SUSTRANS ROUTE – LITTLE MILL TO USK GREAT CRESTED … · 1.3 Both Pond A and Pond B are located in rural areas surrounded by open field, hedgerows and small areas of woodland. The

SUSTRANS ROUTE – LITTLE MILL TO USK

GREAT CRESTED NEWT SURVEYS

June 2017

David Clements Ecology Ltd Carlton House, 5 Herbert Terrace, Penarth, Glamorgan, CF64 2AH

Tel: 029 20 350120 Fax: 029 20 711997 [email protected]

Author: Aislinn Harris BSc (Hons) ACIEEM

15.06.17

Checked by: Danielle Fry

19.06.17

Version No./Stage

v 1.0

DCE 930: Sustrans Route,GCN Survey: v.1.0: June 17

SUMMARY This report has been prepared by David Clements Ecology Ltd (DCE) for Sustrans Cymru, and refers to a potential new cycle route between Little Mill and Usk in Monmouthshire, south Wales. The new cycle route is understood to roughly follow the old railway line that ran between Little Mill and Usk. A preliminary ecological assessment of the route has been undertaken by Wildwood Ecology previously. The survey work highlighted the presence of two ponds within close proximity to the proposed route. Pond A is approximately 300m from the route at grid reference SO 33418 02329. Pond B is approximately 750m away at grid reference SO 35693 01736. During the first survey session at Pond A another pond was discovered in close proximity. This pond is referred to as Pond C Pond A, B and C are located in rural areas surrounded by open field, hedgerows and small areas of woodland. The industrial units of BAE Systems lie in between both ponds. Pond A is a small ephemeral waterbody on the eastern edge of Hill Wood. The pond is shaded by the surrounded mature trees and scrub. It measures approximately 3m by 2m and was approximately 10cm deep or less during the survey period. Pond A and Pond B were both subjected to a presence or likely absence survey for GCN based on the guidance provided by the GCN Mitigation Guidelines (English Nature, 2001). Ponds A and B were surveyed using four separate survey sessions using bottle-traps, torching and refugia searching. Due to the poor depth of Pond A only 3 bottles could be used during survey session. The pond also dried up during the second survey visit resulting in no bottle trapping or torching of it on that occasion. 19 bottle traps were deployed in Pond B Pond C was subjected to a torching survey only during each site visit. Access to the pond was too difficult to utilise any additional survey techniques. No evidence of the presence of GCN were found during any survey visit to Ponds A, B and C.


1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 This report has been prepared by David Clements Ecology Ltd (DCE) for Sustrans

Cymru, and refers to a potential new cycle route between Little Mill and Usk in Monmouthshire, south Wales. The site location and context is shown at Plan 1.

1.2 The new cycle route is understood to roughly follow the old railway line that ran

between Little Mill and Usk. A preliminary ecological assessment of the route has been undertaken by Wildwood Ecology previously. The survey work highlighted the presence of two ponds within close proximity to the proposed route. Pond A is approximately 300m from the route at grid reference SO 33418 02329. Pond B is approximately 750m away at grid reference SO 35693 01736. Given the proximity of the ponds to the proposed route, great crested newt surveys are required.

1.3 Both Pond A and Pond B are located in rural areas surrounded by open field, hedgerows

and small areas of woodland. The industrial units of BAE Systems lie in between both ponds. Pond A is a small ephemeral waterbody on the eastern edge of Hill Wood. The pond is shaded by the surrounded mature trees and scrub. It measures approximately 3m by 2m and was approximately 10cm deep or less during the survey period.

1.4 Pond B is a much larger waterbody measuring approximately 10m by 8m and 50cm

deep around the pond edges. The interior of the pond is open water however the vast majority of the pond edges are overgrown with bulrush (Typha latifolia) and common reed (Phragmites australis). A section of bulrush and common reed measuring approximately 2m wide has been removed from the south eastern side of the pond. A small stream flows into the southern end of the pond which has an area of inundation vegetation either side that floods depending on water levels. A similar stream and area of inundation habitat is present at the north western corner of the pond. The flow into and out of the pond is extremely slow.

1.5 During the first survey session at Pond A another pond was discovered in close

proximity. The pond, which shall be referred to as Pond C, had a post and wire fence around its perimeter and steep sides which prevented close access. A small stream runs past and it appears that Pond C was created to catch and hold water from the stream when it is in spate.


2.0 APPROACH AND METHODS 2.1 Survey Methodology 2.1.1 Pond A and Pond B were both subjected to a presence or likely absence survey for GCN

based on the guidance provided by the GCN Mitigation Guidelines (English Nature, 2001). Ponds A and B were surveyed using four separate survey sessions using bottle-traps, torching and refugia searching. Due to the poor depth of Pond A only 3 bottles could be used during survey session. The pond also dried up during the second survey visit resulting in no bottle trapping or torching of it on that occasion. 19 bottle traps were deployed in Pond B

2.1.2 Pond C was subjected to a torching survey only during each site visit. Access to the

pond was too difficult to utilise any additional survey techniques. 2.1.3 The survey sessions were carried out at intervals of at least one week in the period

between mid-April and June, with at least two of the sessions before mid-May. Bottle-traps were placed at 2-3m intervals around all accessible sections of both ponds, and were left in situ for one night on each session.

2.1.4 The great crested newt (GCN) surveys were undertaken by at least one fully licenced

ecologist during each survey session. Site surveyors were Aislinn Harris (Accredited Agent on NRW:65105:OTH:SA:2015), Vicky Hannaford (NRW:73291:OTH:SA:2016) and Danielle Fry (Accredited Agent on NRW:68524:OTH:SA:2015).


3.0 SURVEY RESULTS 3.1.1 Great crested newts are protected under the EU Habitats & Species Directive,

implemented in the UK via the 2010 Habitats Regulations. They are designated as ‘European Protected Species’ by the latter, and both animals and their resting places are afforded the highest level of statutory protection available in the UK. Great crested newts are also protected under the amended Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981.

3.1.2 No evidence of the presence of GCN were found during any survey visit to Ponds A, B

and C. 3.1.3 At Pond A diving beetle was found by the bottle trapping survey. 3.1.4 At Pond B a maximum count of 18 palmate newts were observed during the

torching/lamping sessions. Stickleback fish and great diving beetle were also observed in this pond. A large volume of frog tadpoles were also noted in Pond B

3.1.5 No aquatic life was observed at Pond C during the surveys visits. including anything to

suggest the presence of great crested newt. 3.1.6 A table of the survey results can be found in Appendix 1. 3.2 Constraints 3.2.1 As previously stated, Pond A dried out completely during the third surveys session. The

minimal depth of the pond also prevented more than three bottle traps being deployed during each survey visit

3.2.2 Access to the edges of pond B was hampered due to the low levels of water and the

density of common bulrush and common reed. Access to the water’s edge especially around the southern edge of the pond was not possible.


4.0 ASSESSMENT AND RECOMMENDATIONS 4.1 Sustrans Cymru are proposing to create a new cycle route between Little Mill and Usk,

Monmouthshire. The proposals are likely to be focused upon the immediate cycle route; however details on the works to create the link were not available at the time of writing.

4.2 No evidence of the presence of GCN has been found on site during any survey visit.

The presence of fish within the Pond B could potentially limit its potential to support a great crested newt population. Based on the current survey effort undertaken, it is thought highly unlikely that the species is present at either Pond A, B or C.

4.3 At its closest point, the new cycle route would run within 300m of a pond. It is

concluded that proposed works to facilitate the new cycle route would be unlikely to entail any impact on protected species such as great crested newt. As such no further recommendations in respect of great crested newts are made.


5.0 REFERENCES

English Nature (EN 2001) Great Crested Newt Mitigation Guidelines. EN, Peterborough.

Gent, T & Gibson, S (Eds) (1998) Herpetofauna Workers’ Manual. Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Peterborough.

Institute of Environmental Assessment (IEA 1995) Guidelines for Baseline Ecological Assessment. IEA Lincoln.

Nature Conservancy Council (NCC 1989) Guidelines for the Selection of Biological SSSIs. NCC Peterborough. Nature Conservancy Council (NCC 1989) Gwent Inventory of Ancient Woodlands. NCC Peterborough.

Nature Conservancy Council (NCC 1990) Handbook for Phase 1 Habitat Survey: a Technique for Environmental Audit. NCC Peterborough. Rodwell, J (Ed) (1991-2000) British Plant Communities. Vols 1-5. Cambridge University Press.


APPENDIX 1: SPECIES RECORDED Table 1: GCN Survey Results – Pond A

POND No.: A Date: 03.05. 2017

03.05.2017

10.05.2017

10.05.2017

22.05.2017

22.05. 2017

06.06.2017

06.06.2017

Method: Lamp Bottle Lamp Bottle Lamp Bottle Lamp Bottle Temp (oC): 12 12 15 15 17 17 12 12 No. Bottles: 3 0 3 3 Great Crested Newt Male Triturus cristatus Female Adult Pre‐Adult Eft Eggs Palmate Newt Male Lissotriton helveticus Female Adult Pre‐Adult Smooth Newt Male Lissotriton vulgaris Female Adult Pre‐Adult Lissotriton sp Eft Eggs Common Frog Adult Rana temporaria Tadpole present Spawn Common Toad Adult Bufo bufo Tadpole Spawn Other Species Diving beetle present present

Great Crested Newt Session Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0


Table 2 ; GCN Survey – Pond B

POND No.: A Date: 03.05. 2017

03.05.2017

10.05.2017

10.05.2017

22.05.2017

22.05. 2017

06.06.2017

06.06.2017

Method: Lamp Bottle Lamp Bottle Lamp Bottle Lamp Bottle Temp (oC): 12 12 15 15 17 17 12 12 No. Bottles: 3 0 3 3 Great Crested Newt Male Triturus cristatus Female Adult Pre‐Adult Eft Eggs Palmate Newt Male 1 1 2 7 1 Lissotriton helveticus Female 1 18 7 Adult Pre‐Adult Smooth Newt Male Lissotriton vulgaris Female Adult Pre‐Adult Lissotriton sp Eft Eggs Common Frog Adult Rana temporaria Tadpole present present present present

numerous

Spawn Common Toad Adult Bufo bufo Tadpole Spawn Other Species Stickleback present present present great diving beetle present present

water scorpion present present Great Crested Newt Session

Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0


Table 3: GCN Survey – Pond C

POND No.: A Date: 03.05. 2017

10.05.2017

22.05.2017

06.06.2017

Method: Lamp Lamp Lamp Lamp Temp (oC): 12 15 17 12 No. Bottles: Great Crested Newt Male Triturus cristatus Female Adult Pre‐Adult Eft Eggs Palmate Newt Male Lissotriton helveticus Female Adult Pre‐Adult Smooth Newt Male Lissotriton vulgaris Female Adult Pre‐Adult Lissotriton sp Eft Eggs Common Frog Adult Rana temporaria Tadpole Spawn Common Toad Adult Bufo bufo Tadpole Spawn Other Species Stickleback great diving beetle

water scorpion Great Crested Newt Session

Total 0 0 0 0


PHOTOGRAPHS OF SITE (May 2017)

View of Pond A View of Pond B

View of stream /inundation vegetation into Pond B View of Pond C

Sustrans Route - Little Mill to UskGreat Crested Newt surveys

Plan 1: Site Location & Context

DCE 930 NTS June 2017

930 Sustrans Route, GCN report v1 - June v1 FINALmap 1 - sitesPage 1

Documents

SUSTRANS ROUTE – LITTLE MILL TO USK GREAT CRESTED … · 1.3 Both Pond A and Pond B are located in rural areas surrounded by open field, hedgerows and small areas of woodland. The