Forthbank Wind Energy Development - Partnerships for Renewables

Forthbank Wind Energy Development
• guard hairs snagged on wire fencing.
11.2.57 Any of these field signs are diagnostic of the presence of badgers.
Other Statutory Protected or Legally Controlled Species
11.2.58 An assessment (both desktop and field observations) was made for the suitability of habitats to
support great crested newts and water voles.
Great Crested Newt
11.2.59 Great crested newts require fairly large, deep ponds with a good cover of aquatic vegetation
and a low density of fish and bird predators. They also require an availability of suitable
terrestrial foraging and hibernating habitat within the surrounding area.
11.2.60 The only areas of standing water within 250m of the application area are the series of shallow,
recently-created wetland lagoons which lie approximately 100m to the north of the former
landfill site. However, the habitat conditions provided by these lagoons were considered
unsuitable for supporting great crested newts. The water depth within the lagoons was very
shallow and below the optimal 1.0m-3.5m maximum central depth 28 and they possess
negligible aquatic vegetation on which newts could lay their eggs.
11.2.61 Furthermore, these wetlands were specifically created to provide a refuge for waterfowl and
wading birds from the adjacent Forth Estuary, some of which (e.g. grey heron) are likely to
predate great crested newts.
11.2.62 Finally, the nearest known great crested newt colony is located at Comrie Colliery, Fife,
approximately 9km away. This distance greatly exceeds the known natural dispersal limits of
the species; thought to be approximately 1km from breeding ponds 29 .
11.2.63 Consequently, it is considered that the lagoon habitat is unsuitable for great crested newts and
that the species is unlikely to be present within or adjacent to the application area. As such,
specific surveys for this species were not considered necessary for this assessment.
Water Vole
11.2.64 Optimal habitat for water voles typically includes freshwater streams and rivers and wellestablished
pools with a depth of at least 0.5m, burrowable earth banks and an abundance of
suitable foraging vegetation.
11.2.65 The lagoons to the north of the restored landfill were considered to be unsuitable for water
voles, being shallow and supporting a limited variety of suitable forage vegetation.
11.2.66 Meanwhile the nearby River Black Devon which flows past the eastern edge of the site is also
considered to be relatively unsuitable for water voles on account of its width, tidal nature and
brackish conditions at high tide.
November 2010 Chapter 11 Page 11
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