VIRIDOR WASTE MANAGEMENT LIMITED. Parkwood Springs Landfill, Sheffield. Reptile Survey Report

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1 VIRIDOR WASTE MANAGEMENT LIMITED Parkwood Springs Landfill, Sheffield July 2014

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3 Viridor Waste Management Ltd July 2014 CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION METHODOLOGY RESULTS RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS REFERENCES... 8 DRAWINGS LE Preliminary Ecological Appraisal LE12088

4 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background Wardell Armstrong LLP (WA) was commissioned by Viridor Waste Management Limited to undertake reptile surveys of an area of Parkwood Springs Landfill Site, Sheffield, S3 8AG hereafter referred to as the site This survey report follows recommendations for a reptile survey as a result of the Preliminary Ecological Assessment of the site carried out in February 2014 by WA, which identified a range of habitats suitable to support a number of reptile species. The range of habitats present on site are illustrated on Drawing Number LE The site covers approximately 9.5 hectares and is located within the boundaries The site contains a mosaic of habitats including grassland and scrub but is mostly made up of active landfill, capping, semi-natural broadleaved woodland, poor semiimproved neutral grassland with areas of sapling plantation and dry dwarf scrub heath. The recovering landfill site has also been replanted with saplings as part of the approved restoration scheme. Land to the north of the site is bordered by green open space beyond which lies an area of residential development. To the east, lies a mix of residential and playing fields, whilst to the south lies a former Ski village beyond which is industrial development which is also present to the west beyond the railway line. There is one pond located within the south of the site which has a solid base and lacks vegetation, the pond however has active bird life in the sense of mallard ducks and black-headed gulls. 1.2 Legislation All native reptiles receive legal protection in Great Britain arising from the following legislation: Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) (in Great Britain); Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2012 (as amended) (in England & Wales). Le12088 Page 1

5 1.2.2 In England and Wales reptiles are all listed on Schedule 5 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 and the more threatened species ( sand lizard Lacerta agilis and smooth snake Coronella austriaca) are also listed on Schedule 2 of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2012 (as amended), which designate them European protected species The legislation effectively creates two levels of protection. The European protected species receive strict protection, making it an offence to capture, possess, disturb, kill, injure, or trade in individuals of these species. In addition it is an offence to damage or destroy the places they use for breeding or resting The remaining species (common lizard Zootoca vivipara, slow worm Anguis fragilis, adder Vipera berus and grass snake Natrix natrix) are protected against killing, injuring and unlicensed trade only. The legislation applies to all life stages of these animals Sand lizard Lacerta agilis and smooth snake Coronella austriaca have a restricted distribution and are geographically absent from the study area. Thus, these species are not mentioned further in this report. Le12088 Page 2

6 2 METHODOLOGY 2.1 Desk Study A desk study was carried out prior to the field survey to identify suitable habitats within the site. This included a review of Ordnance Survey (OS) maps, aerial photography and the Multi-Agency Geographical Information for the Countryside (MAGIC) website. In addition records provided by Sheffield City Ecology Unit (SCEU) were reviewed for records of reptiles within a 2km search radius of the site boundary. 2.2 Field Survey The field survey methodology has been devised in accordance with the requirements of all relevant legislation and good practice guidance, including the Herpetofauna Workers Manual (Gent & Gibson, 1998; 2003) and reptile survey guidance (Froglife, 1999) In April 2014, 30 artificial refugia consisting of roofing felt tiles approximately 0.5m x 0.5m in size were placed within habitats that were assessed to have suitability to support reptiles. These included sun breaks in low scrubby vegetation, sun breaks amongst planted saplings, as well as along the roadside where vegetation occurred which deemed suitable for reptiles. In addition, natural (stones) located around the site and semi-natural refugia, such as anthropogenic material that have been in place for a significant time to allow complete homogeneity with their surroundings, were identified as potentially suitable for use by reptiles Refugia tiles were left to settle for a minimum period of fourteen days before being checked for the first time (refugia tiles set April 2014). Refugia were visited seven times during the survey period during suitable weather conditions as defined by relevant guidance. Surveys were carried out on the following dates during 2014: Survey visit 1 30 th April (am); Survey visit 2 14 th May(am); Survey visit 3 21 st May (am); Le12088 Page 3

7 Survey visit 4 28 th May (am); Survey visit 5 30 th May (am); Survey visit 6 5 th June (am); and Survey visit 7 6 th June (am) The number of refugia used depends on many factors, such as the likelihood of disturbance and the size of the site. In general, the more artificial refugia used, the greater the chance of finding reptiles (and the larger the number of reptiles seen), should they be present on site. For general survey purposes, five to ten refugia per hectare is considered sufficient (Froglife, 1999) A scoring system for categorising the size of reptile populations present (Foster & Gent, 1996) has been used to assess the indicative population sizes present within the site (see Table 1). This scoring system gives a population size estimate described as low, good or exceptional, based on the maximum numbers of reptiles seen by observation and/or found under tiles at a density of up to 10/ha, by one person in one day. This approach has been applied to the results of the surveys undertaken. Table 1. Reptile population size classification Reptile Low Population Good Population Exceptional Population Adder < >10 Grass snake < >10 Common lizard < >20 Slow worm < > Surveys were carried out during optimum temperature and weather conditions (intermittent sunshine, temperatures between 9 C and 20 C with low winds). The ideal time to carry out surveys is between the hours of 9am and 11am and 4pm and 7pm when reptiles have not reached their optimum temperature and so are more easily observed; however, sunshine immediately after rain is also suitable at any time of the day so long as the temperature is greater than 9 C. Le12088 Page 4

8 Habitat suitability for reptiles The majority of the site comprises of active landfill not ideal for reptiles but areas of grassland, scrub habitat and rocky substrate all situated on site are considered suitable to provide refuge, basking sites and foraging for reptiles. The open areas of capped landfill was an area not used for reptile tiles due to the open and exposed area not being a suitable location for refuge, basking or foraging. Tiles were also not placed on the heavily rocky area of the site due to a vast amount of natural habitat available for reptiles (this area was checked accordingly) Common lizards occupy a wide range of habitats providing that they are structurally diverse and provide adequate cover. Slow worms also occupy a wide range of habitats and have a broader range than the common lizard, tolerating a less diverse vegetation structure. It is considered likely that common lizard and slow worm could be present within the site Grass snakes are generally associated with wetlands but can also be found in many other habitats that provide some cover and a degree of structural diversity. They are very mobile and do not rely on a single site for hibernation, foraging and egg-laying and it is not uncommon to see grass snake in woodland during hot weather. Grass snakes therefore may be present within the site It is considered unlikely that adders are present within the site or its adjacent habitats. They are generally absent from areas of intensive agriculture and prefer heathlands, moorlands or dense grasslands with low scrub which provide abundant prey and cover. Le12088 Page 5

9 3 RESULTS 3.1 Desk Study Consultation with SCEU identified no records of reptiles within 2km of the site. 3.2 Field Survey Several areas considered suitable for reptiles were identified during the Preliminary Ecological Assessment ( Extended Phase 1 Habitat survey) in February 2014 (see Reptile Location Plan LE for details) Over the seven surveys, no reptiles were recorded within the site During all of the seven surveys no other reptilian or amphibian species was recorded under/above the artificial refugia. Le12088 Page 6

10 4 RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS No reptiles were recorded within the site during the 2014 surveys, therefore they are not considered to be a constraint to development Reptiles are mobile species and can colonise areas of habitat within a short time period. As a consequence it is recommended that repeat reptile surveys are undertaken if development of the site has not commenced within twelve months of this reptile survey Should a reptile be discovered at any stage during the restoration works, work should stop immediately and advice from a suitably qualified ecologist should be sought. Le12088 Page 7

11 5 REFERENCES Foster S. & Gent T. (1996). Reptile Survey Methods: Proceedings of a seminar held on 7 th November 1995 at the Zoological Society of London s Meeting Rooms, Regent s Park, London. English Nature Science Series No Froglife (1999). Reptile survey. An introduction to planning, conducting and interpreting surveys for snake and lizard conservation. Froglife Advice Sheet 10. Froglife, Halesworth Gent A. H. & Gibson S. D. (1998). Herpetofauna Workers Manual. Peterborough, Joint Nature Conservation Committee Gent A. H. & Gibson S. D. (2003). Herpetofauna Workers Manual 2 nd Edition, Peterborough, Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Le12088 Page 8

12 DRAWINGS Le12088 Page 9

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