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BOC Immingham Dissolved Acetylene Project Environmental Statement
Features Potential Impacts
Notable Species
Water vole
bank. No direct loss of either aquatic habitats within the drain or terrestrial bank-side
habitat within 5 m of the channel would occur. The potential for temporary water pollution
impacts from construction activities will be managed through the implementation of
pollution control measures which will be detailed within the CEMP. Due to pollution
control, retention of bank side habitats and lack of in-channel structures, no significant
ecological effects on Middle Drain are anticipated (see also water vole below).
A small section of ephemerally wet ditch (field drain) to the south of the development
area will be culverted for the emergency access road resulting in a very small permanent
loss; however this drain is dry throughout summer and does not support any species of
note. The loss would not result in negative impacts on the conservation status of the
habitat.
There will be a 7 m maintenance strip along the top of the bank of Middle Drain and no
construction activities will occur within this zone, other than in the immediate vicinity of
the bridge landings. The bridge landings will be at least 5 m from the top of the banks and
construction activities will not occur within 5 m of the top of the bank. Therefore no water
vole burrows, commuting or foraging habitat would be lost directly. A 5 to 7 m
demarcation from Middle Drain would be erected to prevent encroachment into the area
and prevent accidental damage of bank side habitat and prevent destruction of burrows
through soil compaction. Measures to avoid water pollution would be detailed within the
CEMP.
Water voles could be temporarily disturbed by piling activities which will result in an
increase in noise levels; a worst case scenario would see noise levels raised temporarily
from background daytime noise levels with the noisiest activity being piling of the bridge
foundations. Vibration may also occur which could disturb water voles although the
vibration will not be at levels that could cause damage to bank side habitats.
There is little research available on disturbance impacts to water voles and it is possible
that high levels of disturbance could lead to abandonment of burrows immediately
adjacent to the site. These impacts would only occur during construction of the bridge
and piling activities. The piling activities would last approximately one week. The length of
time required to construct the bridge is not known but it is likely to be a small proportion
of the overall construction period. Water voles displaced through disturbance could
relocate to other locations along Middle Drain. Due to the good quality habitat along the
drain and the low number of burrows in the vicinity of the site it is unlikely that the drain
Impact
Significance
No significant
negative effect.
5100935.404 Environmental Statement August 2011 174