environmental statement - Rotherham's Online Application for ...

7.41 There are some small areas of semi-natural broadleaved woodland within
the study area. These areas are uncommon within the study area and
provide important habitat for a range of flora and fauna. The area of
woodland that bounds Ulley Brook is wet woodland, and this habitat is
included on both the UKBAP and LBAP. It is considered that these areas
of woodland are locally important and have been assigned a Nature
Conservation Value of Low – Local Importance. There are some very
small areas of improved and semi-improved grassland within the study
area. These habitat types are predominantly used for grazing of
cattle/sheep and are not listed on the UKBAP or LBAP. They are also
common and widespread in the wider area, and therefore these habitat
types have been assigned a Nature Conservation Value of Parish -
Negligible Importance.
7.42 There are a number of watercourses within the study area. These mainly
consist of drainage ditches which offer poor water quality; however they do
provide important wildlife corridors and refuges. There are two larger
watercourses within the study area, which are branches of Ulley Brook.
These watercourses differ from the others principally due to their greater
volume of water, faster flow and better water quality. These watercourses
also provide suitable habitat for protected species such as otter and water
vole (although no signs of these species were found). They have
therefore been assigned a Nature Conservation Value of Low – Local
Importance. The pond adjacent to the study area appears to be a
temporary drainage pond. Ponds and lakes are included on both the
UKBAP and LBAP. This pond has therefore been assigned a Nature
Conservation Value of Low – Local Importance.
Bat Survey
7.43 The most commonly recorded species recorded during the surveys was
common pipistrelle which is common and widespread in the UK and in
Yorkshire. Other species were recorded infrequently, in line with their
status in Yorkshire. Furthermore, no bat roosts were identified. However,
one of species recorded (brown long-eared) is a UKBAP priority species.
The bat species recorded within the study area have been given a Nature
Conservation Value of Medium – Regional Importance as they receive
both European and British legal protection, one of these is a UKBAP
species, and some of the species recorded are less common in Yorkshire
such as natterer‟s and whiskered/brandt‟s.
Badger Survey
7.44 Badgers are found throughout mainland Britain and Ireland but are patchily
distributed in the northern Highlands of Scotland (Woods, 1995). They are
widespread throughout Yorkshire and Humberside, including across the
Rotherham borough (Rotherham BAP, 2004). It is considered that up to
two badger social groups could exist in the study area with one of the
social group‟s main sett located within the study area. Badger is listed on
the LBAP, but not on the UKBAP. The badger population within the study
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Penny Hill Wind Farm
Environmental Statement