APPENDIX 2: Baseline Review

SA Topic: Biodiversity / Landscape

Biodiversity feature

Baseline Position

Data Source and Further Information

Protected Species / Known to occur in Salford:
Water vole
5 Bat species
Kingfisher
Little ringed plover
Common quail
Barn owl
Slow worm
Grass snake
Great crested newt
White-letter hairstreak butterfly
Bluebell
The population size and/or condition of the above mentioned species across the city is unknown. / GM Biodiversity Audit 2000 and Records held by Greater Manchester Ecology Unit
Habitat Survey of Key Areas of Search for Wildlife Corridors undertaken by ECUS Consultancy in 2005
Salford Revised Deposit UDP Policy EN7E
Priority Species / Known to occur in Salford:
Water vole
5 Bat species
Brown hare
Bullfinch
Skylark
Linnet
Reed bunting
Corn bunting
Spotted flycatcher
Tree Sparrow
Grey Partridge
Song thrush
Great crested newt

Amaira samelica – a ground beetle

Floating water plantain
The population size and/or condition of the above mentioned species across the city is unknown. / GM Biodiversity Audit 2000 and Records held by Greater Manchester Ecology Unit
Habitat Survey of Key Areas of Search for Wildlife Corridors undertaken by ECUS Consultancy in 2005
Salford Revised Deposit UDP Policy EN7C
Internationally and nationally important sites
Sites of Biological Importance (these represent the most important biodiversity features across the city) / No internationally important sites in Salford but potential for development on sites in the city to affect the internationally important Astley and Bedford Moss Special Area of Conservation in Wigan.
No nationally important sites in Salford but there is a potential Site of Special Scientific Interest in Botany Bay Wood
33 SBIs at Dec 2003 covering 421.05 ha
33 SBIs at Dec 2004 covering 474.68 ha
The total number of sites disguises the fact that one SBI (Agecroft Road) was lost as a result of unauthorised landfill in April 2004, and a new one (River Irwell) was identified in May 2005 / Salford Revised Deposit UDP Policy EN7A
Salford Revised Deposit UDP Policy EN7B
Register of Sites of Biological Importance in Salford
Salford Revised Deposit UDP Policy EN7C
Priority Habitats within SBIs (these represent the best quality habitats) /

Priority Habitats in SBIs at Dec 2003

Lowland Dry Acid Grassland 21.3 ha
Lowland Heathland 2.13 ha
Lowland Broadleaved Woodland 59.3 ha
(Wet woodland not recorded separately but included in woodland total above)
Degraded Lowland Raised Bog capable of restoration within 30 years 14.6 ha (within Twelve Yards Road peat extraction site)

Priority Habitats in SBIs at Dec 2004

Lowland Dry Acid Grassland 23.6 ha
Lowland Heathland 2.14 ha
Lowland Broadleaved Woodland 59.8 ha
Degraded Lowland Raised Bog capable of restoration within 30 years 14.6 ha (within Twelve Yards Road peat extraction site)
The main type of habitat lost in the former Agecroft Road SBI was scrub / Register of Sites of Biological Importance in Salford
Salford Revised Deposit UDP Policy EN7C
Priority Habitats (both within and outside SBIs) /

Priority Habitats in 1989

Lowland Dry Acid Grassland 114.6 ha
Lowland Heathland – not recorded
Lowland Broadleaved Woodland 203.5 ha
(Wet woodland not recorded separately but included in woodland total above)
Degraded Lowland Raised Bog capable of restoration within 30 years 216.7 ha (within 4 peat extraction sites)
Cereal field margins not recorded

Priority Habitats in 2000/01

Lowland Dry Acid Grassland 66.5 ha
Lowland Heathland 1.1 ha
Lowland Broadleaved Woodland 375.75 ha
(Wet woodland not recorded separately but included in woodland total above)
Degraded Lowland Raised Bog capable of restoration within 30 years 248.8 ha (within 4 peat extraction sites)
Cereal field margins not recorded
The reduction in extent of grassland has been due primarily to its natural development into scrub, while the increase in woodland has been due to the natural development of other scrub into woodland
Apart from some knowledge in relation to lowland raised bog, the measures necessary for re-establishment of other different priority habitats is not currently known and needs to be established. There is need to identify where such habitats should be re-established if appropriate / Salford Phase 1 Habitat Survey 1989
Salford Phase 1 Habitat Survey 2000/01
Habitat Survey of Key Areas of Search for Wildlife Corridors undertaken by ECUS Consultancy in 2005
Salford Revised Deposit UDP Policy EN7C
Degraded lowland raised bog capable of restoration within 30 years /

Chat Moss was formerly a key location for lowland raised bog but there are no active areas remaining and opportunities for re-establishing it are restricted.

The greatest potential for restoration is thought to lie within the 4 peat extraction sites on Chat Moss. However, the Little Woolden and Cadishead Moss sites have planning approval for restoration to agricultural use, and therefore will not be restored to lowland raised bog. The other 2 peat extraction sites have been identified as the Mosslands Heartland in the Revised UDP.

/ Urban Mersey Basin Natural Area Profile
Salford Revised Deposit UDP Policy EN8
Restoration of Damaged Peatlands (DoE 1995)
Severely Degraded lowland raised bog with possible potential for bog restoration (outside 4 peat extraction sites) /

Most of Chat Moss (a former Lowland Raised Bog) to the west of Salford has been converted to high quality agricultural land. However, it is thought that there may be sites (other than those for peat extraction) that may have some further potential (albeit likely to be limited) for bog restoration. There is a need to identify this potential

/ Greater Manchester Mosslands Action Plan (March 2003)
Salford Revised Deposit UDP EN8
Landscape features, which are important biodiversity features /

River Irwell 10 km, River Glaze and other streams 52 km – Total Running Water 91.94 ha in 2000 survey

Bridgewater and remainder of Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canals 25 km – Total 8.92 ha in 2000 survey

Ponds and Lodges – Total Standing Water 36.2 ha in 2000 survey

Drains 100 km / Salford Phase 1 Habitat Survey 1989
Salford Phase 1 Habitat Survey 2000/01
Salford Revised Deposit UDP EN9
Wildlife Corridors /

Key Areas of Search for Wildlife Corridors included on Revised UDP Proposals Map, largely correspond to those in Adopted UDP

There is little information explaining the function of the key areas of search of the corridors
There may be potential for new corridors and wildlife stepping-stones to be identified / Salford Adopted UDP
Salford Revised Deposit UDP Policy EN7D
Field Survey/Desk Study by ECUS (2005)
Greenspace with semi natural habitats /

Some Salford residents (i.e. 16% of survey respondents) think that their area had got better because of “Access to Nature”

75% of Salford’s greenspace is more diverse than amenity grassland, but at this stage its potential to contribute to biodiversity targets is unknown

/ MORI Quality of Life survey
Salford Greenspace Strategy

Health

Health of population /

In 2001 life expectancy for men in Salford was 73.2 years, which is 2.7 years less than the England and Wales average. For Women life expectancy was 78.1 i.e. 2.5 years less than the England and Wales average

/ Salford Annual Baseline Review 2004
Accessibility of greenspace /

Although 99% of households live within 1000 m of greenspace at least 2 ha in size, they do not necessarily have access to that greenspace (i.e. not all that greenspace is publicly accessible)

/ Salford Greenspace Strategy