Protecting the environment

The River Rother and surrounding area is important for wildlife and has international designations protecting it. These include a Special Protection Area to protect birdlife and a Ramsar site to protect wetland wildlife. The project can only carry out work between March and November as the area has lots of over wintering birds which we do not want to disturb.

To prevent losses of saltmarsh along the river, we’ll create four hectares of new saltmarsh habitat near Monk Bretton Bridge. We will do this by moving the current line of embankment approximately 80 metres inland and will allow the tide to regularly flood the land in front. This will return this area of land to the saltmarsh habitat it used to be before the embankment was built over 150 years ago. Some areas of this land will be raised to ensure a variety of saltmarsh plants can survive the rising sea levels over the next 50 years. This will be important for plants, birds, fish and invertebrates.

The development of saltmarsh plants will take several years and the changes that will occur on the land will be similar to the habitat created in Rye Harbour Farm – as seen below.

Rye Harbour Farm before

Rye Harbour Farm after

There are huge benefits of recreating threatened salt marsh habitat, which include benefits to fish, marine life and birds, carbon sequestration, and possible social and recreational benefits for the surrounding communities. These works to protect the saltmarsh, which provides habitat for birds, are required by law under the Habitats Regulations.


Animal protection

Before any of the planned works can take place we have to take measures to ensure none of the current inhabitants of the land we are working on are harmed or permanently lose their habitats. Please see below for information about some of these and the different ways we are working hard to protect them and their futures.


Habitat fencing that has been erected along the scheme


Mallard

We continue to monitor the site to ensure that the local ecology is protected whilst we undertake the scheme, by doing so we have recently discovered a Mallard nesting around our works measures were put in place to protect her and as a result we now have Mallard ducklings on site.

Great-Crested Newts

Great-Crested Newts (GCN) are the largest newt species in the UK; once common across Europe, has declined significantly due to farming intensification and the gradual loss of breeding ponds. The Weald and Romney Marsh landscapes are particularly suited to great crested newts due to the abundance of ponds and ditches, hedgerows and woodland.

Great crested newts are fully protected under UK and European legislation: The animals and their eggs, breeding sites and resting places are protected by laws such as:

    • Bern Convention 1979: Appendix II Strictly Protected Fauna Species
    • Wildlife & Countryside Act (as Amended) 1981
    • The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 (Regs) (The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 transposes into UK law the EU Habitats Directive Council Directive 92/43/EEC)
    • Countryside Rights of Way Act 2000 (CRoW 2000)


Female and juvenile smooth newts that have been relocated from the site


With this in mind, we are working with ecologists to ensure the safety and longevity of these Newts and their habitats. We have an ecologist team who are collecting the Newts in traps which allow us to relocate them to a safe area away from the works. We have a European Protected Species Mitigation licence (granted by Natural England) in place which allows us to translocate any newts within the working area to suitable, safe habitat within 500m of the working area (Designated receptor areas). All people involved in the translocation of GCN must hold a licence to handle the animals.

Licenced relocation has to be undertaken for 60 consecutive days, with a least 5 further days when no animals are found. This must be undertaken while the GCN are active (generally considered March to October, although we continued until November this year due to the very mild weather).

Other animal Trapping

Other animals being translocated are reptiles (grass snakes, common lizards and slow worms) and other amphibians (smooth and palmate newts, frogs and toads). All are protected by law against intentional killing or injury. Animals have been moved to the same receptor areas as the GCN.

Marsh Mallow Moths are a very rare species of moth which only breeds on marshmallow plants which can be found along the ditches on the Romney Marsh. Any plants that are located within the footprint of the works is being translocated to suitable growing areas outside the working area to ensure there is not impact on the marshmallow moth population.

Trapping the animals for relocation

Within the identified trapping areas there are pitfall traps placed along the fence line into which the animals can safely fall, to be collected and moved. There are also carpet tiles and roof felt tiles placed throughout the areas under which the reptiles can take refuge. These tiles are checked by lifting and any animals found are picked up and placed into a container to be released into the receptor areas. These pitfall traps and tiles are checked daily. In terms of badger relocation, the team identify where potential badger setts may be located and monitor them for any movement. So far we have not found any badgers that need relocating from the area.


A pitfall trap used to collect the GCN for relocation

Relocating the animals

Animals that are caught are moved to areas outside of where the works are taking place, but they are not moved too far away and kept in a similar habitat to ensure as little disruption to the animal as possible. These receptor areas have additional log piles and other materials for the animals to give cover and protection to them until they find their own way into new suitable areas.

Between the Summer and November 2022, we have caught and moved the following animals successfully:

  • Great Crested Newts - approximately 440 small newts (smooth and palmate)
  • 20 slow worm
  • One common lizard
  • One grass snake

Badgers

Badgers live underground in large burrow systems called setts, some of which have been used for over 100 years by generations of badgers and may have more than 40 entrances. A badger community normally consists of several adult boars (males) and sows (females) together with one or two litters of cubs - up to 15 animals in total. A community's territory may be 90-120 acres in size.

Badgers and their setts (tunnels and chambers where they live) are protected by law (Protection of Badgers Act 1992).

A badger sett was located on the sea wall that is to be rebuilt. The sett had to be moved to ensure the safety and welfare of the badgers. It would be unlawful to damage the sett without a licence. A new artificial sett was built, and animals had to be seen using it before the old sett was closed. Works were undertaken during the summer months as badger setts are also protected between November and July (their breeding season). Works to close the sett were carried out under Licence from Natural England.




Artificial badger set






The River Rother and surrounding area is important for wildlife and has international designations protecting it. These include a Special Protection Area to protect birdlife and a Ramsar site to protect wetland wildlife. The project can only carry out work between March and November as the area has lots of over wintering birds which we do not want to disturb.

To prevent losses of saltmarsh along the river, we’ll create four hectares of new saltmarsh habitat near Monk Bretton Bridge. We will do this by moving the current line of embankment approximately 80 metres inland and will allow the tide to regularly flood the land in front. This will return this area of land to the saltmarsh habitat it used to be before the embankment was built over 150 years ago. Some areas of this land will be raised to ensure a variety of saltmarsh plants can survive the rising sea levels over the next 50 years. This will be important for plants, birds, fish and invertebrates.

The development of saltmarsh plants will take several years and the changes that will occur on the land will be similar to the habitat created in Rye Harbour Farm – as seen below.

Rye Harbour Farm before

Rye Harbour Farm after

There are huge benefits of recreating threatened salt marsh habitat, which include benefits to fish, marine life and birds, carbon sequestration, and possible social and recreational benefits for the surrounding communities. These works to protect the saltmarsh, which provides habitat for birds, are required by law under the Habitats Regulations.


Animal protection

Before any of the planned works can take place we have to take measures to ensure none of the current inhabitants of the land we are working on are harmed or permanently lose their habitats. Please see below for information about some of these and the different ways we are working hard to protect them and their futures.


Habitat fencing that has been erected along the scheme


Mallard

We continue to monitor the site to ensure that the local ecology is protected whilst we undertake the scheme, by doing so we have recently discovered a Mallard nesting around our works measures were put in place to protect her and as a result we now have Mallard ducklings on site.

Great-Crested Newts

Great-Crested Newts (GCN) are the largest newt species in the UK; once common across Europe, has declined significantly due to farming intensification and the gradual loss of breeding ponds. The Weald and Romney Marsh landscapes are particularly suited to great crested newts due to the abundance of ponds and ditches, hedgerows and woodland.

Great crested newts are fully protected under UK and European legislation: The animals and their eggs, breeding sites and resting places are protected by laws such as:

    • Bern Convention 1979: Appendix II Strictly Protected Fauna Species
    • Wildlife & Countryside Act (as Amended) 1981
    • The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 (Regs) (The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 transposes into UK law the EU Habitats Directive Council Directive 92/43/EEC)
    • Countryside Rights of Way Act 2000 (CRoW 2000)


Female and juvenile smooth newts that have been relocated from the site


With this in mind, we are working with ecologists to ensure the safety and longevity of these Newts and their habitats. We have an ecologist team who are collecting the Newts in traps which allow us to relocate them to a safe area away from the works. We have a European Protected Species Mitigation licence (granted by Natural England) in place which allows us to translocate any newts within the working area to suitable, safe habitat within 500m of the working area (Designated receptor areas). All people involved in the translocation of GCN must hold a licence to handle the animals.

Licenced relocation has to be undertaken for 60 consecutive days, with a least 5 further days when no animals are found. This must be undertaken while the GCN are active (generally considered March to October, although we continued until November this year due to the very mild weather).

Other animal Trapping

Other animals being translocated are reptiles (grass snakes, common lizards and slow worms) and other amphibians (smooth and palmate newts, frogs and toads). All are protected by law against intentional killing or injury. Animals have been moved to the same receptor areas as the GCN.

Marsh Mallow Moths are a very rare species of moth which only breeds on marshmallow plants which can be found along the ditches on the Romney Marsh. Any plants that are located within the footprint of the works is being translocated to suitable growing areas outside the working area to ensure there is not impact on the marshmallow moth population.

Trapping the animals for relocation

Within the identified trapping areas there are pitfall traps placed along the fence line into which the animals can safely fall, to be collected and moved. There are also carpet tiles and roof felt tiles placed throughout the areas under which the reptiles can take refuge. These tiles are checked by lifting and any animals found are picked up and placed into a container to be released into the receptor areas. These pitfall traps and tiles are checked daily. In terms of badger relocation, the team identify where potential badger setts may be located and monitor them for any movement. So far we have not found any badgers that need relocating from the area.


A pitfall trap used to collect the GCN for relocation

Relocating the animals

Animals that are caught are moved to areas outside of where the works are taking place, but they are not moved too far away and kept in a similar habitat to ensure as little disruption to the animal as possible. These receptor areas have additional log piles and other materials for the animals to give cover and protection to them until they find their own way into new suitable areas.

Between the Summer and November 2022, we have caught and moved the following animals successfully:

  • Great Crested Newts - approximately 440 small newts (smooth and palmate)
  • 20 slow worm
  • One common lizard
  • One grass snake

Badgers

Badgers live underground in large burrow systems called setts, some of which have been used for over 100 years by generations of badgers and may have more than 40 entrances. A badger community normally consists of several adult boars (males) and sows (females) together with one or two litters of cubs - up to 15 animals in total. A community's territory may be 90-120 acres in size.

Badgers and their setts (tunnels and chambers where they live) are protected by law (Protection of Badgers Act 1992).

A badger sett was located on the sea wall that is to be rebuilt. The sett had to be moved to ensure the safety and welfare of the badgers. It would be unlawful to damage the sett without a licence. A new artificial sett was built, and animals had to be seen using it before the old sett was closed. Works were undertaken during the summer months as badger setts are also protected between November and July (their breeding season). Works to close the sett were carried out under Licence from Natural England.




Artificial badger set






Page last updated: 21 May 2024, 08:26 AM