Development Services Directorate
Riverway
Stafford
ST16 3TJ
Ms. Susan Davis / Telephone: (01785) 277257Facsimile: (01785) 211279
Email:
Please ask for: Andy Leak
Our Ref: HoEC/EC1001/ALYour Ref: FOI Request-8875-049726 March 2009
Dear Ms. Davis,
Freedom of Information Request regarding Biodiversity Management of Roadside Verges in Staffordshire
Thank you for your recent request for information about how we are addressing the biodiversity management of roadside verges in Staffordshire.
Because our approach to conservation management of road verges has evolved from modifications made to existing processes, which are long-established, there is relatively little supporting information and correspondence which I can provide you with. Consequently, the following is a "thumbnail" sketch of what we how have in place.
My colleagues and I believe that we can best explain our processes and justifications by showing you the scheme in operation. Please feel free to make an appointment to visit us in Staffordshire to see what we do where and why and to meet the principal characters involved who can provide you with comprehensive answers to your questions. In addition, you will have chance to visit the managed areas to see the process in action for your self. We would be delighted to host a visit for you. I already have an agreement in principle, from one of the key contacts within Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, to talk to you directly, depending upon the date agreed. Please also be aware had you approached us directly this same offer would be available to you. We are proud of our schemes, which one Natural England representative said that they thought of all such schemes, our pilot scheme was one of the most likely to work.
Staffordshire Moorlands Pilot Verges Biodiversity Management Project
Background:
Local Authority’ responsibility for protecting wildlife while implementing their duties began with the publication of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981; to some extent, verge management has been an issue since. However, recent changes to wildlife law have forced a more formal approach to verge maintenance. The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (CRoW) Schedule 9 inserts a new Section 28 into the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which introduces a duty for all landowners/managers to bring all land of SSSI status into favourable condition. The Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 (NERC) states: "Every public authority must, in exercising its functions, have regard, so far as is consistent with the proper exercise of those functions, to the purpose of conserving biodiversity." The verges project is intended to meet these objectives.
/continued…
In Staffordshire, the Staffordshire Moorlands District and parts of East Staffordshire are almost unique in that they are readily differentiated into reasonably homogenous habitat zones, including the Leek Moors, which is largely designated as SPA, SAC, SSSI. Unusually, the designated core interest of the Leek Moors extends from the open moor right to the edge of the blacktop of the many roads and lanes which cross it. Therefore the twin duties to bring SSSI land into favourable condition and to have regard to nature conservation in all our activities includes verge management. The high concentration of verges carrying either national or international designations in StaffordshireMoorlands prompted SCC to initiate a pilot project to see what could be achieved and potentially to provide a model for county-wide verge maintenance. SCC is currently appraising the strengths and weaknesses of the pilot approach and is considering the way forward.
Initial studies were undertaken to recognise the verges in and around the SSSIs for which SCC has a statutory duty to bring into favourable condition, and those verges nearby which if managed appropriately will provide a protective/biologically enhanced buffer to the core area of interest. The result of this work (see Map 1) produced a very complex inventory, potentially requiring the implementation of many management plans, each individually tailored to suit the needs of ach category of verge. It was concluded that this approach was too complicated to implement in a cost effective manner, nor would it be easy to judge the success or failure of the individual management prescriptions: A more robust approach was needed.
It became clear that there were not sufficient resources to treat verges individually to suit their specific needs. To this point, verges had been managed on area contracts, which were understood by the contractors and which offered some flexibility as the contractors could be tied to specific timetables and routines. The object was then to define management areas which would deliver our statutory duty as well as add biodiversity enhancement to the wider verge network.
Identifying the management zones has been the result of very effective partnership working. SCC has worked with Staffordshire Wildlife Trust to come up with survey methods designed to recognise high value verges and their key botanical interest. Staffordshire Wildlife Trust has mobilised significant numbers of volunteer to survey road verges near to where they live or have a keen interest or where they have significant local knowledge. The findings of these surveys have been considered collectively alongside the information contained in Natural England’s SSSI designation documents and their natural area profiles to decide the management zones. The local surveyors have identified many verges of sufficient biodiversity value to be designated as Sites of Biological Importance (SBI), but a greater number have qualified for no special recognition, although the biological information derived from the surveys has been used to help to define the management zones.
This work has resulted in the definition of four management areas each of which is subject to a blanket management strategy intended to deliver favourable condition for the key habitat on the highest status site within the management area. The Zones are (see Map 2). The process of fine-tuning the management regimes for each verge is ongoing, local volunteers are still surveying verges in the Moorlands as part of a long-term project managed by Staffordshire wildlife trust in conjunction with representatives of SCC’s highways maintenance teams and the Environment and Countryside Unit.
An emerging project in the managed zones is a scheme to delimit special verges in need of individual treatment with marker posts and to define mini-management schemes for each. This is very resource-hungry and is taking some time to reach fruition.
Zone A – this is the high Moorlands/Moors and uplands, such as areas above Thorncliffe and Newtown which are of national importance for their wildlife. Verges in Zone A which grow relatively slowly will be cut annually in September. This is to allow the verge wildflowers such as orchids to set seed before they are mowed. It also means that birds are protected as the breeding season is over by that time.
Zone B – this is areas with flower-rich grasslands on limestone, such as the ManifoldValley and DoveValley, east of Warslow. Zone B is cut in late summer as plants here set seed a bit earlier in the year. Dependent on the speed of regrowth, there may also be another cut later in the season.
Zone C – covers verges with woodland character, such as the valley woodlands at Alton, Oakamoor and Winnothdale. Zone C is cut after the spring flowering woodland wildflowers set seed so road users can enjoy the best of the bluebells and other woodland plants. These verges can become overgrown in late summer meaning another cut will be made later in the season.
Zone D –This zone covers mainly A and B Roads where verges will be cut three times a year to ensure clear visibility for drivers and to ensure the roads are kept safe. This zone also includes verges in areas which have not yet been surveyed for their wildlife interest around Leek, Cheadle and Biddulph.
The decision was taken to manage the habitat zones to meet the requirements of the highest status verge within each. Necessarily this involves some compromise, not all the verges comprise the same habitat as the core area of interest, so some verge habitats within each will be managed sub-optimally, but all will be managed to complement the key habitat within in each management zone with the objective or achieving favourable condition for the statutorily designated sites and enhancement of the non-statutorily protected sites to deliver on I197 and the Biodiversity Pledge. All the verges in each zone receive the same treatment regardless of whether they are designated in some way or not.
There is a further compromise which SCC is forced to implement with respect to verge maintenance, the authority has a duty to ensure the safety of the highway. In some places within each management zones are some potential hazards to road users, where the height of the vegetation obscures a safety visibility “splay”, the vegetation has to be cut out of sequence with the overall management plan for the zone in question. An additional complication arises because the management of verge-side hedges is the responsibility of the adjacent landowner, not SCC. Not infrequently the landowners when maintaining their hedges mow the verge at the same time without regard to SCC’s management objectives.
In order to protect sensitive wildlife we do not routinely release lists of key species and their locations, but for an insight into the important species within each management area, please read the SSSI citations which are available from the Natural England Web Site.
Following are lists of the verges being managed in each zone and the non-statutorily protected verge sites, for each of the listed sites there is an accompanying pdf file containing the description and in some cases a local species list used is designating the site
Zone A:
This management zone encloses or intersects with the Peak District Moors (South Pennine Moors Phase 1) Special Protection Area (SPA), The South Pennine Moors Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and Colshaw Pastures SSSI, Leek Moors SSSI, Moss Carr SSSI and Thorncliff Moor SSSI. For more information about which I recommend you consult Magic: or
SBIs Zone AFile Name / Site Name / Site ID / Grid Ref
Zone A SBI 1 / Westbrook Head Farm (road verge south of) / 05/28/65 / SK026, 585
Zone A SBI 2 / Whitehouse Farm (verges south of) / 05/29/22 / SK022, 592
Zone A SBI 3 / Old Mixon Hay (north-west of) / 05/28/51 / SK025, 581
Zone A SBI 4 / Gun Hill (road verges south of) / 96/70/28 / SJ972, 608
Zone A BAS Verges
Site Name / Site ID / Grid Ref
Zone A BAS 1 / Solomon's Hollow / 05/08/12 / SK001, 582
Zone A BAS 2 / Sheep Walk (east of) / 05/29/81 / SK028, 591
NB All A & B Roads are cut 3 Times a year in the in the interest of highway safety.
Alphabetical list of road names
* denotes road is part privately maintained
Road No / Road Name / Zone
C0195 / Abbey Green Road / A
D1291 / Abbey Wood Close / A
D1292 / Abbotts Road / A
C0120 / Access To Leighbank Farm / A
D1048 / Across The Lea / A
D1291 / Adams Grove / A
C0094 / Adderley / A
D1267 / Ainsworth Avenue / A
D1339 / Aintree Road / A
D1065 / Akesmoor Lane / A
D1200 / Alandale / A
D1284 / Albert Street / A
D1291 / Albert Street / A
D1290 / Albion Street / A
D1198 / Alders Road / A
D1309 / Alford Drive / A
D1114 / All Saints Lane / A
D1150 / Allen Street / A
D1076 / Alleyhouse Lane / A
D1359 / Allotment Lane / A
D1291 / Alma Street / A
C0042 / Along The Bottom / A
D1290 / Alsop Street / A
C0041 / Alstonfield Road / A
D1355 / Alton Lane / A
D1291 / Angle Street / A
C0016 / Ankors Lane / A
C0158 / Apesford Lane / A
D1284 / Appleton Close / A
D1292 / Argles Road / A
D1056 / Armshead Road / A
A0052 / Ash Bank Road / A
D1247 / Ash Close / A
D1239 / Ash Grove / A
D1150 / Ash Tree Hill / A
A0052 / Ash Tree Road / A
D1172 / Ash Way / A
D1137 / Ashbourne Lane / A
A0052 / Ashbourne Road / A
A0052 / Ashbourne Road / A
A0523 / Ashbourne Road / A
A0523 / Ashbourne Road / A
A0523 / Ashbourne Road / A
A0523 / Ashbourne Road / A
A0523 / Ashbourne Road / A
A0523 / Ashbourne Road / A
B5032 / Ashbourne Road / A
B5032 / Ashbourne Road / A
C0054 / Ashbourne Road / A
D1289 / Ashcombe Way / A
D1423 / Ashdale Road / A
D1289 / Ashenhurst Way / A
D1289 / Ashenhurst Way / A
D1339 / Ashleigh Road / A
D2226 / Ashwood Grove / A
D1071 / Askerbank Lane / A
D1285 / Asquith Close / A
D1150 / Attlee Road / A
D1150 / Austin Close / A
D1266 / Avon Grove / A
D1249 / Aynsley Close / A
D1269 / Ayr Road / A
C0166 D1155 / Back Lane / A
D1008 / Back Lane / A
D1017 / Back Lane / A
D1041 / Back Lane / A
D1061 / Back Lane / A
D1075 / Back Lane / A
D1123 / Back Lane / A
D1359 / Back Lane / A
D1403 / Back Lane / A
G1048 / Back Lane / A
G1114 / Back Lane / A
D1129 / Back oth Brook / A
D1133 / Back of Ecton / A
D1046 / Back of the Rocks / A
D1036 / Back Oth Cross / A
D1150 / Baddeley Street / A
D1326 / Badgers Hollow / A
D1292 / Badnall Close / A
D1292 / Badnall Street / A
C0187 / Bagnall Road Including 50m Of Spur (G1187) To Footpath 32 / A
D1282 / Baileys Bank / A
D1269 / Bala Grove / A
D1285 / Balfour Grove / A
D1039 / Ball Bank Lane / A
D1292 / Ball Haye Green / A
D1292 / Ball Haye Road / A
A0053 / Ball Haye Street / A
D1006 / Ball Lane / A
D1053 / Ball Lane / A
D1023 / Ball Ridge Lane / A
D1289 / Ballington View / A
Awaiting Road Nos. / Balmoral Way (part) / A
D1279 / Banbury Grove / A
D1071 / Bandridge Lane / A
D1128 / Bangor Terrace / A
D1061 / Bank End / A
D1150 / Bank Street / A
D1260 / Bankhouse Road / A
D1118 / Banks Lane / A
D1207 / Barley Croft / A
D1123 / Barley Road / A
D2436 / Barlstone Avenue / A
D1290 / Barnfield Road / A
D1339 / Barnfield Road / A
D1290 / Barnfields Close / A
D1267 / Barnfields Lane* / A
D1291 / Barngate Street / A
C0210 / Barracks Lane / A
D1198 / Barrage Road / A
D1198 / Barrage Road / A
C0317 / Basford Bridge Lane / A
C0064 / Basford Green Road / A
C0064 / Basford Green Road / A
D1162 / Basford Hall Road / A
D1153 / Basford Lane / A
D1227 / Basnetts Wood Road* / A
D1150 / Bassett Close / A
D1178 / Bate Lane / A
D1280 / Bateman Avenue / A
D1287 / Bath Street / A
C0065 / Battlesteads / A
D1085 / Bearda Hill / A
C0072 / Beat Lane / A 3 times
D1292 / Beatty Road / A 3 times
D1309 / Beaufort Avenue / A 3 times
D1306 / Beaulieu Close / A 3 times
D1282 / Beaumont Close / A 3 times
D1199 / Beckfields Close / A 3 times
D1167 / Beech Avenue / A 3times year
D1198 / Beech Close / A+B
D1247 / Beech Close / A+B
D1290 / Beech Close / A+B
D1291 / Beech Grove / A+B
D2226 / Beechwood Close / A+B
C0065 / Beelow Lane / A+B
D1291 / Beggars Lane / A+B
D1291 / Belle Vue / A+B
D1291 / Belle Vue Road / A+B
D1279 / Bellringer Close / A+B
C0064 / Belmont Road / A+B
A0522 / Uttoxeter Road / U +A
Zone B:
This management zone encloses or intersects with the South Pennine Moors Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and Brownend Quarry SSSI, Caldon Dales SSSI, Caldon Low SSSI, Cauldon Railway Cutting SSSI, DoveValley and Biggin Dale SSSI, Ecton Copper Mine SSSI, Hamps and Manifold Valleys SSSI, Rue Hill SSSI, Stanton Pastures and Cuckoocliff Valley SSSI and Swineholes Wood Black Heath SSSI. For more information about which I recommend you consult Magic: or
File Name / Zone B SBI VergesSite Name / Site ID / Grid Ref
Zone B SBI 1 / Common Barn (east of), Green Lane / 14/19/54 / SK115, 494
Zone B SBI 2 / Waterings (east of) / 14/29/54 / SK125, 494
Zone B SBI 3 / Stanton Lane / 14/46/03 / SK140, 463
Zone B SBI 4 / Yew Tree Verges / 04/79/83 / SK078, 493
Zone B SBI 5 / Ipstone Edge Verges / 05/40/16 / SK041, 506
Zone B SBI 6 / The Casey (road verge) / 05/50/34 / SK053, 504
Zone B SBI 7 / Black Heath, Ipstones Edge (south-east of) / 04/59/36 / SK053, 496
Zone B SBI 8 / Wallbank Grange (north-east of) / 04/69/08 / SK060, 498
File Name / AREA B VERGE BAS
Site Name / Site ID / Grid Ref
Zone B BAS 1 / Miles Knoll (west of) / 14/08/39 / SK103, 489
Zone B BAS 2 / Pethills Bank / 05/53/21 / SK052, 531
NB All A & B Roads are cut 3 Times a year in the in the interest of highway safety.
Alphabetical list of road names
* denotes road is part privately maintained
Road No / Road Name / Zone
D1198 / Beech Close / A+B
D1247 / Beech Close / A+B
D1290 / Beech Close / A+B
D1291 / Beech Grove / A+B
D2226 / Beechwood Close / A+B
C0065 / Beelow Lane / A+B
D1291 / Beggars Lane / A+B
D1291 / Belle Vue / A+B
D1291 / Belle Vue Road / A+B
D1279 / Bellringer Close / A+B
C0064 / Belmont Road / A+B
C0356 / Bemersley Road / B
D1130 / Benty Grange Lane / B
C0042 / Beresford Lane / B
D1119 / Beresford Lane / B
D1249 / Beswick Close / B
D1261 / Beverley Crescent / B
D1086 / Biddulph Common Road / B
C0082 / Biddulph Park Road / B
C0082 / Biddulph Road / B
D1065 / Biddulph Road / B
D1280 / Birch Avenue / B
D1186 / Birch Grove / B
D1300 / Birchall Close / B
D1289 / Birchall Park Avenue / B
D1329 / Birchendale Close / B
C0101 / Birchenfields Lane / B
C0094 / Birchfields Lane / B
C0057 / Birdsgrove Lane / B
D1241 / Bittern Lane / B
D1125 / Black Lane / B
D1193 / Black Lane / B
C0083 / Blackbank Road / B
D1285 / Blackbird Way / B
C0074 / Blackshaw Lane / B
C0174 / Blackwood Hill Road / B
D1067 / Blackwood House Bank / B
D1124 / Blakeley Lane / B
D1124 / Blakeley Lane / B
D1124 / Blakeley Spur Lane / B
C0016 / Blakemere Road / B
C0022 / Blakemere Road / B
D2436 / Blithe View / B
D1306 / Blithfield Close / B
C0056 / Blore Lane / B
C0055 / Blore Road / B
C0222 / Blore Road / B
D1284 / Bluebell Close / B
D1250 / Bluestones Close / B
C0191 / Blythe Bridge Road / B
D1259 / BlytheMountPark / B
D1270 / Blythe Road / B
D1061 / Boardmans Bank / B
D1285 / Bollin Grove / B
C0202 / Bond House Lane / B
D1310 / Botham Drive / B
B5053 / Bottom Lane / B
B5053 / Bottom Lane / B
B5053 / Bottom Of Moor / B
D1255 / Boucher Road / B
D1169 / Boundary Road / B
D1291 / Bourne Place / B
D1279 / Bowmere Close / B
D1339 / Boxwood Road / B
D1291 / Brackendale / B
D1354 / Bradley Lane / B
D1122 / Bradshaw Lane / B
D1258 / Bramley Close / B
D1229 / Brampton Close / B
D1258 / Bramshaws Acre / B
C0238 / Breach Lane / B
B5051 / Breach Road / B
D1130 / Breech Close / B
D1200 / Brentwood Court / B
D1200 / Brentwood Drive / B
D1200 / Brentwood Grove / B
D1186 / Bridgwood Road / B
D1186 / Bridgwood Road / B
D1309 / Bridle Path* / B
D1310 / Brindley Crescent / B
D1291 / Britannia Street / B
D1310 / Brittain Road / B
D1084 / Broad Lane / B
D1109 / Broad Oak Lane / B
A0053 / Broad Street / B
D1129 / Broadway Lane / B
C0096 / Bromley Edge Lane / B
D1186 / Brook Close / B
D1242 / Brook Close / B
D1282 / Brook Gardens / B
C0202 / Brook Lane / B
A0053 / Brook Street / B
C0354 / Brook Street / B
D1227 / Brookfield Avenue / B
D1125 / Brookfield Close / B
D1123 / Brookfields Road / B
D1257 / Brookgate / B
D1103 / Brookhouse Lane / B
D1154 / Brookhouse Lane / B
C0094 / Brookhouse Road / B
D1150 / Brookhouse Way / B
D1268 / Brookhouses Industrial Estate Road / B
D1153 / Brooklands Way / B
D1184 / Brookside Court / B
D1242 / Brookside Drive / B
D1198 / Broomfields / B
D1130 / Broomyshaw Lane / B
D1292 / Brough Close / B
D1292 / Brow Hill / B
C0181 / Brown Lane / B
D1280 / Brown Lees Road / B
D1061 / Brownhills Road / B
D1150 / Browning Close / B
D1022 / Brund Clough / B
D1103 / Brund Lane / B
D1288 / Brunswick Street / B
D1389 / Bullgap Lane / B
D1301 / Burton Crescent / B
D1291 / Burton Street / B
B5053 / Butterton Clewes / B
B5053 / Butterton Moor / B
D1009 / Butterton Moor / B
C0159 / Butterton Moor Bank / B
D2109 / Butterton Road / B
D1081 / Butts Lane / B
A0053 / Buxton Road / B
A0053 / Buxton Road / B
A0053 / Buxton Road / B
A0053 / Buxton Road / B
A0053 / Buxton Road / B
A523TR A0053 / Buxton Road / B
B5053 / Buxton Road / B
C0054 / Buxton Road / B
D1291 / Byrom Street / B
D1150 / Byron Close / B
D1279 / Cambridge Close / B
D1291 / Campbell Avenue / B
D1306 / Capesthorne Close / B
D1150 / Car Park Access / B
D1025 / Carder Green / B
D1150 / Carlos Close / B
D1221 / Carlton Avenue / B
D1221 / Carlton Close / B
D1249 / Carlton Close / B
D1292 / Carlton Terrace / B
D1200 / Caroline Close / B
D1221 / Caroline Crescent / B
C0165 / Carr Bank / B
C0054 D1137 / Carr Lane / B
D1028 / Carr Lane / B
D1285 / Carriage Drive / B
D1336 / Carters Croft / B
D1095 / Cartledge Lane / B
D1140 / Castern Hall Spur / B
D1139 / Castern Lane / B
D1359 / Castle Hill Road / B
D1359 / Castle Road / B
D1284 / Castle View / B
D1107 / Catswall Lane / B
D1310 / Cauldon Avenue / B
D1289 / Cauldon Close / B
D1113 / Causeway / B
D1339 / Cavendish Road / B
D1179 / Caverswall Old Road / B
C0068 / Caverswall Road / B
C0068 / Caverswall Road / B
C0191 / Caverswall Road / B
D1174 / Caverwall Common Lane / B
D1282 / Cecil Road / B
D1150 / Cecilly Street* / B 3times year
D1150 / Cecilly Terrace / B 3times year
D2226 / Cedar Avenue / B 3times year
D1247 / Cedar Close / B 3times year
D1227 / Cedar Crescent / B 3times year
D1198 / Cedar Grove / B Special SSSI
C0065 / Cedar Hill / B Special SSSI
A0052 / Cellarhead Road / B Special SSSI
D1131 / Cemetery Lane / B+C
D1285 / Chaffinch Drive / B+C
D1290 / Challinor Avenue / B+C
D1285 / Chamberlain Way / B+C
C0041 / Chapel Lane / B+C
D1291 / Valley Drive / U+B
D1235 / Vicarage Crescent / U+B
D1342 / Vicarage Crescent / U+B
D1292 / Vicarage Road / U+B
D1342 / Vicarage Road / U+B
Zone C: