Highways Agency - Safe roads, Reliable journeys, Informed travellers

Executive Summary

Biodiversity is a term used to describe the variety of life on Earth. The conservation of a complex system of habitats and species is essential to maintain the ecological health of the planet. In June 1992, the UK became a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity, thus making a commitment to conserve and enhance our national biodiversity.

The Highways Agency is currently responsible for approximately 10,400km of roads across England, carrying volumes of traffic ranging from 5,000 vehicles per day to over 200,000 vehicles per day. Land owned by the Highways Agency between the highway fences, but not occupied by the road carriageway, is known as the soft estate. This currently represents approximately 30,000 hectares of land, supporting a wide range of habitats.

Ecological issues have been incorporated into the management of the soft estate since the late 1970s. In 2000, the Highways Agency stated in its response to the Government's 10 Year Plan for Transport that it has a target to 'manage the core HA road network in line with Biodiversity Action Plans' by 2006. In this document, the Highways Agency presents its own Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP), the HABAP.

As a first step towards developing the HABAP, the Agency established a Biodiversity Partnership of interested organisations, including the DTLR, English Nature, the Environment Agency, the Wildlife Trusts and the RSPB. The Partnership developed a set of broad objectives for the HABAP.

In 1999/2000, the Agency carried out an audit of the existing biodiversity on the soft estate, and published the information in the Stage 1 Report. The report identified that about 40% of priority habitats 53% of priority species identified in the UK BAP are known, or are likely to occur, on the soft estate. The audit process also involved a review of UK, Regional and Local BAPs, which revealed that the Agency clearly has the potential to influence their targets. Habitats and species for individual action planswere selected using three criteria:

• habitats or species that occur on the soft estate which
• are a priority habitat/species in the UKBAP; and/or
• are included in the UKBAP or any Local BAP with a request for HA action.

'the Agency clearly has the potential to influence UK, Regional and Local BAP targets'

Five broad habitat types (woodland, grassland, heathland, boundary features and water features) have been selected. Within each HAP, detailed actions are provided for relevant UKBAP priority habitats. Further habitats of conservation concern (but which are not classified as UKBAP Priority Habitats) are also included.

Twenty species (or groups of species) were identified for SAPs and are grouped to relate them to the habitat type with which they are most commonly associated. Each group of SAPs also contains a broad introduction to other associated species of conservation importance. Further species may be added to the list as the plan develops, and for this reason the HAPs and SAPs are published in a loose-leaf format.

'the soft estate has considerable potential for habitat enhancement and creation'

HAP and SAP targets will be challenging for the Agency to deliver. Some, for instance that for otters, will require major retrospective mitigation work to reduce the impact of the road network on the species. For other habitats and species, fairly minor changes in patterns of road verge management will have disproportionate benefits for wildlife.

The achievement of biodiversity targets is regarded by the Government as a major contribution to sustainable development in the UK. The Agency can help to fulfil these objectives in relation to its soft estate, which has considerable potential for habitat enhancement and creation.

Targets

Specific habitat and species related objectives and targets are included in the individual Action Plans in Part B. The following general objectives apply universally to the work of the Highways Agency in relation to biodiversity.