ROAD VERGES ACTION PLAN

Compiled by English Nature

The Dry Grasslands Sub Group of the Northamptonshire Biodiversity Partnership Group has developed this Plan. The group comprises representatives from, English Nature, Forestry Commission, County Recorders, The Wildlife Trust for Northamptonshire and interested individuals.

Lead Agencies: Public Sector Local Authorities

Voluntary Sector The Wildlife Trust

1 INTRODUCTION

Roadside verges probably constitute the largest extent of grassland of nature conservation value in Northamptonshire. They provide important corridors for the movement of species, and sometimes support plant and animal communities which are important in their own right.

2 CURRENT STATUS

Habitats included in this plan:

Protected Wildflower Verges

All other road verges

Associated Plans:
Where specific habitats occur on road verges specific actions for those habitats are included in the relevant Habitat Action Plan, particularly

Lowland Calcareous Grassland

Acid Grassland and Heathland

Lowland Neutral Grasslands

2.1 Definitions

It is clear that both the total verge area and verge area remaining of nature conservation value has been much reduced in recent years mainly due to road improvement schemes and that traditional management practises have lapsed. Hand cutting of grass verges and removal of cuttings, coppicing and even grazing has now been replaced by flail cutting, or no cutting at all, and use of herbicidal sprays in the 1960s and 1970s. In some cases, these changes in road verge management practise have been at the expense of the nature conservation interest. However, with intensive farming becoming the dominant land use in recent years, road verges have become increasingly valuable as wildlife sites.

2.1.1 Protected Wildflower Verges

There is an on-going programme of survey, re-survey, evaluation and management of road verges of conservation interest as part of the County Wildlife Sites system operated by the Wildlife Trust for Northamptonshire. This process is dependent on Local Authority and other funding.

Northamptonshire County Council has designated and manages 21 protected road verges. Management includes late flail cutting of the whole of the verge. At present cut material is not removed and the effects of this are being evaluated. In addition, there are another 9 proposed protected road verges.

Example One: Wakerley Protected Wildflower Verges. Grid ref: SP975990

Wakerley Great Wood, off the A43 north of Corby, has two Protected Wildflower verges associated with it. The first of these actually forms part of a predominantly woodland Site of Special Scientific Interest and runs along the side of the road that cuts through the Great Wood. These woodland verges act like woodland rides – they are gaps in the wood where light can get in and encourage the ground flora to grow. The flowers provide nectar for a range of insects which need the wood for parts of their life-cycle. This is one of only two sites in the county where Common cow-wheat (Melampyrum pratense) grows.

The second protected wildflower verge as Wakerley runs along the A43, and acts both as a nectar source, but also provides a more open habitat for a number of species. Butterflies such as Marbled Whites (Melanargia galathea) like this herb rich, but not intensively managed grassland.

2.1.2 Other Road Verges

The Protected Wildflower Verge scheme only covers a minute proportion of road verges in Northamptonshire. Other verges of wildlife interest, or which provide important buffer strips, need to be identified and managed appropriately

2.2 International / National Status

Although not covered by the national biodiversity guidelines, the regional importance of roadside verges both as a total area of grassland habitat and as a refuge for rare species has led to the production of this action plan.

2.3 Local Status

Roadside verges probably constitute the largest extent of grassland of nature conservation value in Northamptonshire. The area of this resource is not known accurately but it has been estimated that there is a length of 3,417 km of rural road verge in the County (A Nature Conservation Strategy for Northamptonshire, Northamptonshire County Council 1993).

3 CHARACTERISTIC SPECIES

3.1 National Priority Species

Barn Owl (Tyto alba), Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), Buzzard (Buteo buteo) and Linnet (Carduelis cannabina).

3.2 Local Priority Species

Common cow-wheat (Melampyrum pratense) and Lesser marsh grasshopper (Chorthippus albomarginatus).

See Appendix 4 Dry Grasslands and Heaths Priority Species for full list.

4 CURRENT FACTORS AFFECTING THE HABITAT

Factors causing outright loss of roadside verges in Northamptonshire:-

· Road improvement schemes.

· Conversion of verge to hard surfaced footpaths or cycle ways.

· Modification of verge for agricultural access to adjoining farm land.

· Modification through introduction of new roadside ditch systems, grips or widening of existing roadside drainage ditches.

· Encroachment on verge by adjacent management practices (including ploughing)

· Essential cable and pipe laying work.

Factors affecting the nature conservation value of roadside verges in Northamptonshire:-

· Lack of cutting and associated scrub encroachment.

· Inappropriate cutting regimes and timing of cutting.

· Use of herbicides and growth retardant .

· Leachate run-off from adjoining agricultural land.

· Invasive species such as Japanese Knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum) and False Oat- grass (Arrhenatherum elatius).

· Fly tipping.

· In some cases, hedge and tree planting.

5 CURRENT ACTION

5.1 Legal status

5.1.1 International and National

· Several plant, invertebrate and bird species associated with roadside verges are protected under the Schedules of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

5.1.2 Local

· Northamptonshire County Council have designated and manages 21 protected road verges. There are another 9 proposed protected road verges.

5.2 Grant Aid

· Northamptonshire County Council has financed a Phase One survey of known verges of Wildlife Interest.

5.3 Management, Research and Guidance

5.3.1 Local

· Where Protected Wildflower Verges (PWV) are notified in Northamptonshire their management is co-ordinated by Northamptonshire County Council.

· NCC and the Wildlife Trust are producing guidelines for management of PWVs aimed at contractors and companies whose operations can affect road verges.

ROAD VERGES OBJECTIVES AND ACTIONS

	OBJECTIVE	ACTION	LEAD AGENCY	PARTNERS	TARGETS
6.1	Policy and Legislation
	Objective One: Ensure that BAP species and their habitats are given an appropriate level of protection in local plans	Include habitat and species protection policies in local plans and/or supplementary guidance	Landowner		By 2003
	Objective Two: Review current grant schemes with a view to improving options for roadside verges	Ensure Countryside Stewardship and other grant schemes have relevant targets	Dept. for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs English Nature	BAP Partners	By 2002
		Identify areas appropriate for these schemes.	County Council	BAP Partners	By 2003
	Objective Three: Ensure development plans contain policies to promote the protection and management of road verge habitat	Notify Local Authorities of location of Protected Wildflower Verges	Wildlife Trust	BAP Partners	By 2002
		Incorporate appropriate policies in local plans or supplementary planning guidance	Local Authorities		By 2005
6.2	Site Safeguard and Management
	Objective Four: Encourage Highways Authority and owners/ occupiers to operate good practise in road verge management	Ensure Road Verge Management Guidance is circulated to all organisations who operate on road verges	County Council	Wildlife Trust	By 2001
6.3	Advisory
	Objective Five: Review and update advice on current management practises for roadside verges in Northamptonshire	Undertake Review	Wildlife Trust	County Council	By 2005
		Supply advice	County Council	Wildlife Trust	Throughout Action Plan Period
	Objective Six: Cost and prioritise specialist management work	Cost management works	All		By 2002
	Objective Seven: Promote good practise in roadside verge management for interested partners with the use of demonstration verges by site visits	Establish demonstration verges	County Council	BAP Partners	By 2002
6.4	Monitoring and Research
	Objective Eight: Investigate road verge survey and monitoring project	Monitor the management and quality of road verges every 5 years	Wildlife Trust	Local Authorities	Throughout Action Plan Period
	Objective Nine: Ensure that County recorders collect records of important species. Link all data to the Wildlife Trust and English Nature	Encourage County Recorders to collect relevant data	Wildlife Trust Local Records Centre	BAP Partners	By 2001
		Supply data to English Nature / Wildlife Trust	County Recorders Local Records Centre	English Nature Wildlife Trust	Throughout Action Plan Period
6.5	Communications and Publicity
	Objective Ten: Raise awareness among the public of the importance of roadside verges	Produce promotional literature	County Council	Wildlife Trust	By 2002
		Erect Protected Wildflower Verges markers on all Protected Wildflower Verges	County Council	Wildlife Trust	Throughout Action Plan Period
	Objective Eleven: Raise awareness of the importance of road verges amongst local authorities, owner/occupiers, developers and utilities	Ensure all relevant organisations are supplied with Road Verge Management Guidance	County Council		By 2001
	Objective Twelve: Publicise the progress made in delivering this Action Plan in a BAP Annual Report			BAP Partners	Annual

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