A walk on the wild side

Dr Ian Johnson
Principal Ecologist at Aspect Ecology Ltd
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Post date: Monday, 30th January 2012

Wildlife considerations including presence of protected species are now a familiar issue for developers, particularly in the bourgeoning renewables sector, writes Dr Ian Johnson, principal ecologist, Aspect Ecology Ltd.

Legislation relating to protected species, in particular the Wildlife and Countryside Act (WCA) introduced in 1981 and the ‘Habitats Regulations’ (now consolidated in the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010) has brought to the attention of developers and planners a range of protected species.

The WCA lists species of particular conservation significance that receive special protection but notably also provides protection to all wild bird species and their nests. However, the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP), together with legislation such as the NERC Act 2006, has introduced a much wider range of species into the category of ‘material consideration’ in relation to planning.

Proposals for renewable energy developments are of course subject to the same legislation and planning regulations as other forms of built development. However, the issues affecting protected species frequently differ significantly from those generally relating to most other forms of development.

The species that have the greatest potential to constrain development of a wind farm are also likely to differ somewhat from those typically constraining other built development. These differences require ecological consultants to undertake tailored approaches to ecological survey and assessment for such developments.

The built footprint of wind farm developments is typically relatively modest and extensive loss of habitats or losses of specific features such as ponds or veteran trees can generally be avoided by careful planning of layout.

The design of the development needs to take into account the presence of high value habitats or features, together with considerations regarding habitat connectivity, particularly for species such as Great Crested Newt. However, these are unlikely to constitute major constraints to most proposals.

Nonetheless, a recent review of public inquiries on wind farm applications found that ecological issues were raised in 81% of inspectors’ reports. The ecological issues of particular concern for wind farm developments frequently relate to the potential for impacts on birds and bats; birds were identified as a main issue in 26% of all the reviewed reports, while bats were a main issue in 20%.

For both groups, the area of concern is primarily the risk of injury to individual animals either through collision with the turbine blades (or even masts themselves) or, in the case of bats, the risk of barotrauma, whereby bats are injured or killed by pressure changes generated by the movement of turbine blades. Concerns about potential effects on birds or bats have resulted in a number of refusals of planning permissions for wind farms.

By selecting appropriate locations for wind farm developments, avoiding areas utilised by significant numbers of individuals of target species, and by conducting a scoping study and reconnaissance survey early on in planning wind farm projects, it may be possible to demonstrate that target species are unlikely to be present or affected.

In this case, bird survey work could be limited to more traditional and less onerous survey methods, avoiding Vantage Point (VP) surveys and their associated costs. This was the case recently for a proposed wind farm at Chelveston, on the Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire border. Despite the appearance during a visit by Natural England advisers of a wandering Red Kite (one of only three sightings during all the surveys undertaken on site) it was accepted that target species were not present in significant numbers. Accordingly, it was agreed that onerous VP surveys were not required for this site.

The key message for all concerned in proposals for new wind farms is to consider potential ecological issues as early as possible in the planning process, agree on the appropriate level of survey effort and allow time and resources to deliver this. Wind farms have the potential to be damaging to wildlife, with particular concerns in relation to certain species of birds and bats but, if correctly located, wildlife impacts can be minimal.

This article first appeared in Development Services & Sustainability Directory 2012. To read the entire publication, click the ebook.

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