We don't know whether the most recent response to this request contains information or not – if you are Gemma please sign in and let everyone know.

Ecological Survey regarding the Fallowfield Loop plans

We're waiting for Gemma to read recent responses and update the status.

Dear Manchester City Council,

I would like to see a copy of the ecological survey that has been conducted regarding the Fallowfield loop plans. A full copy would be appreciated, as well as any communications that have occurred regarding the plan to add artificial lighting along the route. I would also like to see documentation relating to any community consultation that took place regarding these plans and this issue specifically.

Thank you very much.

Yours faithfully,

Gemma Parker

foi@manchester.gov.uk, Manchester City Council

We acknowledge receipt of your request to Manchester City Council,
concerning:

Ecological Survey regarding the Fallowfield Loop plans

If your request comes under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) or
the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR), we will aim to
respond as promptly as we can and by no later than 20 working days.
Sometimes an extension to that timescale will apply and we will let you
know if that is the case.

If some or all of your request needs to be considered under processes
other than those provided by FOIA or EIR, different timescales may apply.
In particular, any part of your request that concerns your own personal
information will be considered in line with your rights under data
protection legislation (including the right of access) and we will aim to
provide you with a response in respect of that part of your request
without undue delay and by no later than one calendar month, unless an
extension to that timescale applies (we will let you know if that is the
case).

 

The reference number for your request is FOI/5031.

 

Please note that Manchester City Council is currently handling a large
volume of business critical work aimed towards the protection and
safeguarding of at risk groups during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Accordingly, Freedom of Information/subject access requests made to
Manchester City Council during the COVID-19 outbreak may have a longer
response period than that stated above. The response that you receive may
also not be complete in whole or in part. This is because:

 

* Responding to your request may require business area resource which is
currently directed towards direct aid of members of the public during
the COVID-19 outbreak. Directing resources towards responding to your
request could result in vital care of service not being delivered, and
may expose individuals to COVID-19;?
* Under central government guidance to help prevent the spread of
COVID-19, all Manchester City Council staff who are able to are
working from home until further notice. As such they may not be able
to get hold of certain information which cannot be accessed remotely,
and accessing it would potentially expose the individual to COVID-19.

Should you have any further inquiries concerning your request, please
reply to this email leaving the subject line unchanged.

Yours sincerely
Manchester City Council

Your personal data is very important to us. Please refer to our privacy
notice at [1]www.manchester.gov.uk/privacy for further information.

References

Visible links
1. http://www.manchester.gov.uk/privacy

foi@manchester.gov.uk, Manchester City Council

3 Attachments

 
Highway Services Department
Manchester City Council
PO Box 532 Town Hall 
Manchester
M60 2LA
 
 
 
 
Our Reference: FOI/0000/5031
 
 
 
Date: 12 July 2021
 
 
 
Dear Gemma Parker,
 
Re: Your request for information – FOI/0000/5031 - Environmental
Information Regulations 2004
 
Thank you for your request for information, which was received by
Manchester City Council on 16 June 2021 and has been considered under the
provisions of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR).
 
You have requested the following: 
 
I would like to see a copy of the ecological survey that has been
conducted regarding the Fallowfield loop plans. A full copy would be
appreciated, as well as any communications that have occurred regarding
the plan to add artificial lighting along the route. I would also like to
see documentation relating to any community consultation that took place
regarding these plans and this issue specifically.
 
In response to your request, I attach a copy of the following documents:
 
1. Preliminary Ecological Appraisal Report for the Fallowfield Loop – 
    PEAR FALLOWFIELD FINAL 1.1.pdf
 
2. FALLOWFIELD LOOP consult survey results.pdf
 
3. Manchester Cycleway Stakeholder Update.pdf
 
In the previous consultation, street lighting was the issue which was most
frequently raised by people who took part. Feeling safer on the route –
and as part of that having better lighting – was a recurrent theme in the
feedback received (65% of the responses indicated that better street
lighting was required because they did not feel safe along the route in
the hours of darkness particularly during winter months). However, a
number of people (35%) also expressed concern about the impact of street
lighting on wildlife, so this was an aspect of the scheme which had to be
considered carefully.
 
Before any proposals for improved lighting were made a thorough ecology
report, along with a bat analysis, was completed to ensure that there
would be no negative impact on wildlife in the area if additional LED
lighting columns and lit bollards were installed.
 
The attached ecology report recognises the presence of a whole host of
wildlife, to the extent that the ecologist who carried it out was
surprised that such an urban space was so rich in wildlife. It concluded
that wildlife in the area included multiple bats nests and runs and even a
number of endangered species one of which is particularly light sensitive;
five badger sets; multiple fox dens; great crested newts; a host of birds
on the red endangered species list and a healthy hedgehog population.
 
This information provided a challenge to the design interventions both in
terms of how the construction and shrubbery clearance is done, and the
amount of lighting that could be incorporated into both routes.
 
For this reason, we have reduced the lighting proposed to very limited
areas (e.g. not under bridges where bats are most likely to be but where
it was possible to install lighting without impacting wildlife). They will
operate only in late autumn and winter and will also be on timers so that
they provide additional light at times that children are most likely to be
cycling or walking to school along the route, or commuters using it to get
to and from work.
 
So that you are aware there is also a second stage online consultation
currently taking place on the Fallowfield Loop which will end on Friday 30
July 2021 at 12 noon. Please see below a link which can be copied and used
to enable you to provide your comments.
 
https://secure.manchester.gov.uk/info/20...
 
The information supplied to you may be subject to copyright. 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 re-use (for
example, commercial publication) would require the permission of the
copyright holder.  
 
If you wish to re-use the information provided other than for reasons
already outlined above, you must submit the request to us in writing, with
your name and address for  correspondence, and you must specify the
information you want to re-use and the purpose you intend to use it for.
We will then consider your request under the Re-use of Public Sector
Information Regulations 2015.
 
If you are not satisfied with the response to your request, you may ask
the Council for an internal review. This will be undertaken by an officer
not involved in handling your request. If you wish an internal review to
be undertaken, you should contact the Democratic Services Legal Team who
can be contacted by post or email: 
 
Democratic Services Legal Team
PO Box 532
Town Hall
Manchester
M60 2LA
 
Email:  [MCC request email] 
 
When requesting an internal review, please explain which parts of the
request handling and/or response you are unhappy with so that we can
address your concerns in the internal review process.
 
A copy of the Council’s access to information complaints procedure can be
accessed here: 
 
http://www.manchester.gov.uk/downloads/d...
 
If you do not have internet access and require a paper copy, please let me
know.
 
If you are not happy with the outcome of the internal review process once
it is completed, you have the right to apply directly to the Information
Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted
at:
 
Information Commissioner's Office 
Wycliffe House 
Water Lane 
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Tel: 01625 545700
Fax: 01625 524510
Email: [email address]
www.ico.org.uk
 
The Information Commissioner will generally expect that you have exhausted
the Council’s Information Complaints Procedure before he will consider a
complaint.
 
If you have any queries about this letter, please contact me. Please
remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.
 
Yours sincerely
 
 
Ben Walker
Head of PMO (Highways)

We don't know whether the most recent response to this request contains information or not – if you are Gemma please sign in and let everyone know.