Road verges - ecological protection scheme

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processed.

Regards

The FOI Helpdesk Team

Suffolk County Council

Endeavour House

Ipswich IP1 2BX

Email: [email address]

Telephone: 01473 264618

Emails sent to and from this organisation will be monitored in accordance
with the law to ensure compliance with policies and to minimise any
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Dear Ms. Davis

Thank you for your Freedom of Information (FOI) request received on 12
February 2009 regarding road verges.

Your request is being dealt with under the terms of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000, and has been given the reference FOI 1607. Please
quote this reference if you need to contact us further.

Kindest regards

Adele Rhodes Girling
Freedom of Information Helpdesk
Suffolk County Council
Endeavour House
Russell Road
Ipswich
IP1 2BX

Tel: 01473 264618
Email: [email address]
Web: [1]www.suffolkcc.gov.uk

Emails sent to and from this organisation will be monitored in accordance
with the law to ensure compliance with policies and to minimise any
security risks.

References

Visible links
1. file:///tmp/www.suffolkcc.gov.uk

Dear Ms Davis
I am responding to your Freedom of Information (FOI) request received on
12 February 2009. Your request, and our response are as follows:

Suffolk County Council operates a Roadside Nature Reserves (RNR) Project
to conserve good examples of species-rich plant areas and plants of
national or county importance, reducing the threats posed by inappropriate
management. The RNR project is a team effort involving Ecologists,
Highways Area Management staff, Alfred McAlpine staff and their grass
verge cutting sub-contractors, Parish Councils and many volunteers who act
as voluntary wardens.

To answer the specific questions:
a)what protection measures a verge receives when it is included in the
scheme
All RNRs are marked with white posts and plates indicating the direction
of the protected stretch of roadside verge. These ensure cutting takes
place at the appropriate times. Cutting is essential to keep more dominant
plants at bay and each RNR has its own management regime.

Some RNRs have legal protection (Sites of Special Scientific Interest or
plants protected by the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981) whilst the others
have [1]County Wildlife Site (CWS) status. The CWS project is a
partnership project with Suffolk Wildlife Trust and Suffolk Biological
Records Centre.

At Suffolk County Council, the Ecologists
* Identify new RNRs by undertaking plant surveys at the appropriate time
of year.
* Assess survey data against RNR criteria and designate as CWS if
appropriate.
* Work with Carillion staff and their grass verge cutting sub-contractors
to manage each RNR according to its own cutting regime.

* Carry out RNR site condition checks to ensure optimal management and
identify the need for any changes to management e.g restoration cuts.

* Work with voluntary wardens, usually local people, who act as eyes &
ears; some also help with raking up cut vegetation.

* Work with Natural England to ensure assent for cutting Sites of Special
Scientific Interest which include RNRs.
Many RNRs would benefit from volunteers helping to look after them,
particularly with raking up after the special annual cut by Highways
contractors

b) & c) the list of verges covered by the scheme (and their locations);
for each verge, the specific reasons why the verge has been included in
the scheme

Please find attached a document listing all the RNRs in Suffolk and which
identifies their locations as well as the specific reasons why each RNR
has been included in this Project. Further information including an
interactive map, can be found at

[2]http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/Environment/Bi....
<<RNR Spreadsheet PUBLIC VERSION mar 09.pdf>>
If you would like information on how to get involved in your local RNR or
you feel you would benefit from a visit to discuss issues on the above,
please contact Sue.[3][email address].

If you are unhappy with this response to your request for information, you
can ask for an internal review of the decision by using the council's
complaints procedure. You can find information about the complaints
procedure on the council's website at the following address:

[4]http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/CouncilAndDemo...

If you are unable to access our website for any reason, please telephone
the Freedom of Information Helpdesk on 01473 264618 and we will send you a
copy of our complaints leaflet "Have Your Say".

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of the review, you have the right
to ask the Information Commissioner to make a decision on your request for
information.

The Information Commissioner's address is:

Wycliff House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF

Telephone: (01625) 545700
Website: [5]http://www.ico.gov.uk

Copyright
Information supplied in response to any Freedom of Information Act request
may be subject to the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. You are
free to use it for your own purposes, including any non-commercial
research you are doing and for the purposes of news reporting. Any other
use, for example commercial publication, would require the permission of
the copyright holder.

Most documents supplied by Suffolk County Council will have been produced
by our staff and will be the copyright of the council. However, we may
have sent you information which is the copyright of another person or
organisation. If this is the case, you must ensure that you obtain their
permission before you reproduce any of their information.

If the information we have sent you includes a copyright statement, you
must not alter or remove this statement.

If you have any queries about this letter, please contact me quoting the
FOI reference number 1607.

Kindest regards

Adele Rhodes Girling
Freedom of Information Helpdesk
Suffolk County Council
Endeavour House
Russell Road
Ipswich
IP1 2BX

Tel: 01473 264618
Email: [email address]
Web: [6]www.suffolkcc.gov.uk

Emails sent to and from this organisation will be monitored in accordance
with the law to ensure compliance with policies and to minimise any
security risks.

References

Visible links
1. http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/Environment/Bi...
2. http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/Environment/Bi...
3. mailto:[email address]
4. http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/CouncilAndDemo...
5. http://www.ico.gov.uk/
6. file:///tmp/www.suffolkcc.gov.uk

Thank you for contacting the FOI Helpdesk. Your enquiry is now being
processed.

Regards

The FOI Helpdesk Team

Suffolk County Council

Endeavour House

Ipswich IP1 2BX

Email: [email address]

Telephone: 01473 264618

Emails sent to and from this organisation will be monitored in accordance
with the law to ensure compliance with policies and to minimise any
security risks.

Dear Ms Davis

Thank you for your email which followed the response below, requesting
further information. Your further request was as follows;

Request;

I have just one query - where the "Reason for protection" column includes
a generic term such as "Boulder clay flora" or "Rare fungus"/"Rare
Breckland flora" is it possible to have any further details? In the former
case, the NVC community would be very useful information, and in the
latter cases, the qualifying species.

Response;

Environment & Transport Service Delivery can confirm that we do not own
data to NVC level and we suggest you contact the Suffolk Biological
Records Centre (SBRC). Please see the link below.

[1]http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~sbrc/

Kindest regards

Freedom of Information Helpdesk

Suffolk County Council

Endeavour House

Russell Road

Ipswich

IP1 2BX

Tel: 01473 264618

Email: [2][email address]

Web: [3]www.suffolkcc.gov.uk

_____________________________________________
From: FOI Helpdesk
Sent: 05 March 2009 16:06
To: 'Susan Davis'
Subject: 1607 Freedom of Information - Response

Dear Ms Davis

I am responding to your Freedom of Information (FOI) request received on
12 February 2009. Your request, and our response are as follows:

Suffolk County Council operates a Roadside Nature Reserves (RNR) Project
to conserve good examples of species-rich plant areas and plants of
national or county importance, reducing the threats posed by inappropriate
management. The RNR project is a team effort involving Ecologists,
Highways Area Management staff, Alfred McAlpine staff and their grass
verge cutting sub-contractors, Parish Councils and many volunteers who act
as voluntary wardens.

To answer the specific questions:

a)what protection measures a verge receives when it is included in the
scheme

All RNRs are marked with white posts and plates indicating the direction
of the protected stretch of roadside verge. These ensure cutting takes
place at the appropriate times. Cutting is essential to keep more dominant
plants at bay and each RNR has its own management regime.

Some RNRs have legal protection (Sites of Special Scientific Interest or
plants protected by the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981) whilst the others
have [4]County Wildlife Site (CWS) status. The CWS project is a
partnership project with Suffolk Wildlife Trust and Suffolk Biological
Records Centre.

At Suffolk County Council, the Ecologists

* Identify new RNRs by undertaking plant surveys at the appropriate time
of year.

* Assess survey data against RNR criteria and designate as CWS if
appropriate.

* Work with Carillion staff and their grass verge cutting sub-contractors
to manage each RNR according to its own cutting regime.

* Carry out RNR site condition checks to ensure optimal management and
identify the need for any changes to management e.g restoration cuts.

* Work with voluntary wardens, usually local people, who act as eyes &
ears; some also help with raking up cut vegetation.

* Work with Natural England to ensure assent for cutting Sites of Special
Scientific Interest which include RNRs.

Many RNRs would benefit from volunteers helping to look after them,
particularly with raking up after the special annual cut by Highways
contractors

b) & c) the list of verges covered by the scheme (and their locations);
for each verge, the specific reasons why the verge has been included in
the scheme

Please find attached a document listing all the RNRs in Suffolk and which
identifies their locations as well as the specific reasons why each RNR
has been included in this Project. Further information including an
interactive map, can be found at

[5]http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/Environment/Bi....

<<RNR Spreadsheet PUBLIC VERSION mar 09.pdf>>

If you would like information on how to get involved in your local RNR or
you feel you would benefit from a visit to discuss issues on the above,
please contact Sue.[6][email address].

If you are unhappy with this response to your request for information, you
can ask for an internal review of the decision by using the council's
complaints procedure. You can find information about the complaints
procedure on the council's website at the following address:

[7]http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/CouncilAndDemo...

If you are unable to access our website for any reason, please telephone
the Freedom of Information Helpdesk on 01473 264618 and we will send you a
copy of our complaints leaflet "Have Your Say".

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of the review, you have the right
to ask the Information Commissioner to make a decision on your request for
information.

The Information Commissioner's address is:

Wycliff House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire SK9 5AF

Telephone: (01625) 545700

Website: [8]http://www.ico.gov.uk

Copyright

Information supplied in response to any Freedom of Information Act request
may be subject to the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. You are
free to use it for your own purposes, including any non-commercial
research you are doing and for the purposes of news reporting. Any other
use, for example commercial publication, would require the permission of
the copyright holder.

Most documents supplied by Suffolk County Council will have been produced
by our staff and will be the copyright of the council. However, we may
have sent you information which is the copyright of another person or
organisation. If this is the case, you must ensure that you obtain their
permission before you reproduce any of their information.

If the information we have sent you includes a copyright statement, you
must not alter or remove this statement.

If you have any queries about this letter, please contact me quoting the
FOI reference number 1607.

Kindest regards

Adele Rhodes Girling

Freedom of Information Helpdesk

Suffolk County Council

Endeavour House

Russell Road

Ipswich

IP1 2BX

Tel: 01473 264618

Email: [9][email address]

Web: [10]www.suffolkcc.gov.uk

Emails sent to and from this organisation will be monitored in accordance
with the law to ensure compliance with policies and to minimise any
security risks.

References

Visible links
1. http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~sbrc/%20
2. mailto:[email address]
3. file:///tmp/www.suffolkcc.gov.uk
4. http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/Environment/Bi...
5. http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/Environment/Bi...
6. mailto:[email address]
7. http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/CouncilAndDemo...
8. http://www.ico.gov.uk/
9. mailto:[email address]
10. file:///tmp/www.suffolkcc.gov.uk

Thank you for contacting the FOI Helpdesk. Your enquiry is now being
processed.

Regards

The FOI Helpdesk Team

Suffolk County Council

Endeavour House

Ipswich IP1 2BX

Email: [email address]

Telephone: 01473 264618

Emails sent to and from this organisation will be monitored in accordance
with the law to ensure compliance with policies and to minimise any
security risks.

Dear Ms Davis

Please find below our response to your request for further information.
Your request was;

Request;

"Thanks for your reply, which addresses cases such as "boulder clay
flora". Will a further reply follow in due course dealing with the other
cases I asked about in my earlier email e.g. "Rare fungus", "Rare
Breckland flora" - in these cases, just to clarify, I'm not asking for
NVC details, but details of the species concerned."

We can confirm that SCC has provided the all information it holds. The
Suffolk Biological Records Centre may hold the information, re: details of
the species concerned. The contact name is Martin Sanford and the number
is 01473 433547.

We have been advised that there may be a charge for this information and
that they may ask you to justify why you require this information. This is
because some of the species are legally protected and making information
public may put conservation of the species at risk.

Kindest regards

Freedom of Information Helpdesk

Suffolk County Council

Endeavour House

Russell Road

Ipswich

IP1 2BX

Tel: 01473 264618

Email: [1][email address]

Web: [2]www.suffolkcc.gov.uk

_____________________________________________
From: FOI Helpdesk
Sent: 05 March 2009 16:06
To: 'Susan Davis'
Subject: 1607 Freedom of Information - Response

Dear Ms Davis

I am responding to your Freedom of Information (FOI) request received on
12 February 2009. Your request, and our response are as follows:

Suffolk County Council operates a Roadside Nature Reserves (RNR) Project
to conserve good examples of species-rich plant areas and plants of
national or county importance, reducing the threats posed by inappropriate
management. The RNR project is a team effort involving Ecologists,
Highways Area Management staff, Alfred McAlpine staff and their grass
verge cutting sub-contractors, Parish Councils and many volunteers who act
as voluntary wardens.

To answer the specific questions:

a)what protection measures a verge receives when it is included in the
scheme

All RNRs are marked with white posts and plates indicating the direction
of the protected stretch of roadside verge. These ensure cutting takes
place at the appropriate times. Cutting is essential to keep more dominant
plants at bay and each RNR has its own management regime.

Some RNRs have legal protection (Sites of Special Scientific Interest or
plants protected by the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981) whilst the others
have [3]County Wildlife Site (CWS) status. The CWS project is a
partnership project with Suffolk Wildlife Trust and Suffolk Biological
Records Centre.

At Suffolk County Council, the Ecologists

* Identify new RNRs by undertaking plant surveys at the appropriate time
of year.

* Assess survey data against RNR criteria and designate as CWS if
appropriate.

* Work with Carillion staff and their grass verge cutting sub-contractors
to manage each RNR according to its own cutting regime.

* Carry out RNR site condition checks to ensure optimal management and
identify the need for any changes to management e.g restoration cuts.

* Work with voluntary wardens, usually local people, who act as eyes &
ears; some also help with raking up cut vegetation.

* Work with Natural England to ensure assent for cutting Sites of Special
Scientific Interest which include RNRs.

Many RNRs would benefit from volunteers helping to look after them,
particularly with raking up after the special annual cut by Highways
contractors

b) & c) the list of verges covered by the scheme (and their locations);
for each verge, the specific reasons why the verge has been included in
the scheme

Please find attached a document listing all the RNRs in Suffolk and which
identifies their locations as well as the specific reasons why each RNR
has been included in this Project. Further information including an
interactive map, can be found at

[4]http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/Environment/Bi....

<<RNR Spreadsheet PUBLIC VERSION mar 09.pdf>>

If you would like information on how to get involved in your local RNR or
you feel you would benefit from a visit to discuss issues on the above,
please contact Sue.[5][email address].

If you are unhappy with this response to your request for information, you
can ask for an internal review of the decision by using the council's
complaints procedure. You can find information about the complaints
procedure on the council's website at the following address:

[6]http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/CouncilAndDemo...

If you are unable to access our website for any reason, please telephone
the Freedom of Information Helpdesk on 01473 264618 and we will send you a
copy of our complaints leaflet "Have Your Say".

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of the review, you have the right
to ask the Information Commissioner to make a decision on your request for
information.

The Information Commissioner's address is:

Wycliff House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire SK9 5AF

Telephone: (01625) 545700

Website: [7]http://www.ico.gov.uk

Copyright

Information supplied in response to any Freedom of Information Act request
may be subject to the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. You are
free to use it for your own purposes, including any non-commercial
research you are doing and for the purposes of news reporting. Any other
use, for example commercial publication, would require the permission of
the copyright holder.

Most documents supplied by Suffolk County Council will have been produced
by our staff and will be the copyright of the council. However, we may
have sent you information which is the copyright of another person or
organisation. If this is the case, you must ensure that you obtain their
permission before you reproduce any of their information.

If the information we have sent you includes a copyright statement, you
must not alter or remove this statement.

If you have any queries about this letter, please contact me quoting the
FOI reference number 1607.

Kindest regards

Freedom of Information Helpdesk

Suffolk County Council

Endeavour House

Russell Road

Ipswich

IP1 2BX

Tel: 01473 264618

Email: [8][email address]

Web: [9]www.suffolkcc.gov.uk

Emails sent to and from this organisation will be monitored in accordance
with the law to ensure compliance with policies and to minimise any
security risks.

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. file:///tmp/www.suffolkcc.gov.uk
3. http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/Environment/Bi...
4. http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/Environment/Bi...
5. mailto:[email address]
6. http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/CouncilAndDemo...
7. http://www.ico.gov.uk/
8. mailto:[email address]
9. file:///tmp/www.suffolkcc.gov.uk