St Mary Redcliffe Ecological Impact Assessment

3 Results
Desk Study
3.1 The findings of the desk study are presented below. A description of all statutory designated sites
within a 5km buffer radius, and non-statutory sites within a 2km buffer are listed in Table 3.1.
Statutory designated sites include:
• Special Protection Areas (SPAs), Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Ramsar Sites which
are of European importance;
• Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and National Nature Reserves (NNR) which are of
National importance; and
• Local Nature Reserves (LNR), which are of Local importance.
3.2 Non-Statutory designated sites include:
• Site of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI), which are of County importance; and
• Avon Wildlife Trust Reserves (AWTR).
Table 3.1 Desk Study Findings – Site Search
Site Name and
Designation
Description
Distance to Site
Statutory Sites
Ashton Court
SSSI
Important for its saproxylic coleoptera and other
invertebrate fauna, many species of which are
nationally scarce. Has a complex underlying geology.
Above ground ancient trees, including: ash Fraxinus
excelsior, wych elm Ulmus glabra, and beech Fagus
sylvatica, although most of the ancient trees are oak
Quercus robur. These ancient oak pollards are
important for saproxylic invertebrates. Species such
as Ctesias serra beetle, false darkling beetle
Phloiotrya vaudouer, darkling beetle Eledona
agricola, all with very adapted to extremely specific
conditions found on this site.
2,780m West
Avon gorge
SSSI
SAC
The Gorge has natural cliffs and quarry exposures of
Carboniferous limestone, which are of great
geological interest and, together with the screes,
scrub, pockets of grassland and adjacent woodland,
support an exceptional number of nationally rare and
scarce plant species. Rare plants are found in species
rich neutral grassland, such as such as: Bristol rockcress
Arabis stricta, compact brome Bromus
madritensis, nit-grass Gastridium ventricosum, and
honewort Trinia glauca. Scarce plants include: dwarf
mouse-ear Cerastium pumilum and spring cinquefoil
Potentilla tabernaemontani. Woodland is present,
mainly semi-natural broadleaf woodland, but
includes areas of mixed and broadleaf plantation,
3,380m North-west
Ecological Impact Assessment for St.Marys Church, Redcliffe 11 September 2019