Please ask for:
Ed Smith
Direct Line:
0116 252 7605
E-mail: [email address]
Fax:
(0116)
252
7936
Our
Ref:
EIR
2540
Date:
24th March 2009
Susan Davis
[email address]
Dear Susan Davis
ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION REGULATIONS 2004 – Road Verges –
ecological protection scheme.
Your request for information has now been considered and the Council’s
response to your three questions is shown below.
You asked:
a) What protection measures a verge receives when it is included in
the scheme.
The Council currently does run a protection scheme for road verges by
identifying those of wildlife value, that is, of botanical value. Having
identified them as such, they are then designated as a Local Wildlife site
(LWS), formerly referred to as a Site of Importance for Nature
conservation (SINC). These sites are selected provided they comply
with the criteria for the designation and are not referred to in terms of
"Roadside Verges" as such, but for the grassland type e.g. mesotrophic
grassland. The details for the designation are that they have to meet the
criteria within at least one of the following five areas of consideration:
1. Habitat Quality
a) The site contains a listed habitat and
b) the site meets the primary criteria for that habitat
2. Habitat diversity
a) The site contains two or more listed habitats in close association and
b) The combined area of these habitats amounts to 1ha or over and
c) at least two habitats meet the secondary criteria listed for each
habitat
3. Presence of Red Data Book species
a) The site supports an established population of a Leicestershire and
Rutland Red Data Book or Rare Plant Register species with the proviso
that
b) Red Data Book bird populations can only be used to select LWSs
according to the criteria used for their inclusion in the list (see Red Data
Book species criteria for details).
4. Significant species assemblages
a) The site contains a species assemblage which meets one of the listed
species assemblage criteria.
5. Use of site as a wildlife resource by the community
a) The site meets the secondary criteria for the habitat which it contains
and
b) The site is accessible to and widely used by the local community (see
community criteria for details) or
c) There is a sense of ownership of the site by the local community (see
community criteria for details) or
d) The site is of value for education and raising public awareness (see
community criteria for details) or
e) The site is of historical importance for its ecology (see community
criteria for details).
If the site is designated as a Local Wildlife Site, it is considered under
the local planning policy regulations with regard to such sites being
unsuitable for development. full details of the planning policy in the
Local Development Framework with regard to LWS can be referred to via
the Leicester City Council website
http://www.leicester.gov.uk/your-council--
services/ep/planning/plansandpolicy/localplan/writtenstatement/adoptedcllpch
apt10
b) The list of verges covered by the scheme (and their locations –
road name / number and six figure OS grid references would be
fine)
There is currently only one road side verge site in Leicester that have
been declared at LWS:
1. Ethel Road verge, Leicester SK 623 036
Designated for its habitat quality and presence of red data book species
as a mesotrophic grassland. it contains for following species of note:
Carex flacca, C. panicea, Centaurea nigra, Galium verum, Lathyrus
pratensis, Leontodon hispidus, Leucanthemum vulgare, Linum
catharticum, Lotus corniculatus, Plantago media, Primula veris,
Ranunculus acris, Rumex acetosa and Trifolium pratensis.
Anacamptis pyramidalis also recorded from this site in 1998 (Howard
Bradshaw, pers. comm.) It is a local Red Data Book species. Ophrys
apifera was recorded in 1999 (Howard Bradshaw, pers. comm.)
c) For each verge, the specific reasons why the verge has been
included in the scheme – i.e. the notable species found there, or
the NVC community present.
Please see answer to Question b)
Leicestershire County council is responsible for co-ordinating the LWS
records for the county and has a list of sites where the roadside verges
have been designated and what the policy is on their protection. The
contact details are:
Sue Timms, Snr Ecologist
[email address]
The legislation allows you to use the information supplied for your own
personal use. Please be aware that any commercial or other use, for example
publication, sale, or redistribution may be a breach of copyright under the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 as amended unless you obtain the
copyright holder's prior permission.
Not all the information that is supplied which is covered by copyright will be
the Council's copyright, for example it may be the copyright of a government
department or another Council. You should seek either the Council’s consent
or their consent as appropriate. The Council is willing to advise you of any
such potential issues on request. In order to make a request to re-use the
information please contact me using the details below.
If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request please contact me at:
Information Governance Legal Services Leicester City Council, FREEPOST (LE985/33) New Walk Centre, LEICESTER LE1 6ZG E-mail:
[email address]
You can also complain to the Information Commissioner at:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow SK9 5AF
Telephone: 01625 545 700
www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk
Please be aware that the Information Commissioner does not normally
consider appeals or complaints until the internal appeals and complaints
processes of the public authority which is answering the request have been
exhausted. You are therefore advised to complain or appeal to me at the
above address before contacting the Commissioner.
Please be aware also that I act as the single point of contact with applicants
for requests for information. The above has therefore not necessarily been
produced by me of my team. If you do have any concerns with the
information provided in this letter please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely
Ed Smith
Head of Information Governance
Legal Services
