We have now received an updated baseline report. We decided to update the scheme design following a wet walkabout before Christmas (“Wet Winter Walkabout”). There are two additional ponds located in depressions where the field is naturally wettest. The biggest of the ponds extends to about 40 metres by 15 metres. I think Val has her eye on it for an almost Olympic sized natural swimming pond. We have truncated the hedgerow at the water’s edge and introduced some more areas of scrub around the boundary. More variety of habitat should equal more abundant and diverse nature in future.
Another change is that the woodland is now targeted to be “mixed broadleaf woodland” rather than “wet woodland”. Although the strip of woodland we are creating is along the boundary of the stream and in the floodplain, we are not confident that it will flood regularly enough to achieve wet woodland status. Through what has been a very wet winter, it has not flooded. We will certainly plant tree species that thrive in wetter conditions, and if it turns out that it does flood regularly we can adapt our plan. But mindful that we are entering into a legal contract to achieve the target habitat, it feels safer to start out under promising, with the hope that we can over deliver in future.
The updated baseline report comes with a new assessment of the biodiversity gain that our scheme will achieve. The table below summarises this. About 68 habitat units, and 7 hedgerow units. Kent have just released for consultation their Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) and most of our field is mapped as an Area of Potential importance for Biodiversity (APIB). This is important because if we can show that our scheme is consistent with the desired measures, and in an APIB, then the biodiversity units generated are worth 15% more to developers (they count more towards their planning requirements). We are just checking with the Kent Wildlife Trust ecologists who are supporting us that our scheme design does indeed align with the LNRS. We remain uncertain whether there is a market for our units but it seems silly not to put ourselves in a position to benefit from this uplift. And of course, by aligning to the Kent strategy we can contribute to realising something bigger – a coherent and resilient nature network across the county.
As ever lots of paperwork! But we are starting to actually do stuff. We planted the walnuts over Christmas and are now making preparations for planting the 425 metres of new hedgerow over the February half term. This weekend a local farmer came and erected a stock fence along the boundary that will have nearly 200 metres of new hedgerow along it. They took a time lapse which convinced me that we had made the right decision not to try and do this ourselves. They had all the kit and zipped across the field super efficiently. We have just got to order all 3000 saplings, organise a few tools, pairs of gloves and hope for some willing volunteers and good weather to help us get it all done during the week. Get in touch if you can spare some time!
Abounded 
Leave a comment