Conservation Planner issue 28 - RSPB

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Homes for people = Homes for Wildlife Last October saw the launch of ‘Homes for Wildlife’, an exciting new RSPB project aimed at inspiring people to take practical steps to improve the wildlife value of their home and garden. Homes for Wildlife provides personalised online wildlife advice, tailored specifically to your home and garden – the perfect way to manage a mini nature reserve on your own doorstep. Homes for Wildlife is not just about putting up a nestbox. Instead, it provides practical advice to manage the whole house and garden as a patchwork of habitats with borders rich in a variety of flowers, trees and shrubs, and well-managed lawns. It also gives tips on how to create features such as ponds and artificial homes for wildlife. The project has many applications beyond the private household. New and existing developments can provide real opportunities to benefit our wildlife. Many familiar and widespread birds have suffered serious declines in recent years. Some species, such as the house sparrow and starling, are associated with human habitation, whilst the swift and house martin depend almost entirely on houses for nest sites. Homes for Wildlife also raises awareness and provides remedial advice on other issues likely to affect wildlife, such as replacing fascia boards, creating hard surfaces for car parking, and small-scale green roofs. When designing and building new developments, taking into consideration the needs of nesting birds can make an important contribution. Nestboxes are frequently erected or donated as part of a new home package, but often little thought is given to the birds they are targeting or the locations used. Schemes should be aimed at species in most need. For example, internal nestboxes can provide a solution for some, as work carried out by Action for Swifts (www.actionforswifts.com) has shown. Internal nestboxes have been incorporated into existing buildings and renovations, as well as into new Homes for Wildlife offers practical advice on improving the wildlife value of your home and garden Steve Berry Find out how you can help house sparrows buildings. The concept is easily transferable to other species, such as the house sparrow and starling, that nest inside the roof space of houses. Increased use of hard surfaces for parking on front gardens has been identified as a significant contributor to flash flooding in towns and cities. Careful use of the space and materials can help to reduce the risks. Retaining soft landscape features in the space not required for parking and use of porous or hard standing material through which vegetation can grow provides vital wildlife habitat. Green roofs help reduce rainfall run-off and provide building insulation. While in no way a substitute for the protection and appropriate management of natural wildlife habitats, green roofs have the potential to provide niches for some specialised wildlife. Certain plants and insects thrive in the low-nutrient habitats while birds such as black redstarts have been provided for through specific design features. By adopting responsible practices that are sustainable and less intensive, developers can help boost the population of birds and other wildlife in new housing developments. We encourage them to take part in Homes for Wildlife and help to reverse the declines. John Day To find out more and sign up, please visit: www.rspb.org.uk/hfw
Sustainable planning rewarded in Northern Ireland The Orchard Building at Stranmillis University College in Belfast has become the first winner of a Sustainable Planning award by the RTPI NI Branch and the RSPB. Submitted by Scott Wilson and Knox & Clayton Architects, the design uses natural lighting, a biomass boiler and sustainable urban drainage to reduce water use and pollution. The judges were particularly impressed by the intention of Stranmillis College and the Department of Education to use the building as a flagship project and educational tool for local schools. Orchard Building, Stranmillis University College The other finalists were Hill House, a private dwelling in Co Down that incorporates renewable energy and natural waste treatment, and the HLF-supported Connswater Greenway project to develop a green corridor along three rivers in East Belfast to encourage cycling and walking and connect communities in the area. For further information, please contact Claire Ferry, Conservation Officer, Northern Ireland at claire.ferry@rspb.org.uk Courtesy of Scott Wilson Failure to transpose SEA in Northern Ireland In September 2007, Justice Weatherup decided on a judicial review of the Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs) for the draft Northern Area Plan 2016 and draft Magherafelt Area Plan 2015. SEAs for Area Plans are required by the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations (NI) 2004, which transposes Directive 85/337/EC. Carlingford Lough Special Protection Area – the draft Newry and Mourne Area Plan housing proposals pose a potential sewage pollution threat David Kjaer (rspb-images.com) The Judge found two instances of non-transposition of the Directive: (i) the absence of a consultation body when the Department of the Environment (DOE) is also the responsible body for the development plan or programme, and (ii) the absence of appropriate timeframes for the referral to consultation and for receipt of responses. In addition, there were two instances of non-compliance with the Regulations and Directive, namely that: (i) information in the environmental reports was not in accordance with the requirements of Schedule 2 of the 2004 Regulations, and (ii) the environmental reports did not emerge at appropriate times in order to influence the development plans in an appropriate manner. There are serious implications for environmental governance and the planning system in Northern Ireland. That the Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) cannot be considered separate from Planning Service (both within DOE) adds fuel to the current lobby to achieve an independent environmental protection agency.
Page 1 and 2: Andy Hay (rspb-images.com) CONSERVA
Page 3: New online ‘Biodiversity Toolkit
Page 7 and 8: Golf course development not a ‘to

Conservation Planner issue 28 - RSPB

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