Wildlife of Whitehill (annual report)

WILDLIFE OF WHITEHILL

WOW Local Biodiversity Action Plan

Fourth ANNUAL REPORT April 2011 to March 2012

On the 18th July 2011 the Secretary of State for Defence, Dr Liam Fox, announced that a new Defence Technical Training College would not be built at St Athan in the near future, but that a college would be developed at RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire. He confirmed that the MOD would withdraw from Arborfield and Bordon, thus releasing their lands for sale by 2014 or 15. In anticipation of this event, East Hampshire District Council in partnership with others has drawn up a Masterplan for the ecotown to ensure that the new development is co-ordinated and the wildlife protected.

Information which may influence the Masterplan is put forward by Specialist Groups. These Specialist Groups supply information to the Standing Conference and then on to the Delivery Board. The Sustainable Environment Specialist Group has a theme leader in Bruce Collinson and he has commissioned studies on Habitats Regulations Assessment, Green Infrastructure, Energy Sources, the Water Cycle and Air Pollution.

The boundary of the eco-town has also been revised and as a result Bruce has asked that WOW should include the two new extra areas

within the boundary to support the Green Infrastructure Strategy. These are Standford Grange Farm, one of the large areas destined to become a Suitable Alternative Natural Green Space (SANG), and the Round Hill Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) on the northern boundary of the South Downs National Park.

Cows on Standford Grange Farm

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ÂŻ Whitehill Parish Statutory and Non-Statutory sites and priority areas Scale at A4: 1:66,980 0

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This map is reproduced from Ordnance Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office Š Crown copyright.

Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. HCC 100019180 2012

Legend Statutory Sites Non-Statutory Sites

Priority Areas

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Urban Areas

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What’s Been Happening?

The Biodiversity Policy Advisory Group was allocated £150,000 by East Hampshire District Council for their projects. The Countryside Ranger for the eco-town was appointed last year and environmental improvements carried out on the ponds in the Bordon Inclosure. Of the other two projects one has now been completed, the Bordon Inclosure Boardwalk, and the other, the Green Stepping Stones, is on-going.

Cllr Adam Carew and Prof Chris Baines with WOW! Calendar for 2012

Quick Wins Green Stepping Stones The Boardwalk in the Bordon Inclosure When the problem of insurance for the boardwalk in the Bordon Inclosure was finally sorted, work quickly began on clearing the path over the boggy area behind St. Lucia park.

The boardwalk was built and the Sustainable Environment Specialist Group was able to invite back Prof. Chris Baines to formally open it in November. The occasion was marked by Chris cutting a tape and toasting the boardwalk with sparkling elderflower presse. The boardwalk forms part of the Royal Woolmer Way, which was one of the Town’s millennium celebratory projects and is now a much more accessible long distance walk.

Prof Chris Baines Launching the Boardwalk

The Environment Conservation Group had applied for and obtained a grant from the devolved budget of our local County Councillor Adam Carew, in order to produce a Calendar of the wildlife in our area. This was ready for the beginning of November and Chris was delighted to receive a copy on his visit. Chris Packham, who wrote the Foreword for WOW, our LBAP, was also pleased to receive a copy.

East Hampshire District Council owns numerous small pieces of land throughout the urban area of Whitehill Parish. 80 of these areas have been identified as simply being small grassy parcels. They have now been surveyed to see if they could be enhanced for biodiversity by the addition of small strips of wild flowers. This is now being integrated into the EHDC cutting regime and hopefully will be initiated this Autumn. Funding for this will also come out of the eco-town project.

Flowery area near Beaufort Rd

Early Disposal of MOD land The barracks at Quebec are no longer needed by the MOD and so are available for disposal by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO). It is hoped that at the same time the Bordon Inclosure will also be released as the first part of the SANG network. This is intended to encourage people away from the very important wildlife areas surrounding the

town, the SPAs, SACs, SSSIs and SINCs. The release of Quebec will probably be followed by that of Louisburg Barracks in the near future.

More Moth Records from Hogmoor Inclosure.

With permission from the MOD, moth trapping occurred one night in 2011 on the Hogmoor Inclosure. Two nationally notable moths appeared at the trap: the Three Dotted Border Wave Idea sylvestriaria, a heathland specialist and Synaphe punctalis, a micro-moth. 23 other new micro-moths to the site were recorded and also several Dingy Footmen Eilema griseola.

The Future It is five years now since the publication of the original Biodiversity Action Plan for Whitehill.

A review of the actions required in it shows that 90% have been completed and that it has been very influential in the production and modification of the Masterplan with the protection of wildlife corridors to connect the north and south parts of the Wealden Heaths SPA Phase 2. The Green Infrastructure Strategy produced in 2011 by the Sustainable Environment Specialist Group will continue this work.

Information Sources For further information about wildlife in Whitehill and the Local Biodiversity Action Plan please contact: Whitehill Town Council, the Biodiversity Policy Advisory Group and the Sustainable Environment Specialist Group.

Tel: 01420 473123 e-mail, info@whitehilltowncouncil.gov.uk

For opportunities to volunteer conservation work please contact: Three Dotted Border Wave

The Grayling butterfly Hipparchia semele has also been seen on several occasions and in some numbers on Hogmoor. This is a UK BAP Species.

Introducing moths to the Public

The Ranger The Deadwater Valley Trust Phoenix Art and Theatre Centre, Station Road, Bordon. GU35 0LR Tel: 01420 479070 e-mail Photographs have kindly been provided by the following who retain their copyright for images: Bill Wain, Chris Wain, Keith Tailby and the Eco town Team

85408 PRINTED BY HAMPSHIRE PRINTING SERVICES 01962 870099

As moths are mainly nocturnal, they are not very well known to the public. The results of a mothing session have therefore been made open to interested residents and to pupils of Bordon County Junior School.

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Maureen with Poplar hawkmoth