Purpose

Background Information
The biodiversity contributions discussed below were secured to
provide compensatory habitat (creation and/or restoration) for
losses associated with the following developments:
• 19/01170/FULM Former Wheatley Hall School and Playing Field,
Leger Way.
• 15/01559/FULM Plots 13 and 14 Lakeside Boulevard.
The associated biodiversity losses were predominantly of grassland
and scrub habitats, and the s106 agreements provide:
• £****** to deliver approx. 1.5ha of species-rich
grassland.
• £******* to pay towards the management of grassland to
enhance the biodiversity value of West Bessacarr Park.
The biodiversity contributions were received in the financial year
2019/2020 and must be committed for spend within 4 years
(15/01559/FULM) and 5 years (19/01170FULM).
The contributions were secured before the introduction of the
Council’s Biodiversity Net Gain tariff and are, therefore,
lower. However, the Section 106 requirements are also less
prescriptive in needing to deliver and maintain (for 30 years)
habitats of a certain type and condition.
In March 2021 MRB Ecology and Environment were commissioned to
undertake an assessment of Council owned and managed grassland
sites. Council sites were prioritised for the assessment as value
could be added through officer knowledge and expertise, and
management could be implemented and sustained as part of the
Council’s current Naturalisation Pilot.
A UK Habitats Baseline Survey and Biodiversity Metric Condition
Assessment was carried out to indicate the best opportunities for
the delivery of biodiversity compensation with the available funds.
The objective for the chosen sites was to improve species diversity
and condition of the grassland swards.
Proposed Biodiversity Enhancement Projects
Of the sites independently assessed in 2021, the following are
proposed for delivery using the secured Section 106 biodiversity
contributions:
• West Bessacarr Park (also known as Whitton Field) –
7.76 ha (£******)
• Leger Way – 1.34ha (£********)
• Cantley Park – 8.8ha (£*****)
Costings provided by Streetscene, indicate that the secured
contributions will cover the cost of ground preparation, and sward
establishment for 4-5 years, subject to the final specification
delivered. After this point a repeat survey and condition
assessment will be undertaken to monitor the success of habitat
enhancement and it is anticipated that standard Streetscene
maintenance will resume. The indicative costs are included in Annex
B.
Outline details of each scheme are shown in attached Annex A, and
the management regimes will broadly adopt the following
approach:
• Preparatory works and/or Yellow Rattle Establishment Phase:
Commencing July/August 2023), mid-summer cut to low height. Collect
and remove arisings – scarify the surface to create bare
patches. Broadcast fresh, locally-sourced yellow rattle seed in
early autumn (before November). Leave grass uncut from Spring
onwards to ensure the yellow rattle flowers and releases seed. Cut
late July/August to low height, collect and remove arisings –
Repeat this annual management until the vigour of grass has been
sufficiently reduced.
• Wildflower Introduction works:. Cut late July/August to low
height and collect and remove arisings. Scarify/lightly harrow the
surface. Thinly spread wildflower-rich green hay/dry hay or
broadcast wildflower seed across the site (at a rate of approx
2g/m2).
• Annual Maintenance Management: Cut in late summer to low
height (the date can be varied between July – early
September), collect and remove arisings.
Relationship with other projects
The biodiversity enhancement proposals outlined above have been
developed with an appreciation of other, concurrent environmental
initiatives, including:
• Naturalisation Pilot – Areas of Cantley Park and Leger
Way are currently included in Streetscene’s naturalisation
pilot with high footfall areas, like pathway verges, cut regularly
and other areas left uncut through the Spring and Summer to provide
habitat cover and a
food source for invertebrates and other fauna. This proposal aims
to increase plant species diversity by over-sowing a wildflower
seed mix into the existing grassland sward. Following the
wildflower establishment phase the grasslands will return to a
similar cutting regime, i.e., cut approximately once annually,
apart from in high footfall areas.
The biodiversity enhancement proposal for Cantley Park will require
that the current soil temperature monitoring points for the land
management trial on the naturalised areas will need to be moved;
and alternative locations within the park will be identified to
continue this
exercise.
• Future Parks Programme – Cantley Park is also one of
the 15 parks within the Future Parks programme; and the Future
Parks project officers will be working with park users to explore
and deliver improvements to the site and how it’s managed
over a phased approach. The Future Parks project officers are
supportive of the biodiversity proposals outlined above and have
requested that any associated communications also promote awareness
and engagement with the Future Parks project.
• Tree Challenge Programme – Finally, as part of the
Council’s response to the Climate and Biodiversity crisis,
and the Mayor’s pledge to plant 1 million trees, officers in
the Sustainability Unit are keen to monitor the successful
establishment and management of the
species-rich grassland areas on Cantley Park, to inform whether
future scope exists to introduce more trees to the site. We will
monitor this closely with colleagues and also anticipate that the
appetite for additional tree planting could be explored as part of
Future Parks engagement; although this must be balanced with the
need to protect and enhance grassland areas, particularly in
response to losses of this important habitat

Content

To spend £***** of Section 106
biodiversity contributions, secured prior to adoption of the
Biodiversity Net Gain Supplementary Planning Document, on
biodiversity enhancements at West Bessacarr Park (Whitton Field),
Leger Way and Cantley Park.

Alternative options considered

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED AND
REJECTED
There isn’t an alternative reasonable option other than to
spend the S106 monies on compensatory habitat / restoration which
was considered necessary as part of the determination of the
planning applications, and granting of planning permissions, for
those proposals identified above in Box 3. To do otherwise would be
to contravene the planning requirements of these planning
approvals.
In terms of alternative sites where delivery of the biodiversity
projects could be delivered, as discussed in Box 3, and based upon
the work undertaken by MRB Ecology and Environment consultants,
several other sites were assessed but are not proposed to be taken
forward as part of this project, due to limited funds and
practical/delivery considerations. These are:
• Red Path, Bessacarr - Past surveys have found these
grasslands to be dominated by coarse and tall grasses. The soils
are likely to be rich (black, peaty soils) and to reduce vigour and
remove nutrients before introducing additional species, it would be
best to cut and collect the vegetation multiple times over several
years before. Plug plants of locally-native tall herbs (such as
meadowsweet, hemp agrimony, yellow loosestrife, purple loosestrife
etc.), may also be more robust in being able to compete with the
grasses.
• Straight Mile, west of Sandall Beat Wood – At the time
of the survey, this area was earmarked for tree planting. The
planted trees have subsequently failed to establish, and if a
future scheme is developed, the possibility of creating a lowland
heath /acid grassland mosaic with low canopy woodland ecotone from
Sandall Beat Wood should be considered.