Since the last consultation closed on 10 October the applicants have submitted even more documents, as they continue to haggle with OCC’s Biodiversity Officer and BBOWT over how much of Wicklesham’s rare biodiversity they can get away with trashing. Predictably, they deny that there is any ANY Priority Habitat or Species in Wicklesham Quarry SSSI.
Biogenia’s latest ‘Preliminary Ecological Assessment’ makes the same false statements as the previous ones, claiming Wicklesham is ‘a landscape context of relatively limited biodiversity conservation interest’ and the quarry ‘has negligible potential as Great Crested Newt terrestrial habitat.’ SHAME on its author, Mr David Broom, the kind of ecologist beloved by developers.
As word spread of the applicants' persistent NEWT DENIAL, I received numerous photographs of Wicklesham’s Smooth and Great Crested Newts, taken in October and November, that were duly forwarded to Oxfordshire County Council and BBOWT.
The applicants claim they ‘have identified relatively few existing features at the proposed development site that are of biodiversity conservation interest’ and ‘as pond basins have remained dry for several years this has rendered the proposed development site unsuitable for the maintenance of a viable breeding Great Crested Newt population'.
Did they look at the Thames Valley Environmental Records? And have they seen the quarry in the past few weeks? Large areas of the quarry are flooded: the aquifer itself, two former ponds, and a third pond near the base of the ramp. (If anyone has taken any photos in the past 2 weeks please would you send them to me at protectwicklesham@gmail.com).
WICKLESHAM QUARRY SSSI LIES WITHIN WEST OXFORDSHIRE HEIGHTS CTA.
Conservation Target Areas (CTAs)- are areas identified for their high level of biodiversity.* (See link below)
“They cover 17% of the land area of Oxfordshire but contain 85% of the mapped UK BAP priority habitat and 83% of all records of UK BAP priority species.” “CTAs are the most important areas for wildlife where targeted conservation action will have the maximum benefit. Their purpose is to restore biodiversity at a landscape-scale through the maintenance, restoration and creation of BAP priority habitats.” As TVERC’s records show, this abundance of biodiversity is true for Wicklesham Quarry.
THAMES VALLEY ENVIRONMENTAL RECORDS CENTRE (TVERC) (Below are the biodiversity records for WICKLESHAM QUARRY from TVERC.)
The Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 (NERC) imposes a legal duty on Local Authorities to adopt policies and make decisions that protect and conserve biodiversity under the UK’s Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP). NERC S41 is a list of vulnerable, endangered habitats and species of principal importance – also known as PRIORITY HABITATS and SPECIES.
The number of S41 Priority Species recorded by TVERC in a 1km radius centred on Wicklesham Quarry is an incredible total of thirty one. They include birds, bats, amphibians, reptiles and terrestrial mammals – all endangered S41 species! There are also 18 DEFRA RED LIST species of birds, and twenty five AMBER LIST.
It is undeniable that Wicklesham Quarry is an important site for biodiversity within the Conservation Target Area of West Oxfordshire Heights. Below are the figures with a few examples of species in different categories.
AMPHIBIANS - 5 species including 2 S41: toads and Great Crested Newts.
BIRDS - 46 species including 16 S41: these include linnet, greenfinch, bullfinch, yellowhammer, skylark and curlew- one of the UK’s rarest and most endangered birds.
- Also: 14 Red list and 25 Amber list bird species
BEETLES - 2, including S41 stag beetle.
BUTTERFLIES - 2 S41 species
DRAGONFLY
BATS - 10 species, including 5 S41 species.
OTHER MAMMALS - 5, including 4 S41 species.
REPTILES - 2 S41 species: Common lizard and grass snake.
Wicklesham’s incredible number of TEN BAT SPECIES include: Brown log-eared bats, Common Pipistrelle, Daubenton’s Bat, Myotis Bat, Natterer’s Bat, Noctule Bat, Pipistrelle Bat, Serotine, Soprano Pipistrelle, Whiskered Bat. Five of the ten are S41 Priority Species.
Four out of five terrestrial mammals are S41 Priority Species: Brown hare, Eurasian otter, Water vole, and hedgehog
Bird species on DEFRA’s RED LIST include: Corn Bunting, Cuckoo, Curlew, Fieldfare, Greenfinch, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Lapwing, Linnet, Marsh tit, Mistle Thrush, Skylark, Starling, Swift, Whinchat, Yellow Wagtail and Yellowhammer.
WICKLESHAM’S FLOOD AREA #
The flood map of Wicklesham (LINK BELOW) reveals the natural propensity of the quarry to flooding, due to an underground aquifer that springs from Galley Hill. (This aquifer is referred to in the applicant's own Ground Report. See earlier update) This is part of the reason for its exceptional biodiversity. Many of the rare bird species- including curlew, reed warbler, lapwing, moorhen and reed bunting are associated with ponds or water’s edge habitats.
Amphibians and insects such as dragonflies (of which there are 165 records) also depend on damp habitats and ponds for breeding habitat.
The numerous bird species, insects and amphibians reveal that the quarry’s ponds and aquifer – all of which are currently flooded – are essential to its vulnerable Priority Habitat and species. And the presence of this rich insect life also explains the amazing number and diversity of bat species. Wicklesham Quarry is the site of a rare and important ecology within West Oxfordshire Heights Conservation Target Area, consisting of eutrophic water bodies, an aquifer and periodic flooding, supporting a diverse wildlife population of birds, amphibians, insects, bats and terrestrial mammals, with 31 recorded S41 species.
IS THIS AN AREA THAT SHOULD BE COVERED IN CONCRETE, multi-storey buildings and car parks?? TELL OXFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL WHAT YOU THINK!
OCC has not responded to my email last week asking if a further consultation will be held in response to the applicant’s recent documents. However, if you wish to comment on them, send your views to Mary Hudson at planning@oxfordshire.gov.uk, citing Ref. MW.0151/23, and make it clear you wish your views to be taken into account.
To receive a FREE copy of TVERC’s Biodiversity Report for Wicklesham Quarry, request a standard DATA SEARCH for ‘Wicklesham Quarry’ at www.tverc.org using the grid reference SU292941. (N.B. The site is OVER 5 Hectares). For members of the public commenting on a planning application, this is a FREE service.
IMPORTANT NOTE! If you are interested in supporting Wicklesham Quarry by addressing Councillors at the Planning Committee for 5 minutes, please drop an email to protectwicklesham@gmail.com. Key subjects include Biodiversity, Traffic Implications, and Landscape and Amenity. (We can help with primary data and Development Plan policies.)
Please send any comments or queries to protectwicklesham@gmail.com
*chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www2.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/sites/default/files/folders/documents/environmentandplanning/countryside/naturalenvironment/BAPnewsletterFINAL3.pdf
# The flood map for Wicklesham is on Page 7 of the Vale of White Horse District Council’s (7 Dec. 23) response to OCC’s consultation. You can find it here: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/file:///C:/Users/Anna%20Hoare/Downloads/VOWH%20Planning%20(3).pdf