Management Plan for
Centenary Riverside
Local Nature Reserve
April 2015 – March 2020
Acknowledgements
Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust would like to thank the many individuals who have contributed to the formulation of this management plan. In particular, thanks go to Carolyn Jones and Paul Leonard of Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, David Williams of Sheffield Bird Study Group, Jim Flanagan and Centenary Riverside RAG members.
Additionally, thanks go to the many Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust staff, volunteers and trainees who have contributed including Linda Baldwin, Liesel Bott, Sarah Duly, Ben Keywood, Lizzie McBride, Rob Miller, Julie Riley, Sarah Sidgwick and Rachel Stevenson.
Report by: Pete Tomlin
Edited by: Robert Miller
Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust
37 Stafford Road
Sheffield S2 2SF
0114 263 4335
www.wildsheffield.com
Contents
1.0 Introduction 1
1.1 Purposes and formulation of the plan 2
1.2 Vision Statement 2
2.0 Management Aims And Objectives 3
3.0 Site Details 7
3.1 Location and extent 7
3.2 Landscape value and context 7
3.3 Site tenure and occupancy 7
3.4 Statutory designations 8
3.5 Adjacent land ownership 8
3.6 Past, recent and current land use 9
3.7 Services 10
3.8 Infrastructure 10
3.9 Public Rights of Way 11
4.0 Environmental information 12
4.1 Topography 12
4.2 Geology 12
4.3 Climate 12
4.4 Hydrology 12
4.5 Biodiversity Action Plans 13
4.6 List of surveys, monitoring schemes and reports 14
5.0 Biodiversity 15
5.1 Overview 15
5.2 Wet woodland 15
5.3 Dry woodland 16
5.4 Lagoon and surrounding wetland 17
5.5 Island 18
5.6 Meadow 18
5.7 Tall ruderal 19
5.8 Pond and scrape 19
5.9 River bank 20
5.10 Surveying 20
6.0 Infrastructure 22
6.1 Footpaths and tracks 22
6.2 Fences and other boundaries 22
6.3 Other structures 23
7.0 Cultural context 25
7.1 Recreational usage 25
7.2 Information and interpretation 25
7.3 Community 26
7.4 Education 28
7.5 Employment and training 28
7.6 Reserve Advisory Group (RAG) 29
8.0 Economic 30
8.1 Grant and schemes funding 30
8.2 Membership recruitment 30
9.0 Organisational Information 31
9.1 Health and safety 31
9.2 Sustainability 32
9.3 Management structure 34
10.0 Work programme 34
List of figures:
Figure 1: Site location and boundaries
Figure 2: Land ownership
Figure 3: Services
Figure 4: Infrastructure
Figure 5: Access
Figure 6: Connectivity to wider area.
Figure 7: Hydrology
Figure 8: Phase 1 Habitat Survey 2010
Figure 9: Phase 1 Habitat Survey 2012
Figure 10: Phase 1 Habitat Survey 2014
Figure 11: Aerial photo 2002
Figure 12: Aerial photo 2009
Figure 13: Wet woodland management
Figure 14: Tall ruderal management
Figure 15: Reed bed management
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust is part of a national association of 47 local Wildlife Trusts, which work with communities throughout the UK to protect wildlife in town and country. Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust aims to promote conservation, advance education in environmental matters, and improve the quality of life in Sheffield and Rotherham, through the development and promotion of sustainable land management practices, linked directly to both rural and urban regeneration.
Centenary Riverside Local Nature Reserve is part of the wider Living Don Living Landscape programme. The River Don itself forms the spine of the programme. The river flows from its headwaters in the Peak District, through South Yorkshire before joining the Humber. The programme area is essentially the Upper Don Basin within South Yorkshire - upstream of Sprotbrough, Doncaster. A partnership project, ‘The Living Don’, led by Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust, is working to enhance a number of ecological networks or ‘Living Landscape’ areas by creating or enhancing habitats, naturalising water bodies and improving green infrastructure such as footpath links and cycleways. Community engagement is central to all these activities to ensure that local needs are met, and the Living Landscape is sustainable for the future.
The objectives of the Living Don Living Landscapes programme are as follows:
v To manage core sites within the landscape to provide quality areas for biodiversity and recreation.
v To connect the core sites with other green spaces including other nature reserves, parks, allotments and gardens.
v To undertake and promote positive management of the natural environment to provide an ecologically functional landscape that provides ecological, economic, social and environmental services.
v To promote and enable appropriate public access to, and enjoyment of, wildlife reserves throughout Sheffield and Rotherham.
v To increase public understanding of the Living Don area’s local natural heritage, and participation of local people in the care and enjoyment of their local environment.
1.1 Purposes and formulation of the plan
This management plan has been formulated for the following reasons:
v To provide comprehensive and cohesive information about the Local Nature Reserve in one document, with reference to other documents where necessary.
v To outline the key long-term aims and the associated objectives that form the framework of management.
v To outline the rationale for management so as to give a clear and comprehensive explanation of why aspects need management and what form that management will take.
v To provide a key document from which projects are developed and associated funding sought.
v The plan allows consistency and continuity so that when changes of staff take place, or changes in ownership or disposal of the land occurs, then management aims, objectives and prescriptions are continued.
The work programme is set out within this document. However, the nature of work programmes is such that they vary and are modified due to unanticipated changes or developments. Therefore the full annual work programmes are kept and updated electronically at the Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust office.
1.2 Vision Statement
Centenary Riverside Local Nature Reserve provides an important green oasis amongst the industrial past of Rotherham. Created on the site of a former steelworks, Centenary Riverside will be managed to provide flood storage capacity and mitigation to help protect Rotherham from serious flooding from the River Don, whilst providing a stepping stone for wildlife to move up and down the river corridor to other local green spaces.
28
2.0 Management Aims And Objectives
Aims / Objectives2.1 FUNCTION
Aim 1 / Provide an area of flood storage capacity that is managed as an urban Local Nature Reserve for wildlife and people, as part of the Renaissance Flood Alleviation Scheme for Rotherham. / a) To assist in the protection of Rotherham Town Centre during times of flooding by providing an area of floodplain.
b) Monitor the lagoon and riverbanks for flood damage and report to stakeholders where relevant.
c) Maintain outflow pipes by removing blockages to allow passage of water to reduce flooding.
d) Monitor flood defences adjacent to the site and report any problems to relevant stakeholders.
e) Maintain vehicle access to the far end of the site so that flood defence infrastructure can be maintained by the Environment Agency. See Figure 5.
f) Monitor silting of lagoon following flood events, and maintain as necessary.
2.2 BIODIVERSITY
Aim 2 / Enhance and maintain biodiversity of the Nature Reserve’s meadows. / a) Maintain the meadows as a low-nutrient wildflower meadow by taking an annual hay cut and removing arisings.
b) Diversify the species present in meadow areas by seeding with yellow rattle to supress grasses.
c) Carry out management work to remove excessive thistle, goat’s rue and buddleia.
Aim 3 / Manage the planted woodland areas and ensure their successful development and management. / a) Encourage establishment of trees by mulching, strimming weeds and spraying weeds with herbicide around trees.
b) Water trees in times of drought.
c) Remove stakes and rabbit guards if no longer needed.
d) Undertake a coppicing programme in wet woodland area.
e) Manage levels of buddleia, goat’s rue and non-native species through removal.
Aim 4 / Maintain Pillwort Pond and scrapes. / a) Source or purchase pillwort and undertake successful transplant of pillwort plants.
b) Manage pillwort through trampling of pond edge to create muddy areas for colonisation.
c) Remove litter from the pond.
d) Monitor the growth of algal mats and reduce if necessary.
e) Ensure pond water levels are sufficient and top up if necessary.
f) Manage and control spread of non-native species.
g) Undertake a study of how changing the pH of the pond could aid in the success of pillwort planting, and affect the other vegetation.
Aim 5 / Protect and enhance the wetland areas around the lagoon and river bank. / a) Develop a rotational cutting regime for willow stands and reed beds to achieve a diverse structure of scrub and reed bed.
b) Remove and prevent establishment of invasive species such as Japanese knotweed and Himalayan balsam on the river bank and lagoon.
c) Remove rubbish deposited by river after flooding.
d) Monitor water levels and ensure that there is no access for people onto the islands. Removal of silt may be required to maintain sufficient depth of water.
e) Maintain outflow pipes by removing blockages to allow passage of water and wildlife.
f) Enhance biodiversity value of wetland around lagoon by creating ditches and plug planting rushes and sedges.
g) Manage island for ground nesting birds.
Aim 6 / Manage areas of tall ruderal for wide range of invertebrates and mammals. / a) Use rotational cutting and scouring to create a varied mosaic of early successional habitats in tall ruderal area.
b) Manage scrub to prevent succession.
c) Create wood piles in top ruderal area from debris to provide habitat for mammals.
Aim 7 / Record and monitor the ecological features of the reserve. / a) Continue monitoring key indicator grassland species on the reserve.
b) Monitor breeding populations of birds on the reserve.
c) Undertake a breeding bird survey and winter bird survey every five years.
d) Monitor the colonisation of aquatic flora and fauna of the lagoon, river bank and Pillwort Pond.
e) Undertake small mammal survey every five years.
f) Undertake pond survey every five years for vegetation, amphibians and fish.
2.3 INFRASTRUCTURE
Aim 8 / Maintain and improve physical access to the reserve, to enable appropriate public use and management. / a) Maintain hard standing path network through herbicide treatment, vegetation removal, path side strimming and spot repairs.
b) Maintain grass path through regular strimming throughout the spring and summer.
c) Remove build-up of silt and bird droppings on the boardwalk to maintain good condition and aesthetics.
d) Create scrapes adjacent to paths in wetter areas to store excess water and prevent water logging and erosion as required.
e) Maintain good condition of both boardwalks, and carry out spot repairs when necessary.
f) Undertake regular patrols to provide a site presence, identify maintenance issues and to keep the reserve litter free.
g) Encourage the responsible use of the site by dog walkers.
h) Remove graffiti from site furniture and bridge entrance as necessary.
i) Identify funding opportunities to construct a bridge over the canal from Don Island to join Centenary Riverside with the Trans Pennine Trail (TPT).
j) Produce detailed specifications for proposed bridge.
Aim 9 / Maintain benches and other features. / a) Regularly clean benches and undertake any necessary spot repairs.
b) Replace any broken timbers on post and rail fences.
c) Clean and undertake spot repairs to steps and boardwalk around Pillwort Pond.
d) Ensure Steel Henge is free from graffiti and damage.
e) Regularly clean interpretation panels and repair/replace if needed.
f) Repair any damage to compost storage area as necessary.
g) Maintain entrance gate and bollard, and repaint if necessary in conjunction with Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC).
h) Replace stolen sections of Steel Henge.
i) Replace vandalised benches with new ones or other structures such as boulders or logs.
2.4 CULTURAL
Aim 10 / Protect cultural features. / a) Maintain Steel Henge and deckchairs.
b) Retain the wall alongside bridge.
c) Maintain condition of bridge in partnership with RMBC.
Aim 11 / Promote and encourage community involvement in the reserve. / a) Contact local interest groups and the wider community to publicise Centenary Riverside Local Nature Reserve.
b) Continue to run and develop a Reserve Advisory Group made up of local stakeholders including local residents, businesses, interest groups, schools and individuals.
c) Keep the Reserves Advisory Group and other local people and organisations informed and involved in decision-making where appropriate.
d) Conduct a visitor (on-site and postal) survey every five years.
e) Advertise an events programme that encourages use of the site.
f) Encourage feedback from users and stakeholders by the provision of contact details.
g) Recruit volunteers to work with the Nature Reserves team to provide a presence on site.
h) Explore ways of reaching out to all members of the community.
Aim 12 / Utilise Centenary Riverside Local Nature Reserve to raise awareness and understanding of the importance of biodiversity and the natural world. / a) Continue to develop and review Outdoor Learning resources for use by schools and youth groups on the reserve.
b) Run Outdoor Learning visits for local schools on the site.
c) Encourage schools to use Centenary Riverside Local Nature Reserve independently.
d) Provide guided walks, talks to local groups, and attend local events to promote the reserve and Wildlife Trust membership.
2.5 ECONOMIC
Aim 13 / Undertake detailed design of planned education and training centre on site. / a) Identify and apply for external funding to secure the development and construction of an education and training centre if deemed desirable.
Aim 14 / Provide opportunities to use the reserve as a training resource. / a) Provide training opportunities to the Trust’s staff and other interested individuals in relevant skills such as hay meadow and pasture management, tree planting and aftercare, hedge planting, plant ID skills, bird ID and ecological survey skills.
Aim 15 / Continue and develop on-going sources of grant aid and other income to support the management of the reserve. / a) Finance department to manage endowment to provide sufficient recourses for ongoing maintenance of the site.
b) Identify funding opportunities when they arise.
c) Apply for funding opportunities to help deliver site work.
d) Use the site as a resource to recruit new members.
28