James Arnold
Assistant Director of Planning
Bolsover District Council
The Arc
High Street
Clowne
Derbyshire
S43 4JY
For the attention of Karen Wake
Your Ref: 15/00563/REM
Our ref: PlanCon246-1
22nd December 2015
Dear Karen,
Proposal: erection of 5 dwellings
Location: land to the East of 136 The Hill, Glapwell
Application Ref No: 15/00563/REM
Thank you for consulting the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust with regard to the above reserved
matters application following outline approval under the application reference 11/00491.
The Trust commented on the outline application in correspondence dated 21st August
and 25th September 2015 based upon ecological surveys carried out by Udall-Martin
Associates Ltd which identified a medium breeding population of grass snake on the site.
Grass snakes were recorded on each of the seven survey visits undertaken in areas of
tall grass and tall ruderal vegetation. The areas of the scrub on the site were considered
to provide suitable cover and sheltering habitat.
Subsequently a condition (Condition 6) was attached to the outline consent requiring the
submission and approval of a detailed mitigation scheme for the habitat of grass snake
prior to the start of development.
We supported the scheme presented in figure 4 of the Reptile Survey report prepared by
Udall Martin Associates Ltd dated June 2012 showing the proposed locations of Grass
Snake Receptor Site and Long-term Replacement Habitat in order to accommodate a
meaningful area of a mosaic of suitable grass snake habitat to sustain the existing
population.
Defending wildlife, restoring landscapes,
inspiring people
www.derbyshirewildlifetrust.org.uk
It is essential that this scheme is fully reflected in the layout provided with the reserved
matters submission to ensure that that the development will not have an adverse impact
upon the local grass snake population.
We have considered the Precautionary Working Method Statement – Reptiles, report ref:
RSE_124_02_V1 prepared by Ramm Sanderson Ecological Consultants dated March
2015 prepared to meet the requirements of condition 6 of the outline consent and
submitted with this reserved matters application.
The submitted Precautionary Working Method Statement is based on an assessment of
the habitats present on the site from a visit undertaken in October 2014. The assessment
has concluded that the habitat quality on site has deteriorated to such an extent since
2012 that the site is no longer likely to support grass snake and that the population has
now dispersed off-site due to the site becoming dominated by dense tall grassland and
tall ruderal vegetation with ingression of scrub.
However, this is essentially the same as the habitat description of the site provided in the
Reptile and Botanical Survey reports prepared in 2012 by Udall-Martin Associates Ltd
submitted with the outline application with the tall grassland and tall ruderal vegetation
forming the focus of the reptile survey from which the presence of a medium breeding
population was confirmed. In addition, at that time, the scrub areas were considered to
provide suitable cover and sheltering habitat and be part of the suitable mosaic of habitat
present across the site.
We therefore are unable, in the absence of sufficient evidence, to accept that the site has
deteriorated to such an extent over a relatively such a short period of time (2 years) to
render it no longer likely to support grass snake. There are also contradictory statements
within the report which throw doubt over the robustness of the assessment in relation to
the extent and level of domination of tall grassland and bramble across the site together
with the statement that there are no linear water features linked to the site when the
following paragraph refers to the presence of a minor watercourse with close proximity
providing a dispersal route.
Overall, we advise that the claim by the RammSanderson report that the site is unlikely to
support grass snake needs to be substantiated by an up to date detailed reptile survey
carried out during the optimal survey period before we would consider the mitigation
strategy outlined in the Precautionary Working Method Statement by Ramm Sanderson
dated March 2015 to be acceptable for the purpose of satisfying the requirement of
condition 6 of the outline consent.
At this stage we maintain the view that in the absence of evidence to the contrary a
substantive mitigation strategy is required in line with the one outlined in the Reptile
Survey report prepared by Udall Martin Associates Ltd dated June 2012. This needs to
include a comprehensive grass snake capture/exclusion exercise and the provision of a
layout that allows for the retention of sufficient habitat to maintain the local grass snake
population on the site as shown in figure 4 of the Udall-Martin report.
It is hoped that the information provided is helpful to the Council. If you require any further
information or wish to discuss any of the comments made, please do not hesitate to
contact me.
Yours sincerely,
Trevor Taylor
Local Wildlife Sites Officer (Planning)
[email protected]