NC6 Sites of Biological Importance Proposal
The following sites are areas of special local importance for nature conservation. Their boundaries are shown on the Proposals Map. Proposals which have potential to damage or disturb the habitat or wildlife interest of these sites will be dealt in accordance with Policy NC5:
1. Royal Liverpool Golf Course, Hoylake
2. Grange Hill, West Kirby
3. Caldy Hill, West Kirby
4. Stapledon Wood, West Kirby
5. Newton Common, West Kirby
6. Caldy Golf Course
7. Caldy Hospital Grounds
8. Irby Common
9. Irby Quarry
10. Irby Pond
11. Harrock Wood, Irby
12. Backford Road Pond, Irby
13. Royden Park, Frankby
14. Roberts Wood, Thurstaston
15. Wirral Way (Caldy to Heswall)
16. Wirral Way (Heswall to Borough Boundary)
17. Dungeon Pond, Thurstaston
18. The Dungeon, Thurstaston
19. Pipers Lane, Heswall
20. Quarry Road East, Heswall
21. The Beacons, Heswall
22. Wittering Lane, Heswall
23. The Dales Heswall
24. Gayton Wood
25. Gayton Hall Wood
26. Backwood Hall Farm, Gayton
27. Raby Ponds
28. Benty Heath Lane Ponds, Raby
29. Willaston Copse, Raby
30. Barnston Dale
31. Murrayfield Hospital, Thingwall
32. Manor Wood, Thornton Hough
33. Thornton Hough Ponds
34. Stanley Wood, Landican Lane, Storeton
35. Rake Hey Covert Pond, Brimstage
36. Gorse Covert and Nicolson’s Plantation, Arrowe Park
37. Limbo Lane pond, Irby
38. Arrowe Brook Farm Ponds, Greasby
39. Greasby Copse and Ponds
40. Storeton Wood, Higher Bebington
41. Old Sewage Works, Clatterbridge
42. Willow Farm Ponds, Thornton Common Road
43. Raby Mere
44. The Marfords, Brookhurst
45. Bromborough Golf Course Pond
46. Hargrave House Farm ponds, Brookhurst
47. Plymyard Dale, Brookhurst
48. Lowfields, Eastham
49. Holm Hill, West Kirby
50. Eastham Woods and Long Plantation, Eastham
51. Old Hall Road Woods, Bromborough
52. Woodslee Pond, Bromborough
53. Alma Street Goods Yard, New Ferry
54. New Ferry Shore
55. Burrell Road, Prenton
56. Wirral Ladies Golf Course, Noctorum
57. Bidston Hill
58. New Brighton Foreshore
59. Wallasey Golf Course and Leasowe Gun Site
60. Old Birket, Leasowe
61. Leasowe Pond
62. Bidston Marsh
63. Sandbrook Lane Pond, Upton
64. Paulsfield Drive Woodland, Overchurch
65. Overchurch Park Woodland, Upton
66. Leasowe Common
67. Meols Field
68. Pasture Farm pond, Moreton
69. Upton Bridge Wood, Upton
70 Colley’s Farm, Thurstaston
Reasoned justification :
13.26 Policy NC5 sets out the level of protection that will be given to sites which can be demonstrated to have special local importance for nature conservation. Proposal NC6, therefore, lists those sites which the Local Planning Authority consider merit protection under Policy NC5. The objective of Proposal NC6 is to ensure that potential applicants are aware of the location of areas known to be of special local importance for nature conservation and that their land-use implications can be fully taken into account when considering new proposals.
13.27 Sites currently identified as having special local importance for nature conservation are shown as Sites of Biological Importance (SBIs) on the Proposals Map and are listed under Proposal NC6. They have been identified by the Local Planning Authority based on advice and survey information provided by Cheshire Wildlife Trust, the Wirral and Cheshire Badger Group, the Merseyside and West Lancashire Bat Group and the British Trust for Ornithology.
13.28 SBIs reflect priority habitats, such as remnant areas of heathland, semi-natural non-plantation woodlands with species-rich ground flora, coastal dunes and other associated coastal habitats, non-agricultural or unimproved grassland, important groups of ponds retaining species diversity, and the few remaining wetlands such as bogs, swamps and marshes, which were identified as rare or under threat within the Wirral Habitat Survey. They also reflect ornithological value and contain sites and habitats known to regularly support protected and endangered species such as badgers, bats and newts.
13.29 Sites not currently identified, but which can be demonstrated to meet the criteria specified, will, therefore, also be subject to protection as SBIs under Policy NC5. Further information with regard to the selection of SBIs and the status of sites listed under Proposal NC6 can be found within Supplementary Planning Guidance Note 39.