Good Practise  and Awards

MEAS has worked in partnership with Peel, their consultants TEP, Natural England and Wirral Council  to provide regulatory assistance and advice for the new nesting rafts at Morpeth Dock, as part of the development of  Wirral Waters.

The new rafts will provide nesting and roosting habitat for Common tern and cormorant, which are qualifying bird species of the Liverpool Bay SPA.

Full details can be found in an article published by Wirral Globe on 28/07/2020.

A link to the article can be found here

Merseyside EAS Role & Advice: Sefton Council Coastal Defence Team wanted to deliver a coastal defence intervention at Hightown to protect Blundellsands Sailing Club and houses to landward from future flood risk.  The mechanism to deliver this was determined to be a replacement of the existing engineered defence at the sailing club and the replenishment of the frontal dunes to its north and south using up to 30,000m³ of sand brought to the site from elsewhere.  After examining various options, it was decided to take the sand from the windblown dune deposits behind Crosby promenade and deliver it to Hightown using a temporary coastal haul route.  Because of the scale of the project and the sensitive nature of the coastal environment (including European and SSSI site designations), it was recognised from an early stage that any planning application would require Environmental Impact Assessment and a Habitats Regulations Screening. The service was engaged by Sefton Coastal Defence as principal environmental advisors to the scheme, with the particular role of producing the Environmental Statement and overseeing the HRA Screening, as well as handling liaison with Planning.  A dedicated project team was established to do this and a ‘chinese wall’ put in place within the office to avoid conflict of interest with colleagues providing advice to Sefton Planning as part of the Core Service.  The project involved the direct application of technical skills through, for instance, ecological baseline survey and mitigation design, as well as the oversight of consultants in relation to Habitats Regulations Screening, Traffic assessment and heritage studies.  The production and submission of a valid planning application, including the ES, was a major exercise in planning and technical writing, design and layout and document control. A key part of the project was liaison with critical consultees, including Natural England, and the handling of responses to the planning application including changes in scheme design and the wording of planning conditions.  Work continued on the discharge of planning conditions and the oversight of operations on site, including briefing of the Ecological Clerk of Works. Outcome: The scheme was successfully delivered on the back of a valid planning application with an ES and HRA screening that formed the basis of an agreed set of environmental mitigation and enhancement measures.

Merseyside EAS Role & Advice:

 

Sefton Council was working on proposals to redesign the public open space at Bootle Cemetery.  This project envisaged that the derelict chapel in the centre of the cemetery would be demolished.  However, in November 2009, it became apparent that the building was a safety risk to the public, especially after youths were pictured clambering on the roof in footage posted on the internet.

 

A decision was taken to progress the demolition and a bat survey was commissioned.  This revealed that the building had bat roosting potential and the report advised that further bat surveys should be undertaken in spring 2010 to determine whether bats were present.  Bat roosts are protected by the Habitats Regulations 1994 et seq and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, as amended.

 

At this point, the Council contacted MEAS for advice.  MEAS’ initial advice was that the building should be secured and that the Council should postpone the demolition until further bat surveys had been undertaken.  If bats were present, then a bat licence could be obtained under the Habitats Regulations to permit the bat roost to be legally destroyed on the grounds of public safety.

 

However, due to the location and nature of the site, the Council felt that attempts to secure the building would be unlikely to succeed and were concerned that the condition of the building was such that waiting to undertake further bat survey could put members of the public at risk.  Another solution was needed.  MEAS explored a number of options with the Council to reassure them that it would be possible for them to comply with their commitment to public safety and work within the Habitats Regulations.

 

MEAS advised that the demolition of Bootle chapel could be undertaken as an emergency operation if it were possible to demonstrate that the building posed a very high risk to the public and that all other options had been ruled out, in line with Natural England guidance.  As destruction of a bat roost is a strict liability offence (i.e. there are no legal defences), this course of action would require the Council to work closely with the Police and Natural England.  It would also be necessary to take all reasonable steps to protect bats during the works, e.g. using appropriate demolition techniques, providing alternative roosting facilities and having the works supervised by a licensed bat worker.

Outcome

The chapel was demolished as an emergency operation under the supervision of a licensed bat worker in full liaison with the Merseyside Police Wildlife Crime Officer.  No bats were found during the works.  Bat boxes were erected in the cemetery to compensate for lost bat roosting opportunities

 

Merseyside EAS Role & Advice:

 

Advocacy with Districts (through LCR Environment and Waste Board) on the use of dedicated sub-regional Climate Change Skills Fund resources on investigating the potential for authorities to engage directly in the energy sector to aid delivery of social and low carbon goals.

 

Agreement of project goals with districts and leading on costing, scoping and procurement through competitive tender arrangement.  Overall value of 2 stages £80k.

 

Consultants appointed to show how authorities can engage in various models of Special Purpose Vehicle (e.g. Energy Service Company) to take an active role in infrastructure and service delivery, with different arrangements giving different financial profiles and levels of risk, and having different levels of private sector engagement.  A spectrum of approaches shown to be available to authorities, depending on need.  A LCR approach mooted, but left open to further discussion.

 

Consultants also asked to set out the value of a Sustainable Energy Action Plan

(SEAP) for the City Region and, on the back of Position Statement, a new phase of the project moved on to develop a SEAP compliant with the requirements of the European Covenant of Mayors, providing a framework for co-ordination of energy projects in the City Region, with a carbon emissions baseline, and a means of engagement with external administrative and funding mechanisms, in addition to private sector investors.

 

As project managers, planned a number of awareness raising events which have helped to significantly raise the profile of the issues in the LCR.

Outcome:

An enhanced capacity for the LCR authorities to actively engage in the energy sector in a co-ordinated way that can address social goals while also bringing investment and jobs.

 

Nature Connected and MEAS are delighted to announce that the LCR Year of Environment 2019 has been shortlisted under 2 categories for the 2020 IEMA Sustainability Impact Awards:

 

Biodiversity and Environmental Net Gain

Sustainability Campaign (Not-For-Profit-Charity)

 

This is a fantastic achievement as the IEMA Sustainability Impact Awards attracted a great number of entries this year and the judges found it particularly difficult to single out the shortlisted entries.

 

This is a testament to all the hard work of Nature Connected and their partners and sponsors including MEAS who helped deliver a successful Year of Environment #YOE2019LCR