newcastle & North Tyneside Biodiversity Action Plan · Newcastle & North Tyneside Biodiversity...

Newcastle &North TynesideBiodiversity Action Plan

Newcastle & North Tyneside Biodiversity Action Plan

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I. Acknowledgements

Partners & Supporting Organisations

BC Butterfly Conservation

BCT Bat Conservation Trust

BTO British Trust for Ornithology

Defra Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

EA Environment Agency

ERIC Environmental Records Information Centre – North East

FC Forestry Commission

GMBC Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council

LWSP Local Wildlife Sites Partnership

NMG Northumberland Mammal Group

NBG Northumberland Bat Group

NCC Newcastle City Council

NE Natural England

NERAG North-East Reptile & Amphibian Group

New Uni Newcastle University

NMG Northumbria Mammal Group

NHSN Natural History Society of Northumbria

NTBC Northumberland and Tyneside Bird Club

NTC North Tyneside Council

NWL Northumbrian Water Ltd

NWT Northumberland Wildlife Trust

RSNE Red Squirrels Northern England

RSPB Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

STC South Tyneside Council

TRT Tyne Rivers Trust

Partner/Delivery Organisation

Photographic Credits

Derek Hilton-Brown Rachel Flannery

Kevin O’Hara RSPB

North East Wildlife Tina Wiffen

Ruth Hadden Red Squirrels Northern England

Written by Derek Hilton-Brown & Jackie Hunter


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I. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1

II. INTRODUCTION 3

III. HABITAT ACTION PLANS 4

1. Buildings and Structures 42. Estuary & Coastal 73. Brownfield Land 134. Transport Corridors 165. Open Water & Wetland 196. Rivers and Watercourses 247. Managed Urban Greenspace 288. Native Woodland 329. Lowland Grassland 3610. Scrub, Shrub & Hedgerow 39

IV. SPECIES ACTION PLANS 43

11. Farmland Birds 4312. Bats 4813. Amphibians 5214. Dingy Skipper 5615. Otter 5916. Urban Birds 6217. Water Vole 6718. Red Squirrel 7019. Hedgehog 7320. Slow Worm 7521. Bumblebees 7722. Brown Hare 80

Contents

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Biodiversity is the rich variety of life onearth. This encompasses all plants,animals and their habitats, evenmicro-organisms such as bacteria. It isnot just about rare or endangeredspecies, it also includes wildlife that isfamiliar to all of us in the places wherewe live and work. Therefore biodiversityis all life on the planet, from the smallestof sea creatures to the birds we see inour parks and gardens.

The UK government produced‘Biodiversity: the UK Action Plan’ in 1994with the aim of conserving andenhancing biological diversity in the UK.To achieve these aims it wasrecommended by the UK BiodiversitySteering Group, that Local BiodiversityAction Plans (LBAPs) were produced totranslate national wildlife targets intolocal action.

The Newcastle Biodiversity Action Plan(BAP) was published in 2001 and theNorth Tyneside Plan was published in2005. These documents took theobjectives and targets of the ‘UKBiodiversity Action Plan’ and translatedand amplified them into a local context.

Both BAPS have a joint steering grouppartnership and in 2008 it was agreed bythe Newcastle & North Tyneside BAPSteering Group to merge the two BAPsinto a more strategic joint Action Plancovering both local authority areas. Thesteering group comprises of individualsfrom the main organisations contributingtowards the delivery of targets andactions in the BAP. The Partnershipoversees the ongoing development andimplementation of the BAP. Priorityhabitats and species have been chosenby the steering group to reflect thecurrent concerns of wildlife organisationsand the community.

This new Action Plan is a ten year visionfor the protection and enhancement ofbiodiversity in Newcastle & NorthTyneside. The aim of the BAP is toensure that we manage our naturalenvironment more effectively to protectthese natural resources and to leave alegacy that will benefit present and futuregenerations.

Everyone can play a role in helping todeliver this plan. By taking action at thelocal level, either by forming a localcommunity group, planting trees orsimply putting up a bird box in yourgarden, you can contribute to local,regional and national targets and makea real difference to biodiversity inNewcastle & North Tyneside.

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II. Introduction

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1. BUILDINGS & STRUCTURES

General Description

This action plan covers all buildings, theirwalls, roofs and associated features, andother artificial structures. These include;residential and domestic properties(houses, residential care homes),commercial facilities (offices & shops),education and recreation establishments(schools, colleges, sports centres),religious buildings (e.g. churches andmosques), industrial units (factories,warehouses), transport structures (metrostations, bridges, retaining walls, tunnels,subways, lighting columns), electricityand telecommunication installations(pylons, substations, telephone masts),sewage treatment facilities, seadefences, statues and ancientmonuments. The plan also coversderelict and disused buildings andstructures as well as agriculturalbuildings in farmland areas.

Buildings are extremely variableaccording to their age, the material theyare made from and their use. Theyprovide important replacement habitat fora range of wildlife, particularly forbreeding and shelter. In fact manybuildings provide roosting sites for batsand nesting sites for birds. Some animalspecies will spend most of their lifecyclewithin such structures, while others willonly spend part of it there. Nevertheless,the predominance of buildings andartificial structures within such an urbanenvironment, and their importance forwildlife, means that they make animportant contribution to the biodiversityresource.

A ‘green roof’ (or ‘living roof’) is a roofwith the majority of its surface covered

by vegetation and/or growingmedium.Green roofs enhancebiodiversity and reduce the effects ofclimate change. In addition, using plantsto green walls also benefits biodiversity,it provides a transit route for wildlifebetween habitat at ground level and thatestablished on a green roof.

Current Status

In Newcastle and North Tyneside thereare a range of buildings and artificialstructures which vary considerably inage, size and structure which candetermine their value as roosting andnesting habitats for wildlife.

A number of buildings and structuresoccur within recognised Local WildlifeSites and contribute to the nature con-servation interest of these areas byproviding roosting and breedingopportunities for wildlife, particularlybirds. Examples include buildings incemeteries which provide bat roosts andold houses which provide nestingopportunities for birds. However, many ofthe buildings with wildlife interest occuroutside of these designated natureconservation sites, including significantbuildings and structures along the RiverTyne at North Shields and the TyneBridge and Tower in Newcastle.

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Bats are frequent throughout both New-castle and North Tyneside, withpipistrelle being the most widespreadspecies frequenting a wide range of bothold and new buildings. Barn owl isanother species linked to farm buildingsparticularly in rural areas but also foundin some urban areas.

Other species which breed exclusivelyon buildings during the summer monthsinclude swallow, swift, house martin andhouse sparrow. Buildings and artificialstructures adjacent to the River Tyne andthe coast also support breedingpopulations of kittiwake, including at theironly known inland location in Newcastleand Gateshead and provide nestingledges for fulmar.

Issues of Concern

Lack of knowledge of the presence ofprotected species (including allspecies of birds during the breedingseason) in buildings and structuresand an ignorance of the requirementsof the Wildlife and Countryside Act1981 (as amended) can lead todisturbance of important roosts andnest sites and the loss of species.

Lack of understanding of thebiodiversity value of buildings.

Insensitive renovation, improvementor demolition works can destroyvaluable nest and roost featuresassociated with old buildings andother structures, such as bridges. Forexample, demolition of derelictbuildings will clearly adversely affectany species using the structure, whilstthe removal or alteration of externalfeatures (e.g. removal of timberfacades, chemical treatment of tim-ber, etc.) can reduce roosting andnesting opportunities for importantspecies.

The design and materials used formany modern buildings, such ashouses and light industrial units,provide very few nesting or roostingopportunities for wildlife incomparison with older buildings andstructures.

Contamination, such as toxic metalsor petroleum from previous industrialuse.

Colonisation by non-native or pestspecies which drive out priorityspecies.

Concern over noise and mess maylead to nesting birds or bats beingexcluded from buildings.

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Links to Other Plans

Potential Target Delivery Areas

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Feature Site Local Authority Area

Kittiwake Tower Northumberland Dock North Tyneside

Green Roof Science Central Newcastle

Green Roof Rising Sun Area North Tyneside

Nesting boxes Metro Stations Newcastle/North Tyneside

Habitat Action Plans Species Action Plans

Transport Corridors Bats

Managed Urban Greenspace Farmland Birds

Estuary and Coastal Urban Birds

Brownfield Land

BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES TARGETS

Produce best practice guidelines for planners, developers &internal council departments regarding biodiversity value ofbuildings & structures.

Secure or create nesting habitat for kittiwakes along theRiver Tyne to enable existing colonies to expand or move.

Ensure existing kittiwake sites are protected

Incorporate 1 new green roof into new developments inboth Newcastle & North Tyneside.

Produce guidance on green roofs for developers & planners.

Incorporate 15 nest boxes within buildings along the metroline.

Request nesting/ roosting features on all new and renovateddevelopments requiring ecological consultation.

All information acquired on nesting/roosting sites forprotected species will be submitted to ERIC.

Encourage public to submit sightings of swifts at roof levelto the National Swift Inventory.

TARGET DATE PARTNERS

2012 NTC, NCC

2016 NTC, NCC, NWT, NWL,

NHSN

Ongoing NTC, NCC,GMBC1.

2014 NTC, NCC

2012 NCC, NTC

2014 NTC, NCC,Nexus

Ongoing NTC, NCC

Ongoing NTC, NCC,ERIC

Ongoing NTC, NCC,RSPB


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turnstone (two of the species for whichthe Northumbria Coast SPA/Ramsar siteis designated), sanderling, ringed plover,golden plover, redshank, lapwing, dunlinand curlew.

Significant numbers of eider also feed inthe intertidal area all year round whilstthe mouth of the river Tyne is importantfor the number of terns that feed there

2. ESTUARY AND COASTALHABITAT

General Description

This action plan covers all habitats oc-curring within or directly adjacent to theRiver Tyne estuary and all natural andsemi-natural habitats occurring within ordirectly adjacent to the tidal zone ofNorth Tyneside’s coastline.

Coastal habitats include open sea, off-shore islands and reefs, intertidal rockyforeshore areas and sandy beaches,sand dunes, sea cliffs and cliff top areasalong the coast between St Mary’s Is-land, Whitley Bay and North Shields FishQuay. North Tyneside’s coastline lieswithin the Northumberland Shore SSSI(Site of Special Scientific Interest) whichis designated for its nationally importantnumbers of wintering shore birds. Inaddition, the areas of rocky shore formpart of the Northumbria Coast SPA(Special Protection Area) and Ramsarsite, an internationally important bird site.Most of the sea cliff habitat within NorthTyneside forms part of the Tynemouth toSeaton Sluice SSSI, a nationallyimportant geological site designated forits exposures of Coal Measures strata.

North Tyneside’s intertidal habitats pro-vide important winter feeding androosting habitats for numerous wadingbirds including purple sandpiper and

during the early autumn, including therare roseate tern. St Mary’s Island is aparticularly important site for roseatetern, as a high proportion of the postbreeding population from Coquet Islandspends a portion of their time feedingthere. The steep sea cliffs along thecoast provide breeding sites for kittiwake,fulmar and rock pipit, whilst pockets ofcoastal scrub vegetation provide a refugefor numerous spring and autumn passer-ine migrants.

Coastal grassland along the cliff topssupports a number of plant species thatare adapted to cope with regularexposure to sea-spray, such as thrift,buck’s-horn plantain and common scurvygrass.

The marine environment around NorthTyneside supports a diverse range ofwildlife. Caves, wrecks and reef facesare covered by communities of softcorals, sponges, bryozoans, sea squirtsand anemones. Among the fish speciesfound in the area are leopard spot goby

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and lumpsucker. Crabs and lobster arecommercially exploited and smallcetaceans, such as harbour porpoise,use the area regularly. Migratingsalmonids off the coast and throughoutthe estuary have also benefited fromimproved cleaner conditions.

Intertidal habitats in the outer Tyne estu-ary between North Shields Fishquay andthe open coast form part of the SPA/Ramsar site and SSSI. In addition, thetidal River Tyne between the Fish Quayand Newburn supports regionally-important numbers of winteringwaterbirds and breeding shelduck in thesummer. It is also an important migratoryroute for salmon and sea trout to theupper reaches of the Tyne. The entirelength of the Tyne estuary forms awildlife corridor, linking a network ofdesignated sites together.

Estuaries provide a diverse range ofhabitats including intertidal mudflats,saltmarsh, rocky shores and beaches, allof which support a wide range of aquaticand terrestrial species. The River Tyneestuary has historically been subjected toa variety of human activity (e.g. industrialuse and recreational activity) and is oftena very restrained system in terms ofstructural changes to frontages andbanks. In such a pressured environment,it is even more important that thosefragments of semi-natural habitat whichremain are protected and managedappropriately.

The River Tyne estuary has small areasof mudflats and saltmarsh atNorthumberland Dock and Willington Gutin North Tyneside but the majority of thistype of habitat is found within Newcastleat sites such as Newburn Riverside andLemington Gut.

Areas of derelict and unmanaged landand urban greenspace along the estuaryare also important for species such asdingy skipper butterfly and for locally rareplants such as yellow wort and bluefleabane.

The river itself is home to salmon andtrout as well as common seals, with greyseals and porpoises foraging along thecoast. Otters and kingfisher alsoregularly use the River Tyne and itsconnecting tributaries, particularly aroundLemington Gut in Newcastle.

Current Status

North Tyneside has 8km of open coast-line. The extent of some habitats variesdaily according to the tides, but recentsurveys indicate that there are over 20haof intertidal mud, sand and rockyforeshore habitats, 9.9ha of fragmentarysand dune habitats, 3ha of maritime cliffand 0.1ha of coastal grassland.

The Tyne estuary is the largest and mostsignificant watercourse in Newcastle.The tidal limit is at Wylam and runs forapproximately 32km before reaching thesea at Tynemouth. In Newcastle thereare also a number of other smallerstreams with tidal reaches that flow intothe Tyne estuary, including the RiverOuseburn and Lemington Gut.

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Issues of Concern

Coastal SqueezeThis is the process by which coastalhabitats are ‘squeezed’ into verynarrow strips by the processes ofcoastal erosion on the seaward sideand intensive agricultural, recreationalor development uses on the landwardside. Over a period of time this canlead to the extinction of the originalcoastal habitat, such as maritimegrassland. Examples of coastalerosion can be seen at St. Mary’sIsland in Whitley Bay, Brown’s Pointat Cullercoats and at TynemouthLong Sands.

Recreational pressureOver the years recreational pressurehas lead to the erosion anddegradation of some coastal habitatsin North Tyneside, particularly thecoastal sand dune system atTynemouth Long Sands and cliff topgrassland habitat at St. Mary’s Island,Whitley Bay. Areas of exposed rockyforeshore are also vulnerable toexcessive trampling and humandisturbance (e.g. at St Mary’s Island)and such activities may lead toreduced feeding and roostingopportunities for important species.Shore based activities and baitdigging can also cause disturbanceto wildlife.

Inappropriate ManagementInappropriate management of coastalhabitats - this may lead to reducedbiodiversity. For example, excessivebeach cleaning and the removal ofstrandline seaweeds from NorthTyneside’s beaches during the winterwould reduce feeding opportunitiesfor important wintering wading birds.

High Tide RoostsBirds ability to forage in certain areaswill be dependent on their proximity toareas where they can safely roost at

high tide, including pier structures,low cliffs and adjacent grasslands.Managing high tide roostsappropriately, including minimisingdisturbance, is needed to secure thefavourable conservation status of theSPA and SSSI.

Water Quality/PollutionAlthough the water quality of thecoast and River Tyne has improved inrecent years, pollution andcontamination of water and sedimentsstill occur as a result of past andpresent human activities. Examplesinclude; heavy metal contamination ofriverine sediments from urban roadrun-off and particularly on the RiverTyne, there is a significant legacy ofTBT (tri-butyltin) sedimentcontamination from past industrialactivities. These can have acumulative impact by deterioration ofwater and sediment quality leading toreduced local biodiversity i.e. duringriver dredging operations.

Recreational DisturbanceThe improvement of water quality inthe River Tyne may lead to anincrease in water-based recreationalactivities and consequent disturbanceto wildlife; for example there has beenan increase in jet-skiing along theNorth Tyneside coast. Shore basedactivities and bait digging can alsocause disturbance.

Industrial and Port Related Devel-opmentDevelopment pressure associatedwith the regeneration of the riversidemay lead to the reduction of importantestuarine and riverside habitats andassociated species. For example,extensive sheet piling forms a hardedge of little wildlife value to most ofthe river frontage with only a fewareas of soft riverbank or seaweedcovered boulders left to provide feed-ing and roosting areas for waders.

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Alien SpeciesThe introduction by man or naturalcolonisation of alien species such asChinese mitten crabs or invasiveplants could result in a decline innatural species and a deterioration ofhabitats along the estuary.

FisheriesThe River Tyne estuary is a keymigratory route for salmon andfeeding sea trout. Althoughcommercial fisheries are primarilyoutside of this area they couldpotentially still affect fish populationsand salmon runs.

DredgingHistorical contamination of estuarysediment means that water qualitycould be affected if contaminantswere to become re-mobilised throughdredging operations.

Lack of InformationLack of access to significant parts ofthe River Tyne estuary has resulted inlimited ecological data being availablefor the area. This may result in theexistence of important habitats andspecies not being taken into accountin decisions relating to newdevelopment and subsequent loss ordamage.

Climate ChangeSea level rise will gradually lead to analteration in the location of intertidalareas (coastal squeeze) and the lossof feeding and roosting habitat forshore birds.

NavigationalVessel activity may cause disturbanceto wildlife and contribute to pollutionwhich can damage estuary habitat.

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ESTUARY AND COASTAL HABITAT TARGETS

Ensure no net loss of mudflats and saltmarsh,other than by natural processes.

Designate River Tyne corridor as Local WildlifeSite.

Create two high tide wader roost sites andmanage existing roost sites appropriately.

Maintain inventory of WeBS data annually

Investigate funding opportunities for interpretationpanels along 4 locations on the River Tyne andthe coast.

Create or restore up to 0.5ha of saltmarsh habitat

Develop partnership projects with Big Sea Survey(Dove Marine Laboratory)

Plant 15000 dune grasses over 3 years toregenerate extended dune system at TynemouthLongsands.

Review current beach cleaning regime on amenitybeaches and move to a more wildlife friendlymanagement.

Access improvements incorporated along theTynemouth Longsands coastal strip to aid duneregeneration.

Investigate potential for a coastal heritage trailalong the North Tyneside coastline.

Create new priority habitats at St Mary’s headland

Promote the importance of coastal wadersthrough publicity material and events

Minimise disturbance to wintering waders alongthe coast and estuary by encouraging the zoningof activities and by encouraging sensitive usage

Compile a mapped inventory of key coastal andestuarine sites that are used as roosting andfeeding sites by coastal waders, including hightide roosts.

TARGET PARTNERSDATE

Annually NTC, NCC

2015 NTC, NCC,GMBC,STC, NWT

2016 NTC, NCC, NWT,RSPB NTBC

Ongoing NTBC, BTO

2015 NTC, NCC, Nexus

2020 NTC, NCC

2013 Newcastle University,NTC, NHSN

2012-15 NTC, NewcastleUniversity,

2012 NWT, NE, NTC

2012 EA, NTC

2015 NTC

2015 NTC, NWT,NE, RSPB

Ongoing NCC, NTC,NTBC, NWT, RSPB

Ongoing NTC, NCC

2013 NCC, NTC,Local Schools, RSPB,NTBC, allotments &Community

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Saltmarsh Willington Gut North Tyneside

Saltmarsh Seaton Sluice North Tyneside/Blyth

Coastal Grassland The links/St Mary’s Headland North Tyneside

Wetland St Mary’s Headland North Tyneside

Scrub St Mary’s Headland North Tyneside

Sand Dune Tynemouth Longsands North Tyneside

High Tide Roosts Newburn Haugh Newcastle

High Tide Roosts St Mary’s Wetland North Tyneside

Mudflats/Saltmarsh Lemington Gut Newcastle


Managed Urban Greenspace Farmland Birds

Buildings & Structures Otter


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3. BROWNFIELD LAND

General Description

This habitat action plan covers a broadrange of derelict habitats found in urbanareas, sometimes known as brownfieldsites. This type of ‘wasteland’ habitat isgenerally unmanaged land, relativelyundisturbed by current human activityand is usually characterised byvegetation in the early stages ofsuccession. Such sites provide a refugefor a wide range of animals and floweringplants and can include the followingtypes of land:-

Industrial land – is often contaminatedwith heavy metals and the poor soiland lack of nutrients encourage awide diversity of plants, whichsupports a range of insects and otherwildlife.

Railway land –disused railway landprovides important wildlife corridorslinking semi-natural habitats. Roughgrassland and woodland is oftenfound along railways which attracts awide range of wildlife.

Docklands – in areas where docklandhas been left vacant for some time,species-rich plant and animalcommunities have had time todevelop. Land areas awaitingdevelopment are often importantwildlife sites, many of which arevariable in nature. Such sites arenaturally colonised and supportpioneer communities.

Many derelict sites are proposed forfuture development and are likely toprovide only temporary environments forwildlife. However, some are interestingenough to have been designated aswildlife sites of varying importance.

Areas of derelict and unmanaged landsupport a wide range of speciesincluding slow worm, dingy skipperbutterfly, bats, breeding birds and arange of mammals. Such sites can alsosupport plant species with restricteddistributions in Northumberland such asyellow-wort, blue fleabane and beeorchid.

Current Status

Several former colliery sites have beenderelict for a number of decades and arenow characterised by a range of habitatsand species. These sites have beenrecognised as Local Wildlife Sites (LWS)because of the wildlife they support. InNorth Tyneside, designated sites such as

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Weetslade Colliery, Eccles Colliery andFenwick Pit Heap have been reclaimedin a way which maintains their wildlifevalue in the medium to long term, andnew country parks have been created.Several other former colliery sites havefor many years been reclaimed in thisway and are also recognised as wildlifesites, including the Rising Sun Pit Heap,Backworth Colliery Pit Plantation andBrenkley Colliery Plantation. Otherlocally important sites occur onabandoned land at Killingworth Road,Stephenson Railway Grassland and thenetwork of waggonways.

In Newcastle, key sites includeScotswood Road Paradise, Old WalkerRailway Station, Walbottle Brickworks,Percy Pit, Havannah Pit and ShelleyRoad, which are all designated LocalWildlife Sites. In addition BrenkleyColliery LWS is another brownfield sitewhich has been designated for itsinteresting grassland and also supportsdingy skipper butterfly, a UK priority BAPspecies. Old derelict railway sites arealso very good types of brownfield landfor wildlife and in particular the tracksalong the Hadrian’s Way trail inNewcastle are important for linking manysmaller brownfield sites in the City.

Issues of Concern

Development of derelict andunmanaged sites may lead to thetemporary or net loss of wildlifehabitats. Disused railway land is oftenlost through development pressure forhousing or employment uses. Indockland areas, disused land hasbeen, and continues to be, developedfor commercial or residential use.

Insensitive reclamation of derelictsites could result in the creation oflandscapes of much reducedbiodiversity value compared to thenaturally-seeded habitats that occurat such sites.

Continued lack of management ofsome derelict sites and otherunmanaged areas may result inreduced biodiversity value.Inappropriate management can alsolead to reduced biodiversity throughnatural succession.

Despite any nature conservationvalue, some derelict and unmanagedsites are eyesores that can attractpublic abuse such as fly tipping andbonfires, motorbike scrambling andvandalism.

There is a general lack ofunderstanding of the value of derelictland and its wildlife potential.

Contamination of derelict sites byinvasive species such as Japaneseknotweed.

Current Government policyencourages the use ofpreviously-developed land for buildingwhere appropriate. This potentiallymakes brownfield land vulnerable tofuture development.

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BROWNFIELD LAND TARGETS

Create habitats along Hadrian’s Way to enhancecurrent brownfield land and link up fragmented habitat

Create/renew management plans for all brownfieldland designated as local wildlife sites.

Identify new brownfield sites that could be designated aslocal wildlife sites

Undertake one brownfield site management project annually

Identify key sites that could be targeted for priority species

2015 NTC, NCC

2015 NTC, NCC,NWT

Ongoing NTC, NCC,NWT

2012- NTC, NCC,2021 NWT

2013 NTC, NCC

TARGETDATE

PARTNERS


Grassland Albert Edward Dock North Tyneside

Grassland & Wetlands Silverlink Waggonway North Tyneside

Grassland Newburn Haugh Newcastle

Grassland Hadrian’s Way Newcastle/North Tyneside

Grassland/Scrub Paradise Newcastle


Transport Corridors Bats

Managed Urban Greenspace Dingy Skipper

Estuary and Coastal Urban Birds

Buildings & Structures Slow Worm

Scrub, Shrub & Hedgerow Bumblebees

Lowland Grassland Hedgehog

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4. TRANSPORT CORRIDORS

General Description

Transport corridors are linear strips ofland adjacent to roads, railway lines,metrolines, disused waggonways andcyclepaths. The mosaic of grassland,scrub, shelter belt and tall herb habitatsusually associated with these transportcorridors provide important refugia andwildlife links, facilitating the dispersal ofplants and animals.

Roadside verges in particular, can befloristically diverse and often constitutesome of the largest areas of semi-improved grassland habitat as a result ofa lack of exposure to fertilizers andpesticides. With intensive farming anddevelopment becoming the dominantland use in recent years, road vergeshave become increasingly valuablehabitat for wildlife and are importantwildlife corridors for the movement ofmany animals.

Metrolines provide important links forwildlife movement between city, coastand countryside, via the network ofwoodland, shrub and grassland habitatalong its edges. In addition, disusedwaggonways which once transportedcoal to the river, now function asimportant areas for species such asgreat crested newt, butterflies such asdingy skipper and a range of breedingbirds.

Current Status

Major highways with mature semi-naturalhabitats include the A1 Western Bypassand A19 Trunk roads, the A189 BentonLane, the A1058 Coast Road, the A191Whitley Road, the A1056 Sandy Laneand Scotswood Road in Newcastle.Active railways, namely the Metro Line,the Intercity East Coast Mainline and theBlyth & Tyne Railway, are also

characterised by similar habitats.However, it is the extensive network ofdisused waggonways (many now usedas cycleways and bridleways) which arecharacterised by the oldest and mostdiverse assemblage of verge and formertrackbed habitats.

Hadrian’s Way, in particular, is animportant national trail providing walking,cycling and horse riding opportunities,whilst also acting as an important wildlifecorridor.

Waggonways in particular, are importanthabitats for encouraging species such asbats which like to forage along theseareas for insects. The mosaic of maturescrub and grassland habitats associatedwith some transport corridors alsoprovide breeding, feeding and dispersalopportunities for a range of bird speciessuch as song thrush, barn owl, bullfinchand linnet and provide vital conduits forthose groups particularly dependent

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upon continuity of habitat (e.g. smallmammals, invertebrates, etc). In additionmetrolines in the area have been foundto provide important habitat for themovement of slow worms, a reptileprotected under the Wildlife andCountryside Act 1981 (as amended).

Issues of Concern

Direct loss of linear features tourban-industrial development, derelictland reclamation schemes andagricultural activities. In addition,simplifiedlandscaping schemes associated withtransport corridors sometimes fail tomaximise the potential benefits towildlife.

Linear features are often subject todisruption by road improvementschemes as well as statutoryservices, as they provide continuousstrips of land suitable for layingunderground pipelines, cables, etc.

Many linear features are subject toinsensitive management or lack ofmanagement. For example, sectionsof scrub, hedgerow and tall grass areinsensitively cleared, strimmed or cut(sometimes during the bird breedingseason), leading to reduced wildlifevalue, whilst species-rich grasslandcommunities undergo succession toother habitats if they receive nomanagement or over managementthrough grass cutting.

Due to their continuous nature linearhabitats traverse all of theurban-industrial areas of bothNewcastle and North Tyneside andare particularly vulnerable tovandalism, accumulations of litter andfly tipping.

A number of priority species are killedon busy roads every year, as thereare few or no opportunities for theirsafe crossing.

Pollution of wetland habitats adjacentto roads from salt and petrochemicalrunoff can also have a detrimentaleffect.Objectives & Targets

TARGETDATE

PARTNERS

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TRANSPORT CORRIDORS TARGETS

Produce roadside verge management strategy in partnershipwith Grounds Maintenance teams

Produce best practice guidelines for rail side landmanagement to minimise disturbance to wildlife

Undertake habitat creation/management projects on fivesites along metroline

Ensure the installation of appropriate wildlife warning signsor wildlife underpasses\bridges in areas where road kills areconsidered to be negatively impacting on priority species.

Incorporate wildlife tunnels or other features in developmentschemes where road kills are an issue.

Include oil/silt traps in the design of new road schemesadjacent to sensitive wetland sites & watercourses

2015 NTC, NCC

2014 NTC, NCCNexus

2014 NTC, NCC,Nexus

Ongoing NTC, NCC

Ongoing NTC, NCC

Ongoing NTC, NCC

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Feature

Grassland & Wetlands

Grassland

Grassland/Woodland Mosaic

Hibernacula

Grassland & woodland

Site

Waggonway Network

Hadrian’s Way

Nexus Metroline

A1 & A19

Scotswood Roadembankments

Local Authority Area

North Tyneside

Newcastle/North Tyneside

North Tyneside/ Newcastle

North Tyneside/Newcastle

Newcastle


Rivers & Watercourses Bats

Managed Urban Greenspace Dingy Skipper

Brownfield Land Urban Birds

Scrub, Shrub & Hedgerow Slow Worm

Lowland Grassland Bumblebees

Native Woodland Hedgehog

Amphibians


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General Description

This action plan covers all open bodiesof freshwater (natural ponds, miningsubsidence ponds and pools, surfacewater balancing ponds, recreation andamenity lakes, etc.) and their associatedmarginal habitat (mosaics of reedmace,reeds, rushes, sedges, tall herbs andwillows). Standing open water is found ina variety of places, types and sizes.Some are formed naturally, while othersare man-made or influenced by man i.e.subsidence wetlands. Ponds arenormally defined by an area of up to 2hectares; anything larger is generallyclassed as a lake.

Man-made ponds and lakes includereservoirs, amenity ponds and thosecreated by mining subsidence andflooding of gravel pits etc. Naturalwaterbodies are those created by glacialaction, natural subsidence or riveractivity. All waterbodies are classifiedaccording to their nutrient status. Nutrientrich or ‘eutrophic’ waterbodies are themain type found in lowland areas, as aresult of inputs from agricultural fertilisersand sewage input. Those withintermediate nutrient levels are termed‘mesotrophic’ and those which receivevery few nutrients are termed‘oligotrophic’.

Ponds provide habitat for a diverse rangeof species including marginal andsubmerged plants, birds, aquaticinvertebrates, amphibians andmammals. The diversity of these habitatsis dependent upon pond type, locationand pond management.

Reedbed is a wetland habitat dominatedby large areas of common reed. Anumber of other species occur within thereed stand but a significantly lower cover.Reedbed occurs in association with openwater and watercourses. The watertable is at or above ground level for mostof the year. Reed beds are particularlyimportant for the breeding birds that theysupport. However reedbeds are asuccessional habitat and if they are notcut or managed on a rotational basistheir value for wildlife decreases overtime.

Fens are permanently waterloggedwetland habitats, which can be fed byeither ground water, surface water run-offor rainfall. They are classed as ‘poor’where the water is derived frombase-poor rock such as sandstone, or‘rich’ where they are fed by mineral-enriched calcareous waters (pH 5 ormore). Poor fens occur mainly in theuplands and are characterized by shortvegetation with high levels of Sphagnumspecies, whereas rich fens are mainlyconfined to the lowlands and arecharacterized by an open vegetationstructure of mosses and species-richgrassland. Fen habitats support adiversity of plant and animalcommunities including a high number ofinvertebrates, such as dragonflies andaquatic beetles as well as a range ofbreeding birds.

Lowland raised mires arecharacteristically raised mounds of peatabove the local water table, fed only byrainfall. Associated species are mainlymosses especially Sphagnum species

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with associated plants such as cottongrass Eriophorum species. Drier areasmay have vegetation dominated byheather Calluna vulgaris.

A number of protected animals, includingbats, otter, water vole, water shrew,kingfisher, black-necked grebe, bitternand great crested newt are known tobreed or feed in the vicinity of openwater and swamp habitats. Reed buntingis a national priority species whichbreeds in these habitats alongside avariety of other regionally declining oruncommon waterfowl and wading birdssuch as little grebe, shoveler, pochard,redshank, snipe and lapwing. Commonterns use artificial nest sites on largerwetland when provided. Ponds alsosupport a range of wetland plants (e.g.yellow iris, water mint, brooklime, marshmarigold), and a diversity of amphibiansand aquatic invertebrate populations.

Current Status

Ponds, lakes and marginal habitat arewidespread throughout the UK, butponds have suffered a huge decline innumbers (greater than 75%) over thepast 100 years as a result of agriculturalintensification, pollution and poor orinappropriate management. This issomething of concern because of theirimportance to wildlife such as otter, watervole and great crested newt.

There are in excess of 150 nutrient-rich(eutrophic) waterbodies and associatedmarginal habitats in North Tyneside andNewcastle. These range from very smallpools of less than ten square metres tolarge subsidence ponds and amenitylakes covering several hectares.

Within Newcastle, reedbeds are currentlyrestricted to Gosforth Park NatureReserve, Newcastle Great Park and inNorth Tyneside they occur at WeetsladeColliery and Killingworth Lake.

Fen habitat is restricted to Sacred HeartFen in North Tyneside and DinningtonFen in Newcastle. Prestwick Carr inNewcastle is the only example of lowlandraised mire in South-eastNorthumberland. However it has driedout considerably over the last 70 yearsallowing the invasion of woody species.The raised mire is in poor condition as aresult.

Issues of Concern

Lack of knowledge of the exactdistribution of all ponds and the qual-ity of those that are known.

Lack of knowledge of thewhereabouts of protected species inponds and lakes.

Lack of management can lead to aproliferation of invasive species, tothe detriment of other species.

Open water habitat can disappearover a period of time through silting,build up of dead plant matter andovergrowth of marginal vegetation(natural succession).

Over-clearance of ponds is also aproblem, resulting in loss ofvegetation, which subsequentlyreduces the diversity and quality ofthe pond.


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Several ponds and lakes are used foractive and passive leisure andrecreation activities, such aswindsurfing and angling withoccasional shooting on privatewaterbodies. People are naturallyattracted to water and many pondsand lakes are visited by walkers anddogs. Insufficient control of theseactivities can cause excessivedisturbance to wildlife, particularlybreeding birds and mammals.

Pollution from urban, industrial andagricultural runoff can be particularlyharmful to aquatic animal and plantcommunities in waterbodies. Forexample, agricultural fertilisers causeexcessive nutrient enrichment(eutrophication) of waterbodies,leading to algal blooms and reducedbiodiversity. In addition, agriculturalpesticides can be toxic to a range ofaquatic organisms.

Several ponds have been invaded bynon-native species (probably intro-

duced deliberately or accidentallyfrom garden ponds and aquaria) suchas New Zealand Pygmy Weed(Crassula helmsii) and CanadianPondweed (Elodea canadensis).These tend to outcompete nativespecies of aquatic plants and canseriously affect the diversity andabundance of aquatic life.

Direct loss of ponds and marginalhabitats to development and infillingby agricultural activities.

Fragmentation effects caused by theisolation of ponds from other ponds orfrom terrestrial habitat.

Fly tipping/rubbish dumping andinfilling of ponds with waste.

Restriction in the creation of ponds/open water habitat within a 13kmboundary of Newcastle airport due tobird strike risks.

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Undertake pond mapping audit to help identify key sitesfor further survey work.

Create 20 new ponds of conservation value inappropriate areas with emphasis on providing steppingstones between existing ponds of wildlife value.

Undertake management that will enhance thebiodiversity value of 20 ponds.

Produce leaflet to raise awareness of wetland issues

Assess the status of invasive, non-native species inponds and lakes and implement a strategy for theireradication or control.

Investigate Installation of common tern rafts inappropriate locations

Reedbed

Identify and map the location and extent of reedbedhabitat in Newcastle & North Tyneside

Create1ha of new reedbed habitat

Maintain and improve reedbeds in Gosforth Park andWeetslade Country Park

Fen & Mire

Improve the condition of lowland raised mire atPrestwick Carr

Improve the condition and increase extent of SacredHeart Fen and Dinnington Road Fen

General Open Water and Wetland

Record rare plant species listed by the botanicalSociety of British Isles www.bsbi.org.uk

TARGETDATE

PARTNERS

2014 NTC, NCC.NWT, NHSN

2021 NTC, NCC,NWT, NE, EA,NWL, NHSN

2021 NTC, NCC, NWT,NE, EA, NWL,NHSN

2014 NTC, NCC

2015 NTC, NCC

2015 NTC, NCC,NWT, RSPB,

2012 NTC, NCC

2015 NTC, NCC, EA,NWT, NWL

2020 NTC, NCC,NHSN, NWT

2015 NCC, NWT, NE

2015 NCC, NTC, NWT,NE

Ongoing NCC, NTC,NWT, NHSN


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Feature Site

Pond Creation Silverlink Waggonway

Pond Restoration Weetslade Country Park

Pond Creation Golf Courses

Wetland Creation Backworth Woods/Backworth

Pond Creation West Moor

Fen & Pond Creation/ Sacred Heart Fen

Restoration

Wetland Creation Palmersville

Wetland Improvements Rising Sun Country Park

& Silverlink Biodiversity Park

Wetland Creation Wellfield

Wetland Creation Dickey’s Holm Farm

Wetland Creation St Mary’s Headland

Wetland Improvements Burradon Pond

Pond Creation Wallbottle Brickwork’s

Fen & Mire Creation/ Prestwick Carr

Restoration

Pond Improvements Brenkley Colliery

Pond Improvements Ponds near airport

Pond Creation Newcastle Great Park

Wetland Improvements Moorey Spot Farm

Pond Creation Big Waters

Wetland Creation Gosforth Park

Pond Improvements Sacred Heart Pond

Pond Restoration Little Benton

Wetland Creation Gosforth Park

and Improvements Nature Reserve


North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside/Newcastle

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle



Urban Managed Greenspace Water vole

Brownfield Land Farmland Birds

Scrub, Shrub & Hedgerow Otter

Lowland Grassland Amphibians

Lowland Farmland

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6. RIVERS & WATERCOURSES

General Description

This action plan covers all streams andwatercourses characterised by flowingfreshwater, as well as their associatedmarginal and bankside vegetation.

In their natural state, rivers and streamsare dynamic systems which arecontinually modifying their form. Manysmall streams combine to form largerrivers that flow from upland to lowlandareas and eventually find their way to thesea. Streams and watercourses areimportant for biodiversity at a nationaland local scale, as they hold a mosaic ofhabitats supporting aquatic andterrestrial wildlife. These include rifflesand pools, which support a rich array ofaquatic invertebrates, as well as mar-ginal and bankside vegetation rich inwildflowers and terrestrial fauna.

In an urban context, they contain areasof semi-natural habitat and are extremelyimportant in functioning as links andcorridors for the movement of wildlife.

Most rivers in the UK have beenphysically modified by man at some time,for instance by flood defence measuresor flow regulation. This alters thepatterns of sediment transport andnutrient exchange in river systems. They

have additional functions in an urbanenvironment, which include conveyanceof flood water, discharges from roads,industry and sewage treatment works,provision of water for agriculture andindustrial use and also as a recreationalresource. As a result, these functionsneed to be managed in association withtheir nature conservation interest, inorder to protect and enhance thebiodiversity resource.

Although this plan is concerned with thechannel and its associated habitats, it isalso important that the impact ofsurrounding land use on watercourses isconsidered.

Key species associated withwatercourses include bats, as they pro-vide important insect-rich flyways forthese protected species. Otters usewatercourses such as the Seaton Burnand Ouseburn whilst the nationallydeclining water vole occurs on a smallnumber of watercourses, but hasbecome increasingly isolated due tohabitat fragmentation. In recent years,kingfisher have been recorded along theSeaton Burn and the Ouseburn. Inaddition, marginal vegetation along mostwatercourses provides suitable feedingand nesting habitats, as well as dispersalcorridors for priority birds such as reedbunting, song thrush, linnet and bullfinch.

Current Status

There are a number of freshwaterstreams and watercourses in Newcastleand North Tyneside. These varyconsiderably in length, width, waterquality and associated marginalvegetation. North Tyneside’swatercourses include; Sandy’s Letch, theSeaton Burn and the Brierdene andDuchess Dene Burns. These generallytraverse the open countryside areas tothe north of the borough in an easterlydirection into the North Sea. The remain-


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ing watercourses are effectivelytributaries of the River Tyne andgenerally flow southwards through urbanareas of the borough.

The Ouseburn is the largest and mostsignificant river in Newcastle (the RiverTyne which is considered under theEstuary and Coastal plan). There are anumber of smaller watercoursesincluding the Reigh Burn, Dewley/NewBurn, Sugley Dene, Hartley Burn,Whitecroft Burn and the Letch.

Issues of Concern

Pollution from point and non-pointsources such as agriculturalchemicals, storm sewerageoverflows, domestic washingdetergents, industrial effluents, oil andsalt from roads and refuse tipping.These all occur either singly or as acombination, leading to nutrientenrichment and deterioration in waterquality which adversely affects plantand animal life as well as impactingon human health and amenity.

Water abstraction (groundwater andriver) which results in reduced flowand a reduced dilution of pollutants.

Land drainage and flood defencestructures, to maintain the shape of

stream and river courses (protection,repair and maintenance), lead toartificial habitats with an associatedreduction in species diversity.

Introduction or colonisation ofinvasive species, such as mink, canhave a devastating effect onpopulations of priority species, suchas water vole, along watercourses.Other problem invasive speciesinclude giant hogweed, Japaneseknotweed and Himalayan balsam,which are extremely difficult tocontrol.

Inappropriate bankside managementcan reduce the biological andstructural diversity of marginalvegetation along watercourses andreduce the opportunities for thesurvival and dispersal of priorityspecies. Typical examples includeexcessive cutting of marginal orbankside vegetation, including grasscutting, and overgrazing ofstreamsides by livestock.

Disturbance to streamside habitatsdue to inappropriately locateddevelopments or, in some cases, thewholesale loss of sections ofwatercourses and marginal habitats tounderground culverts associated withdevelopment.

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RIVER & WATERCOURSE TARGETS

Raise awareness of non-native invasive species alongwatercourses and encourage their control.

Map non-native invasive species along 10km ofwatercourse in Newcastle and North Tyneside

Promote the maintenance of riparian buffer strips with aminimum width of 2m along watercourses to improvehabitat for wildlife

Ensure that any developments affecting streamsidehabitats and associated wildlife are not permittedwithout appropriate and enforceable mitigation orcompensation. In addition, no development shouldtake place within 5m of any watercourse.

Deliver riparian improvements that will benefit wildlifealong a minimum of 5km of watercourse.

Incorporation of sustainable drainage systems onappropriate schemes to aid in the minimisation of highflows and pollution from surface water.

Ensure there is no net loss of watercourses toculverting through planning or engineering works.

Ongoing NTC, NCC, EA,NWT,NWL

2021 NTC, NCC,

Ongoing NTC, NCC,NWT,NE, EA, NWL

Ongoing NTC, NCC, EA,NWT

2021 NTC, NCC, NWT,EA, NWL, TRT,NHSN

Ongoing NTC, NCC,NWT, EA

Ongoing NTC, NCC, EA

TARGETDATE PARTNERS


Native Woodland Bats

Urban Managed Greenspace Water vole

Scrub, Shrub & Hedgerow Farmland Birds

Lowland Grassland Otter

Lowland Farmland Amphibians

Open Water & Wetland


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Feature

Stream de-culverting

Stream improvements

Pond Creation

Stream Improvements

Stream Improvements

Stream Improvements

Stream Improvements

Stream Improvements

Stream Improvements

Watercourse Improvements

Wetland Improvements

Drainage Improvements





Site

Balliol/Longbenton

Wallsend Burn

Golf Courses

West Moor

Wellfield

Palmersville

Rising Sun/Hadrian

Pond

Dickey’s Holm Farm

Whitecroft Burn,

Gosforth Park

Brierdene Golf Course

Rising Sun Country

Park & Silverlink

Biodiversity Park

Denton Dene

Prestwick Carr

Gosforth Golf Course

Ouseburn

Brush Technology/

Throckley


North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside/

Newcastle

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

Newcastle

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle

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7. MANAGED URBANGREENSPACE

General Description

This action plan covers all publically andprivately owned areas of managedgreenspace in an urban area andincludes:(i) Public cemeteries, churchyards,parks, plantations, shelterbelts,shrubberies, allotments, street trees,open spaces, golf courses and playingfields which are maintained by the localauthority.(ii) Private gardens, golf courses,allotments, industrial grounds andplaying fields which are maintained byindividuals or private contractors.

These areas have been broken downinto three major categories of managedgreenspace to help focus conservationinterest:

Parks & Amenity GrasslandInclude large areas that are managedfor public use (parks, golf courses,sports fields, landscaped industrialsites and open space). Amenitygrassland involves intensivemanagement with a regime of cuttingand fertiliser application, herbicideuse, watering and drainage. Somesites may contain trees, shrubs andflower borders and associatedspecies found at such sites may

include song thrush, blackbirds andhedgehogs. Trees and scrub providevaluable habitat for a range of birds,small mammals, bats andinvertebrates.

Gardens & AllotmentsThese are managed for personalenjoyment and often contain a varietyof valuable habitats including gardenponds, wildflower borders and longgrass and shrubs. Such featuresattract a diverse range of wildlifeincluding butterflies, bats,amphibians, hedgehogs and a rangeof birds.

Churchyards & CemeteriesChurchyards and cemeteries arepotential havens for biodiversity andoften contain large trees, unimprovedgrassland areas untouched byfertilisers, pesticides or drainage andare relatively undisturbed by people.This often provides a rich diversity ofwildlife within the urban environmentwhich ranges from bats and lichens toa variety of birds. Wildlife benefitsfrom the various habitat typesprovided by both informal and formalgrassland areas, gravestones, treesand shrubs and deadwood.


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Current Status

There are a large variety of managedgreenspaces in Newcastle and NorthTyneside, ranging from small privategardens to extensive public open spacesand parks. These all vary in terms ofrecreational use, visual appeal andwildlife value. Areas such as sports fieldsand amenity grassland have littleconservation value. Gardens andallotments, however, contributesubstantially to greenspace in terms ofarea and offer increasing scope forenhancing biodiversity opportunities.Areas of managed greenspacecharacterised by significant tree coverprovide suitable habitat for a number ofspecies including pipistrelle bats andnoctule bat, the latter possibly roosting inmature trees. National priority speciesalso occurring in these areas includesong thrush, linnet, bullfinch, treesparrow and spotted flycatcher. Areas ofmanaged open grassland habitat alsoprovide feeding opportunities for some ofthese species as well as other priorityspecies such as skylark, grey partridgeand brown hare.

Issues of Concern

Gardens & Allotments

Demand for development landleading to loss of allotmentsUse of pesticides and fertilisers whichreduces diversity and insectpopulationsInappropriate management (i.e.excessive tidiness, removing habitatand food for some species)Predation by domestic catsEncouraging the spread of non-nativespecies (e.g. feeding grey squirrels,garden escapes, Japanese knotweedetc.)

Churchyards & Cemeteries

Conflict between managing theseareas for biodiversity and the ‘neatand tidy’ approachPoor public perception of thebiodiversity importance ofchurchyards and cemeteriesLack of understanding of appropriatemanagement of these areas

Parks and Amenity Grassland

The differing needs of managementfor biodiversity with amenity grasslandand open space demands can oftenconflict (e.g. mowing regimes)Increasing isolation of such sites fromother habitats, particularly withinwildlife corridorsA variety of organisations own ormanage these areas, particularlyopen spaces and shelterbelts, makingit difficult to agree managementpolicies for themUse of non-native/local species inplanting schemesLack of understanding of the wildlifevalue of these habitatsRecreational pressure which maydisturb sites and create litterproblemsLack of nest sites as a result ofdeadwood removal.

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MANAGED URBAN GREENSPACE TARGETS

Implement targets in Council’s Allotment Strategies

Raise awareness about the importance of biodiversity to allallotment sites and encourage wildlife friendly gardening.

Establish a category for wildlife friendly gardening in the annualallotment competition

2 allotment sites per year to incorporate areas of native hedging orwildlife habitat.

Increase allotment entries into North Tyneside in Bloom (NTIB)competition.

Parks & Gardens Targets

Encourage wildlife friendly gardening through media articles,websites, events and printed material.

Liaise with Eco/Enviro Schools to establish 3 wildlife projects withschools annually.

Liaise with local businesses to establish 1 wildlife project annually

Produce ‘Business & Biodiversity’ pack to promote wildlifeenhancements on business premises

Liaise with Council departments to promote wildlife friendlygardening in parks and create at least one wildlife area annually.

Promote the use of native species in all planting schemes.

Raise awareness of the importance of Parks and gardens andencourage more sympathetic management

Promote and enhance biodiversity in all park regeneration schemesand ensure that protected species issues are taken intoconsideration.

Native wildlife is considered in the landscaping of open spacesassociated with new developments as part of the planning process.

Churchyards & Cemeteries Targets

Manage churchyards and cemeteries in a way that will benefitwildlife.

Produce promotional material aimed at raising awareness of thebiodiversity value of churchyards and cemeteries.

Establish 2 wildlife projects within churchyards or cemeteries.

Annually

2014

2012

Annually

Annually

Ongoing

Annually

Annually

2013

Annually

Ongoing

Ongoing

Ongoing

Ongoing

Annually

2012

2013

NCC, NTC

NTC, NCC,NWT

NTC, NCC,

NCC, NTC,NWT

NTC

NTC, NCC,NWT, NHSN

NTC, NCC,NWT, NHSN

NTC, NCC,NWT

NCC, NTC,NWT

NCC, NTC

NCC, NTC

NCC, NTC

NCC, NTC

NCC, NTC,NWT,NHSN

NTC, NCCNWT

NTC, NCC

NTC, NCC,NWT

TARGETDATE PARTNERS


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Transport Corridors Dingy Skipper

Buildings and Structures Urban Birds

Scrub, Shrub & Hedgerow Otter

Lowland Grassland Amphibians

Open Water & Wetland Hedgehog

Native Woodland Slow Worm

Bumblebee

Feature

Park Habitats

(General)

Cemetery Habitats

(General)

Allotment Habitats

(General)

Site

Northumberland Park,

Wallsend Parks, Killingworth Lake,

Tynemouth Park, Churchill Park,

St Lawrence’s Park, Leazes Park,

Exhibition Park, Elswick Park,

Town Moor

Preston, Earsdon, Whitley Bay,

Killingworth, Benton, Jesmond Old,

New Reedsmouth cemetery,

Elswick, South Gosforth & St James’

Springfield Allotments,

Moorside allotment,

New Reedsmouth allotments.

North Tyneside &

Newcastle

North Tyneside &

Newcastle

North Tyneside &

Newcastle

Local AuthorityArea

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8. NATIVE WOODLAND

General Description

Woodland comprises of broad-leaved,mixed and conifer woodland which iseither semi-natural or planted.Broad-leaved woodlands can besub-divided into ancient semi-naturalwoodland (ASNW) ancient replanted,plantation and semi-natural woodland,depending on their origins.

ASNW is on the whole more valuableand important because it is woodlandthat has occupied the site, normally withminimal human change to the treespecies composition, since at least1600AD. A rich natural ground flora hasdeveloped in these woodlands withindicator plants such as dog’s mercury,wild garlic, wood anemone, nativebluebell, primrose and wood sorrel. A richinvertebrate fauna is also associatedwith these types of woodlands. It is theclosest we have to natural woodland inthe UK and is an irreplaceable part of ourheritage.

Recent woodlands are those woods,which are less than 400 years old. Theyfall into two categories: recentsemi-natural woodlands, which may havedeveloped through natural colonisationof open habitats; and recent plantationwoodlands, which have been planted.The latter make up the majority of ourwoodlands.

Trees play a vital role in the urbanecosystem, providing many benefits forwildlife. Birds, mammals andinvertebrates use trees and scrub asroosts, breeding sites and feeding areasand deadwood associated with thesehabitats is valuable for a variety oforganisms such as bacteria, lichens andfungi which help decompose thedeadwood and increase accessibility forother animals.

Current Status

There is one area of ancient semi-naturalwoodland in North Tyneside whichoccurs at Holywell Dene and covers anarea of 7.86 hectares. This site isdesignated as a Local Wildlife Site(LWS) as well as a Local Nature Reserve(LNR). In Newcastle there are foursemi-natural wooded denes at Jesmond,Denton, Sugley and Walbottle. Thisamounts to a total area of 52 hectaresand these are all designated Local Wild-life Sites.

The original ancient woodland canopy ofthe above ASNW sites consisted of oak,ash and elm, but these species are nowless abundant than the present-daydominants, namely beech and sycamore.The beech was planted on the upperslopes of several of the denes severalcenturies ago, whilst the sycamore hasreplaced the other canopy species onthe lower slopes in more recent times.

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The ground flora consists of speciestypical of ancient oak-ash-elmwoodlands in the north east of Englandincluding bluebell, ramsons, sanicle,moschatel and goldilocks buttercup.

Other woodland sites that consist ofmixed and broadleaved trees provide arich habitat for numerous species and incombination with other habitats, increasethe biodiversity interest of the area.Plantation woodland also hasenvironmental amenity value andprovides important habitat for a range ofspecies including birds, bats, smallmammals and a range of invertebrates.Examples of woodland sites inNewcastle and North Tyneside are listedbelow:-

Ancient woodland, in particular, supports a diverse range of plants and animals many ofwhich are found principally in these woods. Pipistrelle and noctule bats have beenrecorded feeding in woodlands at dusk and these habitats also provide roost sites forthese species. Otters and kingfishers have been recorded along the watercourses thatflow through Holywell Dene and Jesmond Dene. Gosforth Park and WoolsingtonWoods are also key woodland sites in Newcastle for red squirrel.

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North Tyneside Newcastle

Backworth Colliery Pit Plantation Gosforth Park

Backworth Woods Benwell Dene

Brenkley Colliery Plantation Fox Cover Wood

Brierdene Foxcovert Wood

Marden Quarry Newbiggin Dene

Killingworth Waggonway Plantation Fencerhill Woods

Wallsend Parks Dentsmire/Salters’ Bridge Wood

Seaton Burn House Woods La Sagesse Wood

Swallow Pond Plantation Three Hills Picnic Site

Wallsend Dene Woolsington Woods

Northumberland Park Wellfield Wood

Silverlink Biodiversity Park Reigh Burn/Engine Plantation

Black Road Plantation

Matts Bank Plantation

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Issues of Concern

Direct land take losses fordevelopment threaten woodland sites,as well as indirect damage fromdevelopment adjacent to woodlandsites which can lead to isolation ofthese habitats.

Overuse of amenity planting as op-posed to native planting ondevelopment and ex-industrial sites.

Unsympathetic management, such asovergrazing, planting of non-nativespecies, or a lack of management canlead to deterioration of site quality.

Dutch Elm Disease has had asignificant effect on Elm populationsand altered the structure andcomposition of many woodlands.

Fragmentation and edge effects occuras a result of development andfarming practices contributing to theisolation of woodland sites.

Invasion by non-native or highlycompetitive species.

Lack of standing dead wood.

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NATIVE WOODLAND TARGETS

Maintain current extent of ancient semi-naturalwoodland.

Maintain current extent of native woodland. Wheredevelopment may lead to loss of woodland, ensureadequate mitigation or compensation.

Ensure where possible, that all areas of semi-naturalwoodlands are managed in a way that will maintain orrestore their nature conservation interest.

Create native woodland on 10 new sites.

Increase linkage between fragmented woodland sitesby the creation of green corridors on 4 sites.

Promote the value of native woodland to the public byundertaking 4 events per year.

Manage/ replant 3 sites of amenity woodland to nativewoodland.

Ongoing

Ongoing

2021

2015

2021

Annually.

2016

NCC, NTC

NTC, NCC

NTC, NCC,NHSN

NTC, NCC,NWT, NE

NTC, NCCNWT, FC

NTC, NCC,CommunityGroups

NTC, NCC,NWT,CommunityGroups

TARGETDATE PARTNERS


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Potential Target Delivery Areas 8. N

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Feature

Native Woodland

Planting

Woodland planting

Woodland Creation

Woodland Corridor

Improvements

Woodland

Improvement

Woodland Creation

Woodland

Improvements

Woodland Planting

Tree Planting

Woodland Planting

Woodland

Improvements

Wet Woodland

Woodland

Improvements

Woodland Creation

Woodland

Improvement

Tree Planting

Site

Gosforth-Cramlington

Wildlife Corridor

Golf Courses

West Moor/Wellfield

Burradon to High Farm

Backworth Woods/

Golf Course

Fenwick/Eccles

Rising Sun/Silverlink

East Holywell

Brierdene Golf Course

Newburn Country Park

St John’s Wood

Prestwick Carr

Newbiggin Dene

Newcastle Great Park

Gosforth Park Nature

Reserve

Town Moor


North Tyneside &

Newcastle

North Tyneside &

Newcastle

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside/

Northumberland

North Tyneside

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle



Transport Corridors Red Squirrel

Brownfield Land Urban Birds

Scrub, Shrub & Hedgerow Hedgehog

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9. LOWLAND GRASSLAND

General Description

This habitat covers unimproved,semi-improved and improved grasslandsoccurring in urban and urban fringeareas:-

Unimproved grasslands are thosethat have escaped agriculturalimprovement (e.g. artificial fertilisers)and are generally the most speciesdiverse.Semi-improved grasslands are thosethat have been subject to some sortof agricultural improvement and whilstnot as botanically rich as unimprovedgrasslands, they are still beneficial forwildlife.Improved grasslands are those thathave been subject to nutrient inputsresulting in poor plant diversity,therefore, less wildlife value.

The characteristic species compositionof the above habitats differs withchanging soil pH, reflecting the naturalinfluence of the underlying soil and rock.Neutral grasslands occur on soils thatare neither strongly acid nor lime-rich;calcareous grasslands occur on lime richsoils and acid grasslands occur on acidsoils.

Species rich grasslands generallysupport a high number of invertebrate

species and will be beneficial to speciessuch as feeding bats. However, evengrasslands with a lower floristic diversityhave some value for wildlife as theysupport ground nesting birds such asskylark and provide hunting grounds forraptors and hibernation sites foramphibians. A variety of grasslandhabitats can be found in areas such aswoodland clearings, recreational sites,churchyards, brownfield sites and roadverges.

Current Status

Most of the valuable grassland typesfound in North Tyneside and Newcastleconsist of semi-improved neutralgrassland and most of these aredesignated as Local Wildlife Sites

(LWS). In addition to these, there are alimited number of acidic and calcareousgrasslands and these tend to be smallisolated sites. Key neutral grasslandsites in Newcastle include:- HavannahNature Reserve, Walker Riverside, BigWaters, Brenkley Meadows and TyneRiverside Country Park. Key sites inNorth Tyneside include:- Rising SunCountry Park, St Mary’s Island NatureReserve; Weetslade Colliery, EcclesColliery and Silverlink Biodiversity Park.

Issues of Concern

Direct land take losses for develop-ment threaten grassland sites as well


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as indirect damage from developmentadjacent to grassland sites which canlead to isolation of these habitats.

Inappropriate management, such asovergrazing or addition of fertilizers ora lack of management leading todeterioration of site quality.

Inappropriate tree planting.

Invasion by non-native or highlycompetitive species.

Disturbance and vandalism.

Drainage issues.

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LOWLAND GRASSLAND TARGETS

Maintain current extent of lowland meadows.

Identify new lowland meadows sites and map on GIS.

Designate all qualifying sites as Local Wildlife Sites.

Secure favourable management on all species rich

grasslands within Local Wildlife Sites.

Create or restore 10ha of lowland species rich

grassland

Review current grass cutting regimes in parks and

open space and introduce a change of management

at 4 sites that will be beneficial to wildlife.

Ongoing

2016

Ongoing

2021

2021

2013

NTC, NCC

NCC, NTC

NTC, NCC,

LWS

Partnership

NTC, NCC,

NWT, NE

NTC, NCC

NWT, FC

NCC, NTC

TARGETDATE PARTNERS


38


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9. L

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dHabitat Action Plans Species Action Plans

Streams & Watercourses Bats

Transport Corridors Dingy Skipper

Urban Managed Greenspace Urban Birds

Scrub, Shrub & Hedgerow Amphibians

Brownfield Land Hedgehog

Open Water & Wetland Slow Worm

Bumblebee


Feature

Grassland Creation

Grassland Restoration

Grassland Creation

Grassland

Improvements

Acid Grassland/

Heathland Creation

Wet Grassland Creation

Grassland Improvements

Grassland Creation


Grassland Creation/

Improvements




Grassland Creation

Heather Banks



Grassland Creation/

Improvement

Grassland Creation/

Improvement

Grassland Restoration

Site

Golf Courses

West Moor SLCI

West Moor/Wellfield

Burradon

Killingworth Moor

Backworth Woods


Albert Edward Dock

Knotts Flats Banksides

The Links/

St Mary’s Headland

Newburn

Newbiggin Dene

Kenton Dene

Scotswood Expo Site

Brunswick Village

Town Moor

Foundry Lane

Iris Brickfields

Hadrian’s Way

North Brenkley


North Tyneside

& Newcastle

North Tyneside

& Newcastle

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle

North Tyneside

& Newcastle

Newcastle


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HEDGEROW

General Description

Scrub

Scrub is generally an ephemeral habitat,part of the process of succession towoodland. It is often found at the edges,or in glades, of mature woodland butmore extensive stands are usuallyassociated with neglected bare ground,pasture or meadow. Occasionally scrubis a relic of degraded woodland. In allcases scrub communities are transitionaland unstable, though the soil conditioncan affect the rate of scrub colonisationor succession to woodland.

Hedgerow

A hedgerow is a row of shrubs orbushes, which forms a boundary. Thisbarrier is primarily for stock control butalso provides shelter for livestock, cropsand wildlife. Hedgerows can act asbarriers to erosion, provide a visualamenity, delineate fields and propertyboundaries and provide conduits forwildlife movement. Hedgerows arewildlife-rich habitats and support anumber of species of concern within theUK such as linnet, bullfinch, dunnockand song thrush.Hedgerows can be deliberately plantedor represent the remnants of previousfield boundaries. In association with thewoody plant species there can be anumber of associated earth works,consisting of a bank and usually one ortwo ditches along the line of the hedgeand these can sometimes be of historicalimportance. Grassland margins alongwith mature trees within the hedge lineare also extremely valuable as they forman important reservoir for wildlife inconjunction with the hedgerow.

Shrub

Shrub is used as a term to separatenative scrub composed of species suchas hawthorn and gorse, and areas ofshrub planting using introduced speciessuch as cotoneaster, pyracantha etc.Shrubs and shrubberies usually occur inmore formal landscaping schemes withinbuilt areas, but can still provide asignificant contribution to biodiversity forinsects and birds in particular.

Current Status

Most of the valuable scrub sites found inNorth Tyneside and Newcastle are foundon brownfield land, along waggonways,road verges and isolated areas ofunmanaged open space. In addition tothis, there are also many sites whereornamental shrubs are planted foramenity and screening such as areasaround Royal Quays in North Tynesideand Newcastle Business Park on thebanks of the River Tyne. Although moremanicured, these areas still providebiodiversity value for birds and insects.Private gardens and parks areparticularly important for scrub, shruband hedgerow providing some of thelargest areas for these types of habitat inurban areas.

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owHedgerows provide important links for

wildlife in urban areas and are generallyfound along areas such as waggonways,roadside verges, field boundaries andparks & gardens. Most of thesehedgerows are fairly species poor,consisting predominantly of hawthorn;however, there are some species richhedgerows confined to more rural areas.Hedgerows provide excellentconnectivity between sites, especially forspecies such as bats, butterflies andmammals to move and forage along.They also provide excellent nesting andfeeding habitat for a range of birds inurban areas.

Issues of Concern

Losses of scrub and hedgerowhabitat due to land take fordevelopment and agriculturalintensification.

Scrub, shrub & hedgerows canaccumulate litter, leading to aperception of neglect and pressurefor removal.

Dense scrub can be perceived as asafety risk, leading to its removal andomission from new landscapingschemes.

Scrub, shrub and hedgerows are notalways managed at appropriate timesof year, which leads to loss of winterberries, spring flowers and distur-bance of nesting birds.

Neglect or poor management ofhedgerows (no cutting or laying) leadsto them changing into lines of treesand the development of gaps

Invasion by non-native species suchas Japanese Knotweed caneventually shade out and dominatevaluable shrub and scrub habitat.

The use of herbicides, pesticides andfertilisers up to the base of hedges

Unmanaged scrub will eventually leadto woodland succession and the lossof this valuable habitat.


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SCRUB, SHRUB & HEDGEROW TARGETS

Create 10 ha of new native scrub/ shrub

Create 5000 linear metres of native species richhedgerow.

Improve 2000 linear metres of species poor hedgerow

Retain existing scrub and hedgerow on developmentschemes and maximise opportunities for nativeplanting in landscaping schemes

Ensure that management of scrub and hedgerow areundertaken at the appropriate times of year tomaximise opportunities for wildlife and minimisedisturbance.

2021

2021

2021

ongoing

Ongoing

NCC, NTC,NWT

NTC, NCC,NWT, NE

NTC, NCC,NWT, NHSN,NE

NTC, NCC,

NTC, NCC

PARTNERSTARGETDATE


Streams & Watercourses Bats

Transport Corridors Farmland Birds

Urban Managed Greenspace Urban Birds

Native Woodland Amphibians

Brownfield Land Hedgehog

Open Water & Wetland Slow Worm

Lowland Grassland Bumblebee

Otter



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Feature

Scrub & Hedgerow

Creation/Improvements

Scrub & Hedgerow


Scrub & Hedgerow


Scrub & Hedgerow


Scrub & Hedgerow


Scrub & Hedgerow


Scrub & Hedgerow


Scrub & Hedgerow


Scrub & Hedgerow


Site

Golf Courses

Cemetery Sites

Parks (General)

Gosforth to Cramlington

Wildlife Corridor

West Moor/Wellfield

Murton


Town Moor

Hadrian’s Way


North Tyneside

& Newcastle

North Tyneside

& Newcastle

North Tyneside

& Newcastle

North Tyneside

& Newcastle

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

Newcastle

Newcastle/North

Tyneside

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11. FARMLAND BIRDS

General Description

A number of seed-eating farmland birdshave undergone significant declinessince the 1970’s. Many of these arefamiliar and popular birds of opencountryside that are still perceived ascommon and widespread and includebirds such as tree sparrow, reed bunting,corn bunting, yellowhammer, linnet,house sparrow, bullfinch, skylark andgrey partridge.

These species are all seed-eaters in thewinter and feed on invertebrate foodduring the spring and summer, but haveslightly different habitat requirementswithin the farmed environment. Habitatswhich support these birds include haymeadows, grazed fields, grass margins,hedgerows and spring-sown cereals withover-wintered stubbles. Unfortunately,changes in farming practices such asland intensification, has reduced thesuitability of large areas of farmland forthese birds.

Species

Skylark(Alaudaarvensis)

Tree Sparrow(Passermontanus)

Grey Partridge(perdix perdix)

Barn Owl(Tyto alba)

Description

Skylarks are small brown birds,usually around 16-18cm long. Therail and the rear edge of the wingsare edged with white that is visiblein flight. The males have slightlybroader wings than the females,which enables the males to hoverfor longer periods of time.

The tree sparrow is smaller thanthe house sparrow at 14cm long.It has white cheeks and collar witha black cheek-spot, a chestnutbrown head and nape instead ofthe grey of the house sparrow.

The grey partridge is a mediumsized (29-31cm in length), plump,grey coloured gamebird with anorange face and a chestnut tailvisible whilst in flight. It is aground dwelling bird and isusually found in groups ofbetween 6 and 15.

The barn owl is a medium sizedowl with a golden-brown back andwhite face and underparts.

Habitat

Skylarks nest on the ground, feeding Inopen fields with fairly short vegetationand an extensive supply of invertebrateson which to feed the young chicks.

Tree sparrows nest communally in holesin veteran trees, farm buildingsor occasionally thick hedges. The adultsare seed-eaters but the chicks are fedon insects for the first few weeks of life.

Grey partridge nest on the ground in a varietyof farmland habitats including hedge bottoms,tussocky grass margins and cereal crops.The adults are mainly seed-eaters but chicksare dependent on supplies of invertebrates.

The typical barn owl prey of small mammalsoccurs at the highest densities in roughtussocky grassland, where their habit ofhunting fairly low to the ground makesthem very vulnerable to road traffic collisions.Barn owls traditionally nest in old barns orother farm buildings and hollow trees but theyadapt well to using nestboxes

Species Description

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Yellowhammer(Emberizacitronella)

Linnet(Acanthiscannabina)

ReedBunting(Emberizaschoeniclus)

Bullfinch(Pyrrhulapyrrhula)

Lapwing(Vanellusvanellus)

Yellowhammers are small birds and at15-17cm in length are slightly largerthan buntings. The maleyellowhammers have bright yellowunderparts and head with brown backsstreaked with black and a chestnutrump. The white outer tail feathers arevisible only during flight. The femalesand juveniles are duller in colour withgrey or black streaks on back andsides.

Linnets are small birds approximately13.5cm long and feed on seeds andinsects. Males are marked withcrimson forehead and chest and thefemales are a duller brown colour. Thejuveniles are similar to the females buthave a paler colouring with bolderstreaks

Reed buntings are small brown birds(approximately 13-16cm long), withpale/white underparts, with a long,slim, deeply notched tail. The maleshave a black head and throat and awhite collar. However in winter themale has the same streaked head ofthe female.

The bullfinch male has a brightpinkish-red breast and cheeks, greyback, black cap and tail and a whiterump. The female is very similar buthas much paler pinkish-fawn colouredbreast and cheeks.

The lapwing is a medium sized birdaround 30cm long and has a distinctiveblack and white appearance whichalong with its rounded wing shape inflight make it easy to identify. Anotheridentification characteristic is theirsplendid crest.

Yellowhammer breeds either on orclose to the ground within thickhedges, usually where there is a wideuncut grass margin or ditch. They canbreed late into the season so evencutting or flailing during August canhave a detrimental impact on thesuccess of the last brood. The adultsfeed almost exclusively on seeds, butchicks are largely dependent oninvertebrates.

Linnets are dependent on plentifulseed sources throughout the year.They nest in thick, thorny hedgerowsor areas of scrub and bramble.

They nest in a variety of farmlandhabitats including crops and set asideas well as ditches and reedbeds. Theadults’ diet consists of both seeds andinsects but the chicks are fed almostexclusively on insects until fledging.Arable field margins, stubbles and birdcover crops provide a vital source ofwinter food.

Bullfinches use woodlands,hedgerows, thickets and gardens tofeed and nest. Their diet consists ofseeds and buds and insects for theyoung.

They require bare ground or shortvegetation for nesting and a largesupply of ground invertebrates.

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Current Status

Changes from traditional farming meth-ods, loss of key habitat for both nestingand foraging have contributed to thedecline of these bird species. The tablebelow shows the population trends of thespecies taken from the British Trust forOrnithology (BTO) Birds OfConservation Concern (BOCC) list2009:-

Protection/Legislation

All wild birds are protected under thefollowing legislation:-

Schedule 1 & 9 of the Wildlife &Countryside Act,1981 (as amended).

Issues of Concern

Widespread changes to Britain’sfarming practices and loss of land todevelopment has contributed to thedecline of farmland birds.

Loss of nesting sites through use ofautumn-sown crops.

Reduced winter seed availabilitythrough the loss of over-winterstubble.

Loss or neglect of hedgerows.

A shift from hay to silage production.

Conversion of rough grazing toimproved grassland.

Affects of pesticides and herbicideson bird’s food availability.

Loss of roosting and nesting sitesthrough the demolition and/orconversion of farm buildings.

Loss of wet grassland, ponds andrough field margins that providenesting sites and foraging areas.

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Species

Skylark

Tree Sparrow

Grey Partridge

Barn Owl

Yellowhammer

Linnet

Reed Bunting

Bullfinch

Lapwing

BOCC Status*

Red

Red

Red

Amber

Red

Red

Amber

Amber

Red

UK BAP Status

UK BAP Priority Species



-






*Red = population decline by >50% over 25 yearsAmber = moderate decline (25-50%) over 25 years


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FARMLAND BIRD TARGETS

Promote Agri-Environment options for farmland birds,particularly in targeted areas.

Create 1000 linear metres of native species rich hedgerowon or adjacent to sites that have the potential or are knownto support farmland bird species.

Improve 1000 linear metres of species poor hedgerow onsites that have the potential or are known to supportfarmland bird species

Ensure that management of scrub and hedgerow on LocalAuthority land is undertaken at the appropriate times of yearto maximise opportunities for wildlife and minimisedisturbance.

Continue to monitor the status of farmland birds at specificsites.

Identify key areas for tree sparrows and encourage provisionfor nesting and feeding habitat.

Install nestboxes at 10 new sites for tree sparrow and barnowl.

Increase suitable habitat for ground nesting birds on 10sites.

Retain existing suitable habitat for ground nesting birds.

Ongoing

2016

2021

Ongoing

Annually

2013

2015

2016

Ongoing

DEFRA, NE,RSPB

NTC, NCC,NWT

NTC, NCC,NWT

NTC, NCC

NCC, NTC

NTC, NCC,NTBC, NWT,NHSN

NTC, NCC,

NTC, NCC,NWT, NE,NHSN

NTC, NCC,NWT, NHSN

TARGETDATE PARTNERS


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Habitat Action Plans

Estuary & Coastal Open Water & Wetland

Brownfield Land Scrub, Shrub & Hedgerow


47

Feature

Scrub/Hedgerow /

Grassland

Scrub/Hedgerow /

Grassland

Scrub/Hedgerow /

Grassland

Scrub/Hedgerow /

Grassland

Scrub/Hedgerow/

Grassland

Scrub/Hedgerow/

Grassland

Scrub/Hedgerow/

Grassland

Scrub/Hedgerow/

Grassland

Site

Golf Courses

Cemetery Sites

Parks (General)


Wildlife Corridor

West Moor/Wellfield

Murton

St Mary’s Headland/

The Links

Town Moor


North Tyneside

& Newcastle

North Tyneside

& Newcastle

North Tyneside

& Newcastle

North Tyneside

& Newcastle

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

Newcastle

Grassland

Scrub/Grassland/

Hedgerow

Grassland

Grassland

Newburn Tyne

Riverside Country Park


Burradon


Newcastle

Newcastle

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

Potential Target Delivery Area

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12. BATS

General Description

There are 18 species of bats(Chiroptera) recorded in the UK, 17 ofwhich are breeding. UK bats are found inall types of habitat, often feeding at duskover hedgerows, rough grassland andwetland features. They feed on the wingon a range of airborne insects, mainlymidges, caddisflies, mosquitoes,mayflies, lacewings and small moths,late into the autumn. They require arange of habitats including woodland andwoodland edge, aquatic habitat andassociated bankside vegetation, pastureand meadows as well as hedgerows andmature trees.

During the summer, bats form colonies inroost sites, which are normally found in avariety of buildings, under bridges, incaves or hollow trees. From November toApril bats hibernate at an alternative site,generally an undisturbed, draft free, coolplace such as caves, mines, tunnels orunoccupied buildings and they will tendto return to the same sites each year.Recent research has also shown thatlarger hibernation sites may also be usedfor swarming and mating prior tohibernation.

Three distinct forms of pipistrelle bathave been recognised, characterised byDNA and echolocation frequencies.

Pipistrelle bats are the smallest andcommonest species of bat in Britain, buthave suffered significant reductions inpopulation size in recent decades. Thisis the species of bat most often foundassociated with human activities, assummer maternity roosts are foundmainly in buildings.

Current Status

10 bat species have been recorded inthe North-East region, at least five ofwhich have been recorded in Newcastleand North Tyneside. These are commonpipistrelle, soprano pipistrelle, Brandt’sbat, Daubenton’s bat and noctule. Batsare a difficult group to identify and recordand therefore the lack of definite recordsdoes not mean that other bat species arenot present in the area.

Species

Common pipistrellePipistrelluspipistrellus(45 kHz)

Soprano pipstrellePipistrelluspygmaeus(55kHz)

Regional Status

Widespreadand common

Widespreadand common

Feeding

Woodland edge,hedgerows andgardens.

Woodland edge,hedgerows andgardens. Oftenassociated withwater.

Roosting

Modern housesand built structures.


Main Habitats

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(Ch

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(Myotis mystacinus)

Brandt’s Bat(Myotis brandti)

Natterer’s Bat(Myotis nattererii)

Daubenton’s Bat(Myotis daubentonii)

Noctule(Nyctalus noctula)

Brown Long-Eared(Plecotus auritus)

Leisler’s Bat(Nyctalus leisleri)

NathusiusPipistrelle(Pipistrellusnathusii)

Uncommon

Rare/Uncommon

Rare/uncommon

Uncommon

Uncommon

Uncommon

Rare

Very raremigratory species

Deciduous andmixed woodland.

Deciduous andmixed woodland.

Rivers, streams,lakes, ponds,deciduous andmixed woodland.

Rivers, streams,lakes and ponds.

Deciduous andmixed woodland,pasture andparkland.

Deciduous andmixed woodland

Woodland margins,rivers, streams andpasture.

Ponds, lakes,watercourses,mixed woodlandand parkland.Always near water.


Buildings and houses.

Barns, churches,bridges and tunnels.

Bridges and tunnels.

Holes in trees

Old houses,barns, tunnels

Buildings, treesand tunnels

Buildings andtrees

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All bats are protected under the followinglegislation:-

Schedule 5 of the Wildlife & Country-side Act (1981) which extends to batroosts and hibernation sitesAppendix II of the Bern ConventionAnnex IV of the Habitats DirectiveBonn ConventionThe Conservation (Natural Habitats &c.)Regulations (1994)

Issues of Concern

Intensive farming practices, inappro-priate riparian management,increased pesticide use and changesin land use have reduced theabundance of insect prey.

12. B

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Loss and disturbance of summer andwinter roost sites including loss ofmaternity roosts from toxic timbertreatment chemicals, inappropriatebuilding practices, tree felling anddevelopment.

Pesticide build up through the foodchain leading to a possible decline inprey abundance.

Loss of and changes in foraginghabitat and fragmentation ofinsect-rich feeding habitat, particularlyalong corridors such as hedgerowsand rivers.

Inadequate understanding of thelegislation protecting bats, leading toinadequate site surveys and loss ordamage to roosts when consultationprocedures have not been followed.

BAT TARGETS

Collate records on the number and distribution of bat roosts.

Ensure that every demolition or renovation project providesat least one bat box on the new building.

Erect bat boxes on 5 suitable sites on an annual basis.

Create 5000 linear metres of foraging/commuting habitat forbats

Produce bat guidance document for planners & developers.

Protect all mature trees and standing deadwood and ensurethat if felling or pruning is required, a bat survey isundertaken and appropriate mitigation implemented.

2015

Annually

Annually

2016

2012

Ongoing

NCC, NTC,ERIC, NBG

NTC, NCC,NWT

NTC, NCC,NWT, BCT,Community

NTC, NCC,NWT

NTC, NCC

NTC, NCC,

TARGETDATE PARTNERS


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Feature

Scrub/Hedgerow /Grassland



Scrub/Hedgerow/Grassland





Grassland

Scrub/Hedgerow/Grassland/

Wetlands


Grassland

Site

Golf Courses

Cemetery Sites

Parks (General)


Wildlife Corridor

West Moor/Wellfield

Murton

St Mary’s Headland/

The Links

Town Moor

Burradon

Waggonway Network

Hadrian’s Way


North Tyneside

& Newcastle

North Tyneside

& Newcastle

North Tyneside

& Newcastle

North Tyneside

& Newcastle

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

Newcastle

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

& Newcastle

Newcastle

North Tyneside

Local AuthorityArea


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Transport Corridors

Brownfield Land

Scrub, Shrub & Hedgerow

Rivers & WatercoursesLowland Grassland

Buildings & Structures

Native Woodland

Managed Urban Greenspace



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13. AMPHIBIANS

General Description

Newts

Newts require various types of terrestrialhabitat as well as standing water duringtheir lives and they can travel quite largedistances to reach suitable habitat. Muchof the year is spent in woodlands, scruband rough grassland, where they feed ona variety of invertebrates. After hibernat-ing on land through the winter (October –February), adult newts return to thewater to breed. Females lay eggs onunderwater leaves near the edges ofponds and tadpoles develop in the water.The young newts then leave the pondbetween July and October and matureon land over the next 2-3 years.

In the UK there are three native speciesof newt:-

Great Crested Newt (Trituruscristatus)Great crested newts are the largest ofthe three native species of newt in theUK, growing to about 16cm long.They are dark in colour, patternedwith small white spots and haveyellow-orange bellies with blackblotches. During the breeding season,males develop a distinct wavy crestalong their backs and tails, with asilvery streak down each side of thetail. Females do not have a crest andtheir tails are yellow-orange along thebottom edge.

Smooth Newt (Triturus vulgaris)The smooth or common newt is theUK’s most widespread newt species.They are generally brown in colourand can grow up to 10cm. Adultmales have a continuous wavy crestalong their back during the breedingseason and the belly of both sexes isyellow/orange with small black spots.

Palmate Newt (Triturus helveticus)Like smooth newts, palmate newtsare brown in colour with a yellow/orange underbelly, rarely exceeding10cm in length. The male palmatenewt has a filament at the tip of thetail and black webbing on the backfeet; features which are not present insmooth newts. Females can bedistinguished by their spotted throats,which in the smooth newt are a plainpink/yellow.

Common Toad (Bufo bufo)The common toad is a widespreadamphibian found throughout Britainwhich utilises large and deep waterbodies to breed. They can grow up to8cm, and are generally brown orolive-brown with ‘warty’ skin that oftenappears dry. Glands in the skincontain powerful toxins making themunpalatable to predators.

Common toads return to the samebreeding ponds every spring due totheir strong migratory instinct, layingtoadspawn in strings as opposed tothe clumps that are laid by the

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Current status

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common frog. Toads often have arelatively short breeding period of nomore than a week, after which adultsmigrate away from the pond to returnto their terrestrial feeding ground.

Common Frog (Rana temporaria)The common frog is the UK’s mostcommon amphibian, found in almostany habitat where suitable breedingponds occur. In fact, garden pondshave become extremely important tothis species, particularly in suburbanareas. Colouration of frogs can beextremely variable; however, they aregenerally olive-green or brown incolour with a dark patch behind theeyes. They also have bands of darkerstriping on the back legs and oftenhave irregular dark markings on theback.

Spawning takes place during earlyspring, starting as early as Februaryand tadpoles develop into smallfroglets which are then ready to leavethe water in early summer. Outside ofthe breeding season, frogs can dis-perse up to 500 metres from a breed-ing pond to feed on a variety of inver-tebrate prey such as slugs and snailsbut they prefer to stay close to damphabitat.

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Great crested newts are protected in theUnited Kingdom under the Wildlife andCountryside Act 1981 (as amended)Schedule 5 and Schedule 2 of the Con-servation (Natural Habitats) Regulations1994 (as amended).It is illegal to:

Kill, injure or capture great crestednewts, their eggs or their young.

Destroy or damage ponds they usefor breeding or their terrestrial habitat.

Recklessly damage, destroy orobstruct access to their shelter orprotection areas such as ponds.

Possess or transport a great crestednewt or any parts of the animal unlessrequired legally.

To sell, barter or exchange greatcrested newts or any part thereof.

Only licensed professionals canapproach great crested newts or theirhabitat

UK StatusUK BAP Priority Species--UK BAP Priority Species-

SpeciesGreat Crested NewtSmooth NewtPalmate NewtCommon ToadCommon Frog


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Introduction of fish and release ofexotic species that compete with oreat amphibian larvae.

Chemical pollution and enrichment ofbreeding sites make ponds lesssuitable for amphibians.

Lack of information on distributionand local status.

Severance of migration routes tobreeding ponds as a result ofdevelopment and infrastructure.

TARGETDATE PARTNERSAMPHIBIAN TARGETS

Maintain the current distribution of great crested newt(GCN) breeding ponds and provide any new records ofGCN sites to ERIC.

Ensure that all great crested newt sites are managed in away that will maintain the viability of the population

Raise awareness about amphibian conservation andprovide advice on habitat management.

Create 10 new amphibian ponds

Undertake management that will enhance the biodiversityvalue of 10 ponds for amphibians

Create 10 new amphibian hibernacula at suitablelocations

Annually

Annually

Ongoing

2016

2018

2016

NCC, NTC,ERIC

NTC, NCC,NWT

NTC, NCC,NWT,Community

NTC, NCC,NWT, NHSN

NTC, NCC

NTC, NCC,

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Loss of suitable breeding pondsthrough infilling, water table reduction,neglect, development and agriculturalintensification.

Loss and fragmentation of terrestrialhabitats through development andagricultural intensification. Mostamphibians spend a great deal oftime on the land surrounding theirbreeding ponds. If this terrestrialhabitat is lost or not managedappropriately, food and sheltersources are reduced.


55


Feature

Pond Creation

Pond Restoration


Wetland Restoration

& Creation

Pond Creation


& Pond Creation

Pond Creation

Pond Creation

Wetland


Wetland/Fen

Restoration & Creation

Pond Improvements

& Wetland Creation

Pond Creation

Pond Creation

Wetland Creation

Wetland Creation

Wetland Creation

Site

Golf Courses

Weetslade Country Park

Parks (General)


Wildlife Corridor

West Moor/Wellfield

Rising Sun & Silverlink

Park


Big waters

Gosforth Park/Sacred

Heart Pond

Sacred Heart Fen

Brenkley Colliery

Byker Link

Walbottle Brickworks


Byker Link

Kenton Dene


North Tyneside &

Newcastle

North Tyneside

North Tyneside &

Newcastle

North Tyneside &

Newcastle

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle

North Tyneside

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle

North Tyneside

Newcastle

Newcastle

Potential Target Delivery

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Transport Corridors Native Woodland

Brownfield Land Managed Urban Greenspace

Scrub, Shrub & Hedgerow Open Water & Wetland

Rivers & Watercourses Lowland Grassland


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14. Dingy Skipper(Erynnis tages)

General Description

From a distance the dingy skipper caneasily be mistaken for a day-flying moth.Both the male and female are fast fliersand appear similar. It is a small wellcamouflaged brown and grey butterflyand is best seen on sunny days. Duringdull days or at night they rest with theirwings folded back in a moth-like way.They require a sparse sward with anabundance of the larval food plants,common bird’s foot-trefoil, greater bird’sfoot-trefoil or horseshoe vetch. Bareground is also important for this species,as much of it’s time is spent basking inthe sun with its wings wide open.Habitats include woodland rides andclearings, sand dune systems,heathland, old quarries, railway lines andwaste ground. Eggs are laid singly onyoung leaves of the food plants withlarvae emerging in May. The larvae feedthrough the summer months, hiding intents that they create by spinning leavestogether. By August the larvae will befully grown and will spin more leavestogether to form a hibernaculum for thewinter. The Dingy Skipper is an inactivespecies and unlikely to colonise newareas of habitat unless they are in closeproximity to existing populations.Colonies are distinctly small, containingfewer than 50 individuals at the peakflight period, which means they caneasily be overlooked.

Current Status

In recent decades the dingy skipper hashad a 42% decline nationally and as aconsequence, the species is now on theUK BAP list. In addition, any site foundsupporting a dingy skipper population inNorthumberland, Newcastle & NorthTyneside, automatically meets thecriteria for designation as a Local WildlifeSite (LWS). It is a highly localisedspecies and many of the key sites tendto be post-industrial sites in particularalong disused railway lines andwaggonways.

There are a limited number of dingyskipper sites in Newcastle and NorthTyneside, due to isolation and loss ofhabitat for this species. At present thereare two known sites in North Tynesideand seven in Newcastle.


UK BAP Priority Species (listed on S41list of NERC Act 2006)

Issues of Concern

Loss of habitat through development,agriculture and tree planting.

Lack of site management leading tonatural succession by scrub and tallvegetation, which shades out the foodplants and reduces bare ground.

Isolation of existing colonies.

Trampling of vegetation by humans inthe larval and pupal stages.

Inappropriate site managementleading to loss of food plants/larvalplants.

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Transport Corridors

Brownfield Land

Managed Urban Greenspace

Lowland Grassland

DINGY SKIPPER TARGETS

Continue to survey and map the distribution of dingyskipper

Establish monitoring at all key sites to determine anychange in status

Protect dingy skipper sites where possible and secureappropriate mitigation where adverse impacts will occur.

Ensure that land owners and managers are aware of thepresence of the species and establish appropriatemethods of habitat management

Re-survey locations where current status is not clear

Maintain communication with Butterfly Conservation toraise awareness of this butterfly and its managementrequirements

Include the habitat requirements of dingy skipper whendrawing up mitigation or restoration measures in thedevelopment control process where sites are locatedadjacent to existing colonies

Seek and develop opportunities to establish newcolonies

Annually

Annually

Ongoing

Ongoing

2013

Ongoing

Ongoing

Ongoing

NCC, NTC,ERIC, BC

NTC, NCC,ERIC, BC

NTC, NCC,NWT,Community

NTC, NCC,NWT

BC, NTC,NCC, ERIC

NTC, NCC

NTC, NCC

NTC, NCC,

TARGETDATE PARTNERS

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Habitat Creation & Management



Habitat management

Habitat Creation

& Management

Habitat management

Habitat management

Habitat Creation

& Management

Habitat Management

Habitat Management

SiteShiremoor/Backworth

Silverlink Waggonways

Hadrian’s Way

Shelly Road

Newburn Haugh

Brenkley Colliery

Walbottle Brickworks

Walker Riverside

Havannah

Scotswood Road

wildflower embankment

Local Authority AreaNorth Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside &

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle


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15. OTTER (Lutra lutra)

General Description

The Eurasian otter is a medium sizeddark brown mammal, which occursprincipally in rivers, streams, lakes, wetwoods, ponds, wetlands and suitablecoastal waters. It is the only nativespecies of otter found in the UK. Ottersfeed mainly on fish, eels, smallmammals, crustaceans and waterbirdsand are found near waterways with welldeveloped bankside vegetation for coverand breeding. They are highly mobileand individuals can cover as much as40km of waterway and associatedhabitat as a home range within whichthey will have many resting sites andbreeding holes (holts).

Current Status

Otters were widespread throughout theUK until the 1950’s when a dramaticdecline began as a result of the use oforganochlorine pesticides, largely inagriculture. The species was effectivelylost from the midlands and the easternand south-eastern counties of Englandby the 1980’s. However, the decline nowappears to have halted and populationsappear to be recovering, particularly inthe north east, the south west andWales. Certain areas of Northumberlandhave remained as one of the ottersstrongholds in England. In recent years

there has been evidence of the speciesre-establishing itself in lowland areas ofthe region. In North Tyneside, signs ofthis species have been recorded alongthe Seaton Burn from source to mouth.In Newcastle it is present along the entirelength of the Ouseburn. There is alsoevidence that they are utilising othersmall watercourses in both areas. Ottersare also present on the River Tyne andoccasionally along the coast.


Otters are protected in the UnitedKingdom under the Wildlife andCountryside Act 1981 (as amended)Schedule 5 and Schedule 2 of theConservation (Natural Habitats)Regulations 1994 (as amended).

Issues of Concern

Pollution of watercourses, particularlyfrom farm and domestic effluent,sheep dips and PolychlorinatedBiphenyls (PCB’s) which are stillproblematic. Low flows can alsoconcentrate pollution levels,compounding the problem andreducing food availability.

A shortage of prey, associated withpoor water quality and quantity andlow grade riparian habitat.

Destruction of bankside habitatrequired by otters for breeding andresting.

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Incidental mortality caused mainly byroad traffic is an issue fragmentingpopulations and is a hindrance torecovery of populations.

Recreational and developmentalactivity on river banks can causedisturbance to otters, particularly insensitive areas used for breeding. 15

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OTTER

Maintain the current distribution of otter in Newcastleand North Tyneside. Submit all otter records to ERIC.

Restore and improve riparian habitat along 5km ofwatercourse for otters.

Ensure all operations affecting watercourses takeaccount of otters, retaining features such as old trees,scrub and overhanging root systems

Encourage public participation in submission of ottersightings and otter conservation through articles andpromotional material.

Construct and install 5 otter holts at suitable sites.

Identify priority stretches of watercourse where habitatimprovement for otters should be focused.

Limit accidental killing of otters on roads, by providingsuitable underpasses where appropriate.

Ongoing

2021

Ongoing

2015

2016

2014

Ongoing

NCC, NTC,EA, NWT,NWL, ERIC,NMG

NTC, NCCNWT, EA

NTC, NCC,EA, NWL

NTC, NCC,NWT, NWL,EA, NMG

NTC, NCC,NWT, EA

NTC, NCC,NWT, EA

NTC, NCC

TARGETDATE

PARTNERS


Rivers & Watercourses

Estuary & Coastal

Urban Managed Greenspace

Native Woodland



Species Action Plans

Water Vole

Amphibians


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Fragmentation of habitats results inthe isolation of populations.

Impacts from development creatingloss and disturbance to otter habitat.

Illegal Persecution.


61

Feature

Habitat Creation

& Management

Habitat Creation

& Management

Habitat Creation

& Management

Habitat Creation

& Management

Habitat Management

and otter Holt creation

Habitat Creation

& Management

Habitat Creation

& Management

Habitat Creation

& Management

Site

Seaton Burn

Watercourse

Northumbrian

Water Howdon

Weetslade

Colliery/Sacred

Heart Fen


Jesmond Dene

Big Waters

Callerton Pond Area

River Tyne


North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle & North

Tyneside


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15. O

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15. O

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16. URBAN BIRDS

General Description

This is a generic plan covering severalbird species associated with urbanareas. Urban birds often provide themain contact with wildlife that people willexperience in urban environments. Infact, feeding garden birds has become amajor recreational activity, as indicatedby the huge numbers of people whocontribute to the British Trust forOrnithology (BTO) and the Royal Societyfor the Protection of Birds (RSPB)garden bird surveys. Many of thesespecies are actually woodland birdswhich have successfully adapted to livingin parks and gardens. One such species,the song thrush, is in serious decline inthe countryside but is holding its own inurban and suburban areas.

Species such as house sparrow andswift, however, are truly urban in thatthey breed almost entirely in or onbuildings and starlings are also highlydependent on buildings for nest sites.

Species

Song Thrush(Turdusphilomelos)

House Sparrow(Passerdomesticus)

Starling(Sturnusvulgaris)

Description

The song thrush is a medium sizedsongbird, similar in shape and build toa blackbird, which has brownupperparts, white underparts and aspeckled breast.

The male house sparrow has achestnut brown back with blackstreaks and grey coloured underparts,rump and crown. The cheeks are adull white, and they have a black eyestripe and bib. The female is palerand lacks the grey crown, whitecheeks, black bib and eye stripe.

The Starling’s plumage is mainlyblack with white speckles duringwinter. These speckles disappear inthe spring and are replaced with aniridescent green and purple colourwhich gives the bird’s plumage an oilyappearance.

Habitat

Found in a wide variety of habitatsincluding farmland, woodland edge,hedgerows and in urban habitats such asgardens, parks and amenity land wherethere is sufficient cover for nesting andopen ground for feeding. It feeds on awide range of invertebrates, particularlyworms and snails, and from late summerto winter, on fruit, berries and seeds fromplants such as elder, hawthorn,blackthorn and holly.

House Sparrows are gregarious birdsthat live in colonies around people,nesting in holes or crevices in buildings,or among creepers growing on buildings.The nest is an untidy cup-shapedstructure made from a jumble of oddsand ends including coarse grass,rubbish, straw and feathers. The housesparrow’s diet is diverse ranging fromberries, nuts, seeds, insects and scraps.

Starlings are found just abouteverywhere in woodland, copses, parksand gardens where they build their nestsin holes within trees, walls or buildings.They feed on a large variety of foodincluding insects, worms, snails, berries,fruit and scraps. However, onlyinvertebrates are fed to their young.

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Dunnock(Prunellamodulris)

Swift(Apusapus)

House Martin(Delichonurbica)

Dunnock’s have a streaky grey-brown plumage like a dull,slimmer house sparrow andthey have a thin bill. The sexesare very similar, though thefemale is a little drabber incolour.

Swifts are fast, high-flying birdsthat feed on the wing and arenever found on the ground.They are sociable birds foundswooping, screaming andchasing one another all daylong. Their plumage is a sooty-brown colour with a whitishthroat and they have a forkedtail and sickle-shaped wings.

Smaller than a swallow withbroad, rather short pointedwings and a forked tail. Blue-black above, pure whiteunderneath with an obviouswhite rump above. An aerialfeeder, catching insects over arange of habitats, includinggardens, grasslands and water.

The dunnock is found inwoodlands, plantations,parklands, gardens andcemeteries. They build their nestsin dense shrubs and hedgescreating a cup-shaped nest whichis built from twigs and moss.Dunnocks feed mainly on theground, eating insects such asbeetles, ants and spiders, whichthey glean from leaf litter andplant roots. When food is scarcein the autumn and winter they willeat seeds and berries.

A swift’s entire life is spent in theair where it feeds exclusively onairborne insects. Breeding is theonly time swifts stop flying; theynest in holes in walls or undereaves. The nest is made fromgrasses, leaves and featherscollected while flying - andbonded together with saliva.

House martins, like swifts, feedon the wing by catching insectsin their gaping mouths. Cup-shaped mud nests are built orrefurbished on the outer walls ofbuildings, especially under theeaves of houses. Nesting can becolonial with several nests sideby side.

Current StatusLoss of key habitat for both nesting and foraging has contributed to the decline of thesebird species. The following table shows the population trends of the species taken fromthe BTO’s ‘Birds Of Conservation Concern’ (BOCC) list 2009:-

*Red = population decline by >50% over 25years;Amber = moderate decline (25%-50%) over 25 years.

Species BOCC Status * UK BAP Status

Song Thrush Red UK BAP Priority Species

House Sparrow Red UK BAP Priority Species

Starling Red UK BAP Priority Species

Dunnock Amber UK BAP Priority Species

Swift Amber -

House Martin Amber -

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All wild birds are protected under thefollowing legislation:-

Schedule 1 & 9 of the Wildlife &Countryside Act (1981).

Issues of Concern

Loss of suitable nesting sites due tomodern building design andconstruction.

Reductions in sources of both inverte-brate and seed food due to habitatloss and increased use of pesticides.

Increasing ‘tidiness’ and pesticide useboth in gardens and publicgreenspaces.

Replacement of hedgerows withfencing, removal of creepers on wallsand clearance of shrubberies causingreduction in suitable nesting sites.

Development of brownfield sites usedfor foraging for insects and seeds.

Predation by domestic cat.

URBAN BIRDS

Encourage public participation in urban bird surveys

Encourage public to submit sightings of swifts at rooflevel to the National Swift Inventory

Continue to monitor current sites for priority species.

Encourage winter feeding of urban birds on an annualbasis through public events and/or the media.

Encourage nest box construction and installation forurban birds on an annual basis through public eventsand/or the media.

Install 20 nest boxes on suitable sites for a widevariety of urban bird species.

Encourage developers to incorporate nesting featureson all new development projects through the planningprocess.

Encourage wildlife friendly gardening through mediaarticles, websites, events and printed material.

Ongoing

Ongoing

Annually

Autumn/Winter

Autumn/Winter

Annually

Ongoing

Annually

NCC, NTC,NWT, ERIC

NTC, NCC,RSPB, NTBC

NTC, NCCNTBC

NTC, NCC,RSPB, NTBC,NWT

NTC, NCC,RSPB, NTBC,NWT, NHSN

NTC, NCC,NWT, NHSN

NTC, NCC

NTC, NCC,RSPB,NTBC, NWT,NHSN

TARGETDATE PARTNERS

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Shiremoor/Backworth

Silverlink Park

Rising Sun Country Park

Northumberland Park

Wallsend Parks

St Mary’s Island

Brierdene

Holywell Dene

Weetslade Colliery


Leazes Park

Exhibition Park

Jesmond Dene

Newcastle Allotments,cemeteries and schools

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle & NorthTyneside

Habitat Creation& Management














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Buildings & Structures Native Woodland

Brownfield Land Managed Urban Greenspace

Scrub, Shrub & Hedgerow Open Water & Wetland

Rivers & Watercourses Lowland Grassland


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17. WATER VOLE (Arvicolaterrestris)

General Description

The water vole is Britain’s largest voleand is distinguished from the brown ratby its dark fur, round body, short tail, lessobvious ears and a short, blunt head withsmall eyes. Water voles will inhabit stillor flowing water but need plenty ofsubmerged and marginal vegetation(especially reeds, sedges and grasses)for shelter and food, with suitable banksfor burrowing. Above ground, theiractivity is largely confined to runs indense vegetation radiating from andalong the water’s edge. Water voles areherbivorous, primarily feeding on thelush aerial stems and leaves of water-side plants and typically select sites witha high layering of grasses andherbaceous plants. They live in extendedcolonies, strung out along a watercoursethrough a series of contiguous territories,

which range from 30-150m for femalesand 60-300m for males. The breedingseason lasts from March to October, andthe females’ territories are separatelengths of bankside, more than one ofwhich may be overlapped by the largerterritories of the males.

Current Status

Water voles are found within suitableriparian habitat throughout mainlandBritain. This species was once commonand widespread but has sufferedsignificant decline in numbers anddistribution. The most recent populationestimates have shown a 95% reductionin the population making it the UK’sfastest declining mammal.

The species occurs in small populationsin a limited number of sites in Newcastleand North Tyneside. These include smallsections of the Ouseburn and theWallsend Burn and ponds and water-

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courses in and around the Rising SunCountry Park. Population numbers arethought to be small, fragmented andextremely vulnerable.


Water voles are protected underSchedule 5 of the Wildlife & CountrysideAct 1981 as amended (protection relatesto destruction of habitat and disturbanceto individuals)

Issues of Concern

Habitat loss and fragmentation due toinappropriate management anddevelopment is one of the majorcauses of decline. Culverting,straightening and clearance ofvegetation from waterways has led toa decline in habitats that water volesdepend upon. As a result, theirdistribution has become more re-stricted and isolated, leaving themvulnerable.

Insensitive river engineering, bankprotection, maintenance work andinappropriate water level manage-

ment can affect the availability ofrefuges for water voles. Thisincreases their vulnerability topredation and leads to a reduction infood supply.

Predation by the introduced Americanmink and domestic cat are thought tobe a significant factor in their decline.

Pollution of watercourses, forexample, from industry, agricultureand urban waste treatment.

Application of rodenticides bywatercourses with the aim ofcontrolling rat populations.

Disturbance of riparian habitat (e.g.poaching, overgrazing and tramplingfrom horses is significant locally,human disturbance etc.). Althoughwater voles can tolerate disturbance,if this is prolonged the pressure oftencauses voles to abandon sites.

Competition with rats has increasedin certain areas as a result ofsupplementary bird feeding andaccumulated rubbish on developmentsites.

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Initiate a baseline survey for water voles in Newcastle andNorth Tyneside along key watercourses to update currentrecords

Submit all water vole records to ERIC

Improve riparian habitat along 5km of watercourse to helpincrease connectivity for water voles.

Ensure all operations affecting watercourses take accountof water voles.

Encourage public participation in submission of water volesightings and their conservation through articles, leafletsand activities.

Identify priority stretches of watercourse where habitatimprovement for water voles should be focussed.

2013

Ongoing

2020

Ongoing

2014

2013

NTC, NCC,NWT, EA

NCC, NTC,EA, NWT,ERIC, NMG

NTC, NCCNWT, EA

NTC, NCC,EA, NWL

NTC, NCC,NWT, NWL,EA, NMG

NTC, NCC,NWT, EA

WATER VOLE TARGETDATE PARTNERS

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Feature

Habitat Creation

& Management

Habitat Creation

& Management

Habitat Creation

& Management

Habitat Creation

& Management

Habitat Creation

& Management

Habitat Creation

& Management

Habitat Creation

& Management

Habitat Creation

& Management

Habitat Creation

& Management

Habitat Creation

& Management

Site

Brierdene Burn –

Shiremoor/Backworth

Wallsend Parks/

Wallsend Dene


Wallsend Burn - Benton

Weetslade Colliery/

Sacred Heart Fen

Balliol/Longbenton

Wallsend & Backworth

Golf Course

Callerton Pond, Lough

Bridge and Ouseburn


Hartley Burn between

Dinnington and Big Waters


North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle



Rivers & Watercourses

Urban Managed Greenspace

Lowland Grassland



Species Action Plans

Otter

Amphibians

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18. RED SQUIRREL (Sciurusvulgaris)

General Description

The red squirrel is Britain’s only nativesquirrel. It is a small rodent that feedsopportunistically upon a wide range offoods that are found in and around thewoodland that it inhabits. The red squirrelhas a distinct red/brown coat, which canvary in colour. It also has a long bushytail of uniform colour and characteristicear tufts.

The most important food types are seedsand fruit, followed by tree shoots, buds,flowers, berries, bark, fungi and lichens.Red squirrels tend to feed in trees andwhilst nibbling on cones, strip the conescales to produce a characteristic core.

These remains are often found scatteredunder trees or in little heaps at prominentfeeding points. Red squirrels live indreys, compact twig and leaf nests,usually sited near the trunk or in a fork ofa large branch. They are usually builtbetween 6-10m from the ground. Naturaltree holes will also be used whereavailable.

Since the 1870’s there has been a con-siderable decline in the population andrange of the red squirrel. This hasoccurred as a result of competition withthe larger grey squirrel, an introductionfrom North America that hassubsequently expanded in range andnumber. The grey squirrel also carries avirus to which it has immunity but the reddoes not and this has resulted in a largenumber of red squirrel deaths. Redsquirrels are now mainly seen in largeareas of coniferous woodland in northernEngland and Scotland, but in isolatedpockets elsewhere they still occur indeciduous woodland. Where greysquirrels are present, the potential forred squirrel survival appears greater inconifer woodlands. In the absence of thegrey, both broadleaved and coniferwoodlands provide suitable habitat.

Current Status

Newcastle is the only remaining Englishcity with a population of red squirrels.Within Newcastle the red squirrel occursat Havannah Local Nature Reserve,Gosforth Park Nature Reserve andWoolsington Woods. There are no sitesthat support red squirrel in NorthTyneside, however the occasional redsquirrel is sometimes reported in areassurrounding Gosforth Park.

Grey squirrels have now expanded intomost parts of the North East. Redsquirrels tend to be displaced within 5 to15 years of the arrival of greys. Theconservation of this species is thereforeof the highest national and regionalconcern.

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EC Habitats Directive, Wildlife &Countryside Act (1981, as amended),Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000,Species of Principal Importance and UKBAP Priority Species.

Issues of Concern

Grey squirrels are now established inNewcastle and North Tyneside.Retaining Red Squirrel populations inremaining locations is almost totallydependant on controlling greysquirrels at those sites and insurrounding neighbourhoods.

Many people do not realise that greysquirrels are a pest or threat to localred squirrel populations. People

deliberately feed grey squirrels intheir gardens giving them an evengreater advantage over red squirrels.This is a problem close to sites thatstill have red squirrel populations.

Urban development has led to theloss of corridors between these andother woodlands, making themincreasingly isolated. Resultingimpact upon red squirrels is to reducepopulation size (through changes infood availability)

Predation by dogs, cats, foxes,raptors may have a very minor impacton red squirrel populations.

Red squirrels have been killedcrossing roads.

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RED SQUIRREL

Report all red squirrel sightings to ERIC and RSNE

Carry out public awareness activities to promote redsquirrel conservation and discourage people fromfeeding grey squirrels close to red squirrel sites.

Carry out grey squirrel control at remaining redsquirrel sites and surrounding areas.

In areas where red squirrels are still present, improvewoodland management of the site and surroundingarea where possible.

Monitor grey squirrel control measures and effects toboth grey squirrel and red squirrel populations throughRSNE recognised methods

Ongoing

Ongoing

Ongoing

Ongoing

Ongoing

NTC, NCC,NWT, ERIC

NHSN,RSNE

NHSN,RSNE, NCC,plus managersof other sites

NCC, NTC,NHSN, othersite managers

RSNE,NHSN

TARGETDATE PARTNERS

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Feature

Habitat Creation,

Management & Control

Habitat Creation &

Management

Habitat Creation &

Management

Habitat Creation,


Habitat Creation,


Habitat Creation,


Habitat Creation,


Site

Whitehouse Farm/West

Moor

Gosforth/Balliol Business

Parks - Longbenton

Weetslade Colliery/

Wideopen

Gosforth Park Nature

Reserve and Gosforth

Park Racecourse

Woolsington Woods

Hoy Woods, North

Brenkley

Land to south of Gosforth

Park


North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle



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Transport Corridors Managed Urban Greenspace

Native Woodland Scrub, Shrub & Hedgerow


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19. HEDGEHOG (Erinaceuseuropaeus)

General Description

Hedgehogs are the only spiny Britishmammal having up to 7000 dense sharpbrown spines on its back and sides.When threatened, it curls into a ball, sothat the spines offer protection. The onlynative species able to successfullypenetrate this defence is the badger.The chest and belly are covered incoarse grey-brown fur. Thesewidespread mammals are found in mostlowland habitats, but are most commonlyseen in areas where there is grasslandclose to woodland, scrub or hedgerow.Urban and suburban gardens havebecome particularly important tohedgehogs seeking food and nest sites.Hedgehogs are mostly nocturnal, andcan travel up to 2km in their nightlyforages for food which includes beetles,earthworms and slugs. The young areborn between May and September, inlitters of four or five. Hedgehogs buildnests called hibernacula in which toavoid the coldest times of winter byhibernating, usually between Novemberand early April, depending on theweather. Favourite sites for these areunder timber buildings, in piles ofbrushwood or leaves, or in compostheaps. If it is warm enough and there isenough food, hedgehogs do nothibernate at all. Hedgehogs need to bein good condition physically and weighover 600 grams before they enterhibernation.

Current Status

Hedgehogs are widespread in lowlandBritain, except for some Scottish islands.The Mammal Trust UK (2006) reported arapid decline in hedgehogs, with someareas experiencing a 50% decline. Thereis currently no systematic survey ofHedgehogs in Newcastle and NorthTyneside, therefore the population statusand distribution is unknown.


Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981(Schedule 6)

UK Biodiversity Action Plan Species

Issues of Concern

Loss and fragmentation of suitablehabitat to agriculture and urbandevelopment.

Reduction in insect food supply fromoveruse of pesticides.

Secondary poisoning from slugpellets.

Death from road traffic.

Removal of leaf litter and tendencytowards fences rather than hedges ingardens causes a reduction inhibernation sites and reducesforaging areas.

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Lighting of bonfires without checkingfor hibernating hedgehogs.

Drowning in garden ponds with steepsides.

Becoming trapped in cattle gridscausing death by starvation.

Feeding of milk and bread by humanscausing diarrhoea and dehydrationwhich can lead to death.

Trapping of hedgehogs in discardedcans, yogurt pots and plastic cups.

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HEDGEHOG

Engage the public in surveys to determine thedistribution of hedgehogs in Newcastle and NorthTyneside.

Produce advisory information for managing gardensand urban green space for hedgehogs.

Create and install 20 hibernacula at appropriate sitesthroughout Newcastle & North Tyneside.

2012

2013

2015

NTC, NCC,NWT, ERIC,NMG

NTC, NCC,NWT

NTC, NCCNWT

TARGETDATE PARTNERS



Transport Corridors Lowland Grassland

Brownfield Land Native Woodland

Managed Urban Greenspace Scrub, Shrub & Hedgerow

Feature

Habitat Creation &

Management

Habitat Creation &

Management

Habitat Creation &

Management

Habitat Creation &

Management

Habitat Creation &

Management

Habitat Creation &

Management

Site

Allotment Sites

Parks

Cemeteries

Golf Courses

Schools

New housing on



Newcastle & North

Tyneside

Newcastle & North

Tyneside

Newcastle & North

Tyneside

Newcastle & North

Tyneside

Newcastle & North

Tyneside

Newcastle


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20. SLOW WORM (Anguisfragilis)

General Description

Slow worms resemble a smooth slendersnake, but are actually lizards withoutlegs and have very small scales on theirbody which gives them a shiny greybrown or bronze appearance. Adultfemales are approximately 400mm inlength, males are slightly smaller. Thefemale can be identified by longitudinaldark stripes running down both sides ofthe body. Reproduction is ovi-viviparous,meaning that the young are born in anegg membrane that breaks soon afterbirth. A slow worm’s skin is shedthroughout the year to allow them togrow and helps keep the skin clean andhealthy.

Slow worms are found in relatively openspaces such as allotments, gardens,parklands and wasteland. Although theylike warmth, you won’t find them baskingin the sun. They are secretive andelusive creatures that tend to hidebeneath dead vegetation and discardedrubbish such as sheets of wood,corrugated iron, carpets and stones.Slow worms are carnivorous and be-cause they feed on slugs and worms,they can often be found in long grassand other warm damp environmentssuch as compost heaps.

Current Status

Once common and widespread through-out England, Scotland and Wales,slow-worm numbers have declinedsteadily both nationally and locally. Theonly record of slow worm in theNewcastle and North Tyneside area is onthe Metro line at Whitley bay. However,this species is very secretive and is noteasily seen, it is therefore expected thatmore sites will be discovered as theprofile of the slow-worm is raised.


Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981(Schedule 5, Section 9)

UK Biodiversity Action Plan Species

Issues of Concern

Loss and fragmentation of suitablehabitat due to development, naturalsuccession and agriculture.

Loss of habitat due to unsympatheticmanagement.

Direct killing, through careless mow-ing or strimming.

Lack of linear features connectingsuitable habitats.

Deliberate persecution by humanswho mistakenly believe them to bedangerous.

Predation by domestic cats.

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SLOW WORM

Determine the current extent and distribution ofhabitats supporting or likely to support slow worm

Seek to designate confirmed slow worm habitats asLocal Wildlife Sites

Target allotment owners to raise awareness ofconservation requirements of slow worm andencourage recording of sightings.

Advise land managers on suitable management ofcurrent and potential slow worm habitats. Prevent lossor degradation of these existing sites.

Create 5 hibernacula on current and potential sites.

Ongoing

Ongoing

2012

Ongoing

2013

NTC, NCC,NWT, ERIC,NERAG

NCC, NTC,LWSP

NTC, NCCNWT, ERIC

NTC, NCC

NTC, NCC,NWT

TARGETDATE PARTNERS

Feature

Habitat Creation &

Management

Habitat Creation &

Management

Habitat Creation &

Management

Site

Whitley Bay Metro

Station

Allotment Sites

Metro/Railway land


North Tyneside

Newcastle & North

Tyneside

Newcastle & North

Tyneside



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Transport Corridors Scrub, Shrub & Hedgerow

Native Woodland Brownfield Land

Managed Urban Greenspace Lowland Grassland


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21. BUMBLEBEES

General Description

Bumblebees are large, hairy insects witha powerful but bumbling flight that belongto the genus Bombus. There arecurrently 24 species of bumblebee in theBritish Isles which are found in a largerange of habitat types. Nests are builtunderground or at the surface, especiallyaround undisturbed hedges and grassybanks. Adult bumblebees forage forpollen and nectar throughout the springand summer months and the collectedpollen is used to feed their larvae. Themain forage plants preferred by many ofthe bumblebee species are from thefamilies Fabaceae (clovers and vetches),Scrophulariaceae (figworts) andLabiatae(dead-nettles and woundworts).The colonies last for a year, with newqueens hibernating underground throughthe winter and establishing fresh coloniesthe following year.

Many UK bumblebee species havesuffered massive declines in the lastcentury, in fact, within the last 70 years,two species have become nationallyextinct and there are currently six spe-cies listed as UK BAP priority species forconservation action. Conservation forthese species will also protect manyother bumblebee species. Bumblebees

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Common Name

White-tailed bumblebee

Buff-tailed bumblebee

Early bumblebee

Red-tailed bumblebee

Garden bumblebee

Carder bumblebee

Latin Name

Bombus lucorum

Bombus terrestris

Bombus pratorum

Bombus lapidarius

Bombus hortorum

Bombus pascuorum

Habitat Type

Common in all habitat types

Common in lower altitudes

Common except at high altitude

Common except at high altitude

Common at low altitudes

Common in all habitat types

There are 6 common species of bumblebee found throughout large parts of the UKand which are almost certainly found in Newcastle and North Tyneside:-

Current Status

are one of our best-loved groups ofinsects which makes them particularlyvaluable as an indicator species forurban environments, particularlyallotments, parks and gardens.


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A limited number are UK BiodiversityAction Plan Species

Issues of Concern

Loss of species rich grasslandssupporting a continuous successionof preferred forage plants, throughagricultural intensification anddevelopment.

Excessive mowing of grass vergesand amenity areas has reducedflowering plant diversity.

Destruction and degradation ofhedgerows leading to loss ofhibernation and foraging areas.

Increased use of herbicides has ledto dramatic loss of abundance anddiversity of native wildflowers.

Public perception that bumblebeesare aggressive and dangerous,leading to destruction of nests.

Changes in horticultural practices(e.g. decking & paving gardens,over-tidying gardens and use ofmodern cultivars) leading to areduction in foraging habitat forbumblebees.

Climate change – it is possible thatseveral species will be affected byglobal warming as they do not foragewhen temperatures are high.

BEES

Develop bee projects with local Universities/educational establishments

Create 6 flagship bee gardens on appropriate sitesto raise awareness of bee conservation andencourage appropriate planting.

Promote the retention or provision of suitable nestingand over wintering sites in public and private gardensand allotments.

Advise landowners on suitable management of sitesfor bumblebees.

Carry out a survey of bees on 10 appropriate samplesites.

Raise skills level by delivering bee identificationworkshop.

2013

2014

Ongoing

Ongoing

2015

2014

NTC, NCC,NWT, ERIC

NCC, NTC,Local Schools,allotments &Community

NTC, NCCNWT, ERIC,NHSN

NTC, NCC

NTC, NCC,NWT, ERIC

NTC, NCC,NWT

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Feature

Habitat Creation &

Management

Habitat Creation &

Management

Habitat Creation &

Management

Habitat Creation &

Management

Habitat Creation &

Management

Site

Allotment Sites

Parks

Cemeteries

Schools

New housing on



Newcastle & North

Tyneside

Newcastle & North

Tyneside

Newcastle & North

Tyneside

Newcastle & North

Tyneside

Newcastle



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Transport Corridors Brownfield Land

Native Woodland Lowland Grassland

Managed Urban Greenspace Buildings & Structures



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22. BROWN HARE (Lepuseuropaeus)

General Description

The brown hare is similar in appearanceto a rabbit, but its body is larger, thelimbs are longer, as are the ears, whichare also black tipped. In Newcastle andNorth Tyneside, the brown hare is foundmainly in farmland areas, using themosaic of habitat available. During thesummer it feeds and shelters in arablecrops and pasture, whilst in winter itseeks shelter in hedgerows, woodlandsand scrub. This species is widespreadthroughout Britain except in thenorth-west and Western Highlands. Ithas undergone a significant decline inpopulation since the early 1960’s and thelast national brown hare survey,organized by Bristol University in 1996,estimated the population at between817,500 and 1,250,000

Current Status

There are a limited number of sites forbrown hare in Newcastle and NorthTyneside due to the amount of habitatavailable to this species in these urbanareas. In Newcastle, brown hare ismainly confined to the north and west ofthe city in agricultural areas aroundDinnington and Newcastle Great Park. InNorth Tyneside, brown hare are alsolimited to mainly agricultural sites, suchas those in and around Backworth. Theyhave also been recorded using some ofthe larger wildlife sites such as the Rising

Sun Country Park and Silverlink CountryPark due to the variety of habitat typesfound on these sites.



The Hares Act (1848) prohibits theshooting of hares at night by anyperson other than a landowner oroccupier, or a person authorisedunder Ground Game Act (1880)

The Hares Preservation Act (1892)creates a closed season for the saleof hares during the breeding season,(1 March - 31 July inclusive).

Issues of Concern

Modern agricultural practices resultingin loss of suitable habitat e.g.conversion of grassland to arable,loss of hedgerows, intensive farmingtechniques and the loss of mixedfarms.

Illegal hare coursing and poaching.

Road casualties.

Increasing urban developments.

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BROWN HARE

Seek to secure sympathetic management of habitat forbrown hares through the planning system.

Create 500 linear metres of native species richhedgerow.

Improve 500 linear metres of species poor hedgerow

Create or restore 2ha of lowland species rich grassland

Increase public awareness about the conservationstatus of brown hare

Ongoing

2021

2021

2021

2014

NTC, NCCNWT

NTC, NCC,NWT

NTC, NCC,NWT

NTC, NCCNWT

NTC, NCC

NTC, NCCNWT

NTC, NCC,NWT

NTC, NCC,NWT

NTC, NCCNWT

NTC, NCC

TARGETDATE PARTNERS


Feature

Habitat Creation &

Management

Habitat Creation &

Management

Habitat Creation &

Management

Habitat Creation &

Management

Habitat Creation &

Management

Habitat Creation &

Management

Habitat Management

Site

Silverlink Park

Weetslade Colliery

Eccles/Fenwick Colliery Sites


Brenkley North


Prestwick Carr LWS


North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

North Tyneside

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle


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Transport Corridors Brownfield Land

Scrub, Shrub & Hedgerow Lowland Grassland


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Newcastle & North Tyneside Biodiversity Action Plan · Newcastle & North Tyneside Biodiversity...

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Transcript of Newcastle & North Tyneside Biodiversity Action Plan · Newcastle & North Tyneside Biodiversity...