Biodiversity Action Plan

To create specific habitat plans to restore, maintain and enhance habitat types on our estate

Medium

To create a work programme for specific habitat types on a 5- to 10-year management cycle

Short

To ensure our work enables the conservation and expansion of key species populations

Annually

To undertake a series of surveys and audits of our sites to identify species and habitats that would benefit from improved or amended management practices in conjunction with plans

Medium

To ensure the correct management of our land to maintain and enhance its biodiversity value - right plant, right place

Annually

To encourage species rich, structurally diverse woodlands on our estate and to encourage others to do the same by

 Annually

Underplanting existing woodlands where required

Attention is given to field and shrub layers of woodlands

Introducing management techniques such as coppicing where appropriate

Retaining brash and logs from tree works as habitat piles or dead hedges

Retaining standing and fallen deadwood where it is safe to do so

To use planting and natural regeneration schemes and strategic Biodiversity Net Gain to link up existing woodland habitats, creating corridors and steppingstones for wildlife

Annually

To link in with existing and developing woodland creation opportunities across the borough

Medium

To continue to monitor Ash Dieback on our estate and manage in line with national policy

Annually

To encourage the creation of orchards and wet woodland

Medium

To encourage species rich hedgerows on our estate and to encourage others to do the same by

Annually

allowing hedge bases to thicken to increases the biodiversity value

changing management practices to bring hedgerows into favourable condition, including the use of hedge laying over mechanical cutting

reducing the frequency of cuts on some hedgerows

cutting hedgerows as late as possible to allow birds access to fruits and berries through autumn and winter

gapping up our existing hedgerows

Planting new hedges to create wildlife corridors to link areas of habitat in line with plans (eg BNG)

Medium

Encouraging time sensitive management of hedgerows to avoid breeding seasons

Annually

To encourage a mosaic of species rich ponds on our estate and encourage others to do the same by ensuring all ponds have

Annually

a diversity of marginal and aquatic plants, with submergent, emergent and floating vegetation

areas of open water

air flow and light to the water surface to maintain oxygen levels

reduced shading, especially on the south side

variations in depth

egg laying plants for newts

To establish and enhance 3-meter-wide buffer areas around priority wildlife ponds

Short

To continue to work in partnership to create, enhance and restore ponds across the borough

Short

To create a 5- to 10-year pond survey and maintenance programme with associated budget to improve the condition of our ponds

Short

To increase the area of reed beds in the borough e.g. through Biodiversity Net Gain

Long

To manage selective ponds as an educational resource

Short

To continue to educate and engage park users around the issues of feeding the ducks

Medium

To continue to undertake Great Crested Newt surveys on an annual basis

Annually

To develop bog gardens in areas adjacent to existing ponds, in failed or failing ponds or in areas where it is not safe to have areas of open water

Long

To work at a river catchment level with appropriate partners and landowners on conservation projects including the protection of riverbanks and floodplains, coastal floodplains and grazing marsh, intertidal mudflats and coastal saltmarsh habitats

Long

To maintain and improve water quality of streams and rivers by having regard for management practices in their vicinity

Annually

To develop schemes for wetland creation and river restoration

Medium

To establish and enhance 3 - 5m wide buffers along rivers and streams where possible.

Short

To ensure we have structurally diverse, species rich grasslands supporting pollinators and other invertebrates by

Annually

ensuring mowing and grazing regimes are in synch with the seasons

controlling competitive grasses and other species - spot treatment of some species that threaten grassland habitats may be required

ensuring that there is a diverse sward structures and successional areas

cutting areas on rotation to provide structure and variety for species, prolonging the availability of pollen and nectar and aesthetic value for park users

ensuring appropriate seed mixes are used for repair of damage or areas in poor condition, including yellow rattle

collecting arisings on all our wildflower meadows

ensuring areas of tussocky grass are retained for overwintering invertebrates

To instigate differential mowing regimes around some of our amenity grasslands

Short

To attempt to create new native wildflower meadows on amenity grassland where appropriate

Medium

To ensure that Urban Flower Meadows are not planted where they could cause detriment to native species and habitats

Short

To work with Lancashire County Council on reducing and amending cutting regimes for roadside verges where it is safe to do so, to encourage a network of wildlife corridors and enhance habitat connectivity

Medium

To work in partnership with other bodies and landowners to ensure the protection and restoration of peat bogs in the borough and investigate income opportunities from paludiculture (wetter farming)

Long

To ensure South Ribble and its suppliers only use peat free alternatives for compost

Annually

To work with landowners and partners to increase the biodiversity value and connectivity of the arable field margins in the borough

Long         

To work with residents, businesses and landowners to encourage a mosaic of different habitat types across the borough, that provide important food and nectar sources to support our wildlife

Medium

To encourage the ethos of leaving space for nature

Medium

To encourage the inclusion of wildlife refuges in buildings and structures

Medium

To encourage the installation of artificial wildlife refuges where appropriate to enhance what is naturally available to our wildlife, including

Annually

Hibernaculum

Hedgehog highways

Bird and bat boxes

Bee / insect boxes

Log / stone piles

Deadwood

Wildlife bridges and tunnels

Green walls and green roofs

To encourage biological diversity in our parks and open spaces by altering management schedules to introduce

Annually

unmanaged strips of grass - where reduced frequency mowing can help protect flowering plants and longer swards provide structure / shelter for invertebrates and small mammals

a mosaic of habitats to provide a wide range of species with a wide range of habitats to enable them to complete their lifecycles  

wilder areas

nettle beds and bramble patches

areas of bare earth

To encourage a mindset of reducing access to identified areas of land at certain times of the year to protect species and habitats

Medium

To install information signs to explain these changes

Short

To encourage the use of locally abundant, native species in planting schemes

Annually

To ensure the protection of existing habitats by following a right plant, right place ethos

Annually

To consider food and nectar sources and shelter in planting scheme development

Annually

To ensure sensitive time management of planting for plants and wildlife

Annually

To replace annual planting with more sustainable perennial schemes

Medium

To seek to increase populations of protected species by

Annually

positive habitat management to create viable habitat for target species

sensitive maintenance regimes and timings

creation of refuges where appropriate

improving ecological connectivity via the creation of corridors and stepping-stones to allow populations to expand naturally

managing public access to protect sensitive habitat and species

enhancement of existing habitats

creation of new habitat where the opportunity exists or becomes available

use of wildlife sensitive lighting schemes to remove barriers to the movement of nocturnal species

To promote awareness and understanding of the park's wildlife and associated management

Annually

To create a pollinator pledge to increase the diversity and numbers of pollinating insects in the borough

Medium