Working closely with our partner, Temple, we delivered an ecological scoping survey and detailed package of mitigation measures, prior to works on seventeen small stations, from South Acton west London to Homerton in east London. The main proposal was to extend the platforms to allow for the introduction of 5 car rolling stock to increase the carrying capacity of the line.
We took into consideration the impact of the proposed works for each site on a range of protected species including reptiles, bats, badgers and breeding birds, and on any statutory and non-statutory sites of Importance for Nature Conservation falling within 1km of the works, including places such as Wormwood Scrubs Local Nature Reserve. Each site was also assessed in terms of the habitats present and we noted features of integral value for wildlife, for example existing buildings, mature trees, scrub or rough grass.
The majority of the proposed work sites were dominated by rough grassland and/or scrub habitat. Some had mature trees on the site. Nine of the stations had good potential to support reptiles, eight had the potential to support breeding birds, two had the potential to support badgers and one had potential for roosting bats.
We provided ecological supervision throughout the project and recommended mitigation measures and enhancement for reptiles, invertebrates, breeding birds, and bats. These included placing bug hotels among long grass at South Acton station, wildflower grassland planting at Kensal Rise and Canonbury, bird boxes at Brondesbury, and native tree planting at Gospel Oak.
We provided maintenance plans for vegetation that would encourage wildlife, and suggested that interpretation boards, placed on the platforms, could inform the public. Most importantly we agreed to deliver toolbox talks to all staff concerned with the redevelopment works and we supervised each stage of the project.
