SINC Report - Isle of Wight Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust
Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINCs) Project
Introduction
The Isle of Wight has 278 sites designated for their nature conservation value within the adopted Unitary Development Plan (covering 4,496 ha). Under the
recent Local Area Assessment the Island Strategic Partnership adopted National Indicator 197 which places a duty on the partnership, through the IW BAP
Steering Group to report on the improvement of biodiversity on these local SINC sites. Following the recent successes regarding the take-up of agrienvironment
schemes on the Island, the Wildlife Trust, with support from partners in the IW BAP Steering Group aim to co-ordinate a condition survey of the
IW SINCs to assess their management. SINC condition is an important tool in the targetting of agri-environment schemes such as Entry and Higher Level
Stewardship. Landowners and land managers will benefit if their land is shown to be of high biodiversity value but there are problems with long-term
management that would benefit from the scheme. In June 2010 the Wildlife Trust in partnership with the IW Council and the IW AONB Project launched the
survey undertaken by Miss Hannah Rose, an undergraduate sturdent based on the Isle of Wight.
Project target
The target is to visit all 278 SINCs (380 subsites) identified in the IW UDP (definitive site map) and assess their condition related to a number of criteria.
The project will benefit
A) landowners – to assist targeting of agri-environment schemes;
B) organisations and individuals undertaking long –term monitoring of habitats and site;
C) Organisations interested in the long-term management of landscapes, habitats and species.
Project Outputs
i) Database of condition of all 278 SINCs on the IW
ii) Summary report of overall SINC condition and recommendations for targeting.
iii) Targeting strategy to be shared with IW Council, IW AONB, Natural England and others to inform priorities for future action

Results (to date Jun 2010 - March 2011)
As the project has evolved, a small amount of SINCs and their subsites were found to be deleted – mainly due to developed designation to SSSI. A total of 18
subsites have been deleted as SINCs which brings down the original 380 subsites total. The sum figure for subsites is currently 362, of which 341 have been
visited and 21 are inaccessible.
No of previous SINC
subsites
Deleted SINC subsites
380 18 362
Current No of SINC
subsites
Table showing condition (%) of the 362 subsites:
To date 341 of the (94.2%) SINC subsites have been accounted for during the project: 5.8% have no access.
No subsites
%
Appropriate Destroyed Neglected Nonintervention
362 203 2 11 125 21
No
Access
100% 56.2% 0.5% 3% 34.5% 5.8%
SINC Condition Assessment 2011
21
Appropriate
Destroyed
125
Neglected
203
Non-intervention
Without Access
11 2

Table designed by habitat and its condition: with additional notes section
Habitat
No
Appropriate
No
Destroyed
No
Neglected
No
Nonintervention
No
Access
Notes
Acid grassland (10) 9 0 0 1 C090 Sheard’s scarp is non-intervention.
Arable (1) 1 C200 Heathfield Farm is destroyed through agricultural practice –
SINC has been planted with a vegetable. Citation states improved
grassland as important high tide roost for waders and wildfowl. Could
be resolved through further agriculture practice of planting a
grain/reseeding.
BL Mixed
deciduous
woodland (178)
84 1 3 79 11 Destroyed: Agricultural practice C117A Bunkers Copse. Destroyed
section is the subsidiary habitat of grassland. Citation does not include
grassland but mapping system outlines – meadow has been ploughed
and reseeded.
C075A in neglect due to extensive thinning and clearfell for
recreational game management – extensive coverage of woodland 1/3.
C189A Stroud Coppice also in neglect due to heavy recreational
pressure leading to litter and inappropriate informal access.
C085A Wolverton Marsh, neglect, due to excavation, mud, debris and
deadwood dumped and small shed/animal pen on site.
Bracken/bluebell
(1)
Calcareous
grassland (36)
Coniferous
woodland (7)
1 C267 Hollow Lane Chillterton.
31 1 4 C153 Freshwater bay cliffs is non-intervention – control of grassland
is suspected rabbit grazing.
3 4

Fen (5) 5
Fen, marsh and
swamp (21)
Grazing Marsh (4) 4
Grazing pasture (1) 1
14 6 1 C097A Upper Dolcoppice has no access.
C133C Great Budbridge – scrub is non-intervention but lack of access
prevented condition assessment of fen. Citation states management
programme has been implemented in 2009.
Heathland (5) 4 1 C086A Heath Hill is neglected. Cited in the citation as relic heathland,
survey and aerial photography show site covered in gorse and scrub –
there are some cleared patches probably maintained by rabbit grazing.
Site could be returned to pre-condition SINC if clearance occurred.
C016 Ningwood previously had 4 subsites – due to deletion 1 subsite
remains.
Improved grassland 4
(4)
Improved meadow 1
(1)
Intertidal (2) 2
Maritime cliff and
slope (17)
Marshy grassland
(2)
Mixed woodland
(21)
Neutral grassland
(22)
3 14
2
12 1 8 C126A Combley Great Wood – Little Lynn Common. Great
expansion of clearance as site is being changed into heathland (not
matching citation)
16 3 2 1 C168B Whitefield Woods is in neglect: due to
explanation/development of the road parallel, debris and
machinery on site - SINC has been excavated, small portion

destroyed.
C183A Calbourne Meadows is neglected as grassland has no
management and housing development on site – Mill cottages.
C187A Fort Warden Fields is neglected. Part of site is heavily
rabbit grazed with sward damaged and very short.
Pond (4) 2 1 1 C203A Carisbrooke Castle – Mill pond has no access
Rivers and streams
1
(1)
Sand dunes (1) 1 C214 Ryde Canoe Lake - Areas of the habitat are neglected and
eroding. Large area has been replaced with soil.
Scrub (7) 4 1 2 C060A Rodge Brook Scrubs and C107 Bleak Down are without
access.
C122A St George’s Down Scarp is non-intervention – no evidence of
recent clearance and trees present on site.
Semi-improved 1
grassland (1)
Walls (2) 2
Wet woodland (8) 2 2 3 1 C206A and B Lukely Brook are in neglect: large amounts of
recreational litter and dumping present.

Further analysis
Grassland - 107 subsites (Neglected: 3, no access: 6)
Appropriate 88 subsites 82%
Non-intervention 10 subsites 9%
Management of the grassland subsites:
Type/Method Amount Percentage %
Cattle 46 52%
Horse 4 4.5%
Mixed 6 7%
Sheep 10 11%
Mown 22 25%
Appropriate management of
Grassland SINC subsites
7%
25%
52%
Cattle
Sheep
Horse
Mixed
Mown
4.5%
11%

Woodland - 214 Subsites
Appropriate 100 47%
Non- intervention 94 44%
Woodland coppiced:
Appropriately managed Woodland Actively coppiced % Coppiced
100 55 55%
Heathland – 5 subsites
Appropriate 4 80%
Neglected 1 20%
Others - 31 subsites
Appropriate 11 31%
Non-intervention 20 56%