Cottam Hall, Preston – Habitat Bank with Hibernaculum
Client: WYG / AECOM / Homes England
Final Value: £22,000
Start Date: Feb 2019
Status: Mar 2019
Background
Cottam Hall is located in Preston in the heart of Lancashire. The area also covers the site of the old Cottam Brickworks and has been highlighted for development by Preston City Council.
CCNW was appointed by WYG, in association with AECOM and Homes England to carry out works to create a habitat bank with hibernaculum to the site at Cottam Hall North. CCNW’s specialist conservation team has extensive experience of all aspects of conservation work and habitat improvement projects.
CCNW Solution
CCNW’s specialist conservation team has extensive experience of all aspects of habitat creation and enhancement works and Great Crested Newt Mitigation Projects within the North West.
The creation of this habitat bank with hibernaculum was 190m x 5m wide: Marking out of the alignment of the new habitat bank with hibernaculum was undertaken to leave a 2m buffer zone to protect tree/hedgerow roots on the existing hedgerow lines within the site. Strimming was carried out along the alignment of the new hibernaculum for 190m long by 5m wide.
Turf Stripping: Turfs were scraped off down to soil depth/level, along the full length of the alignment of the new hibernaculum bund. Excavated turf was kept to re-use to form the top layer of the bund.
Excavations: An excavation ditch line was created for 190m to a 1m depth from ground level by 2m wide at the bottom of the ditch and 5m at ground level. Excavated materials were kept for re-use.
Land Drain: 100mm perforated land drain was installed into the base of the excavated ditch line for 190m, backfilled and levelled to a depth of 300mm using 25-40 clean aggregate over the top.
Concrete Blocks: The installation of 10 sections of concrete hollow blocks were installed at 10m spaces, stacked 3 high in a pyramid shape, placed on a bed of clean aggregate within the bund. Bark chippings were used to cover the concrete block sections and inert clean fill between.
Amphibian Pipe: The installation of a 50mm perforated land drain pipe, placed at 1m intervals on both sides of the bank was installed along the full length acting as an entrance for amphibians to crawl down to the hibernaculum/hibernation bund sections.
Backfilling: Excavated soil was re-used to construct and cover over the new Habitat bank/ hibernaculum installation. The soil was then used to build up and shape the sides of the bund and then compacted. Turf strips were then re-used to cover the top of the bund.
Hedge Planting: A double hedgerow was planted up using 6 British native species 60-90 bare rootstock and tree protection.
Post and wire Stock Fencing: A post and wire stock fence was installed to protect the bund on both sides from livestock.
Special Features
Habitat Bank with Hibernaculum
Services
Habitat Creation
Habitat Restoration
Habitat Planting
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