Environmental Statement volume 4 - Chiltern Evergreen3

Chiltern Line, Oxford - Bicester August 2009Otter and Water Vole Report3.30 The left bank is open woodland with for all but the final 100 m etres of this 7 00 metre stream,where a wall leads up to a street. T he groun d flora h as a bundant Reed Sweet G rass,occasional Branched Burr Reed and rarely Yellow Flag Iris, Water Forget-me-not, Water Mintand G reater Pond Sed ge. The central cha nnel ha s Yellow Lilly, Bran ched B urr Reed andStarwort frequently along it. The rig ht bank is the Thames footpath, but ha s a lush fringe ofabundant Tall Grass sp., frequent Common Nettle and Bindweed and rarely Hogweed, GreatWillowherb, Spear Thistle, Figwort and Meadowsweet.3.31 No signs of Otters, Water Voles or mink were found on the Fiddler’s Stream.3.32 River Thames: The Tha mes is not crossed by the Ch iltern line, but anothe r distributary thatjoins the Castle Mill Stream doe s, so almost 500 metres upstream and downstream of thi swere surveyed. The whole section is canalised with a towpath running along the left bank3.33 The upper 500 metres has steel piling along it, but this ha s been enhanced with planted coirroll al ong the top to provide a thin emergent frin ge of Yello w fl ag Iri s, Pu rple Lo osestrife,Greater Pond Sedge, Him alayan Balsam, Water Mi nt and Water Forg et-me–not. The rightbank is a solid line of Alders and Willows with bare soil banks beneath and pasture beyond.3.34 The lower half of the Thames has steel piling continuing down the left bank, still with the coirroll, but now topped by wooden planking. The first 350 metres of the right b ank is reinforcedwith allotments above. Both banks bel ow Botley Road are steel piled around a metre abovewater level.3.35 No signs of Otters, Water Voles or mink were found on the River Thames.3.36 Bulstake Stream: This i s a nother di stributary of the Rive r Th ames. The left ban k isreinforced with allotments above for the first 100 metres, after which there is the old TumblingBat Bathing Place and then a recreation ground with open public access and dog walkers.Other than short grass there are larg e stand s of Comm on Net tle and small er stan ds ofHimalayan Balsam with scattered Great Willowherb.3.37 The right bank starts with a small stand of woodland, below which is the open area around thebathing area and then scattered scrub line s the ba nks, which a re dominated by Commo nNettle, and some small stand s of Branched Burr Reed, Com mon Re ed a nd Himalaya nBalsam. All the ba nks are natural steep earth banks, except the concreted surround of thebathing area.3.38 No Water Vo le or Mink signs were found along thi s stream. Ho wever, a re cent and an ol dOtter spraint were recorded on the right bank at the downstream end of the bathing area.Keystone Environmental 9