The agricultural land earmarked for the solar park is adjacent to where the energy company already operates a windfarm
THE RSPB's longtime favourite green energy company, Ecotricity, has pledged to provide mitigation habitat for farmland birds that risk being displaced on a field that it has earmarked for construction of a solar park.
Latest breeding season surveys of the environs of the 20.1-hectare site at Conisholme, near Louth, in Lincolnshire, revealed the presence of no fewer than 32 individual species holding territories
Among them were at least eight pairs of skylarks and two pairs of yellow wagtails - both Red-listed species.
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| Yellow wagtail - colourful bird which likes ditches and dykes |
But Stroud-based developer Ecotricity which - at least until recently - had a close financial relationship with the RSPB says it will create habitat favourable to both these species as well as to others such as grey partridge.
This seems to have satisfied planners at East Lindsey District Council which has this month granted planning consent for the project on condition that various biodiversity-safeguarding pledges are met.
Says the council's planning consent document: "The permission hereby given for the solar farm shall be for a limited period of 40 years from the date of the first export of electricity from the site.
"At the end of this period or upon cessation of their use for the generation of electricity, whichever is the sooner, all associated structures and equipment shall be fully removed from the application site and the site cleared, including any below-ground concrete.
"For the avoidance of doubt, this condition does not relate to the on-site landscaping and boundary hedging."
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| Skylark - recorded breeding on the site |
The application site is between Conisholme, South Somercotes and Alvingham, immediately to the south-east of a windfarm (also owned by Ecotricity) which consists of 20 turbines with a hub height of 65 metres and blade diameter of 48 metres.
Proximity to a windfarm is advantageous because the same links to the National Grid can be shared.
Not far away is a birding hotspot - Covenham Reservoir - which, especially at migration times, attracts a range of sometimes scarce waterfowl, divers and waders.
The field earmarked for the development is described as Grade 3b arable land and is bordered by dykes which are maintained by Lindsey Marsh Drainage Board.
There are no public rights of way across the field, and access is via a lane off the A1031 Conisholme Road.
The four breeding bird surveys, which were overseen by Ecotricity's chief in-house ecological consultant, Mark Latham, between April 8 and 9 June last year, detected the following 35 species of which all but barn owl, little egret and sparrowhawk were identified as holding territories:
* Shelduck (1 pair)
* Reed warbler (3)
* Mallard (1)
* Whitethroat (15)
* Grey partridge (5)
* Wren (6)
* Pheasant (7)
* Blackbird 2
* Red-legged partridge (4)
* Robin (1)
* Stock dove (3)
* House sparrow (2)
* Woodpigeon (11)
* Tree sparrow (2)
* Lapwing (3)
* Dunnock (3)
* Little egret
* Yellow wagtail (5)
* Sparrowhawk
* Pied wagtail (1)
* Buzzard (1)
* Meadow pipit (2)
* Barn owl
* Chaffinch (6)
* Kestrel (1)
* Greenfinch (2)
* Magpie (2)
* Linnet (4)
* Carrion crow (3)
* Goldfinch (2)
* Skylark (27)
* Yellowhammer (1)
* Swallow (1)
* Reed bunting (14)
* Sedge warbler (8)
Says Mr Latham: "No breeding species were found to be present in regionally or nationally important numbers.
"The overall breeding bird community was typical of the wider Lincolnshire Fens agricultural landscape such that no species were found to be breeding in significant numbers.
"Furthermore, the majority of breeding birds were located not within the ‘footprint’ of the proposed development, but in the variety of surrounding habitats.
"In particular, only ten pairs of two species (eight skylark and two yellow wagtail) were found breeding within the ‘footprint’ of the proposed development."
What mitigation is proposed for the loss of habitat?
The main measure outlined by Mr Latham involves a process of what is described as 'arable reversion'.
"The site will be reverted from arable land to a mosaic of grassland areas of varying species richness," he says.
"This habitat creation is considered to mitigate for ground-nesting birds including skylark and yellow wagtail."
It is hoped that seven other Red-listed species - grey partridge, lapwing, house sparrow, tree sparrow, greenfinch, linnet and yellowhammer - will also be beneficiaries.
Also proposed is the installation of 10 Schwegler nest boxes of a type suitable for tit family members
What about outside the breeding season? Were bird surveys also recorded then?
Between October 2023 and March 2024, the consultant says Ecotricity conducted monthly winter surveys which revealed the presence - on at least one occasion for each - of some 50 species.
As with the breeding birds, none of the wintering species listed below was found to be present in regionally or nationally important numbers:
* Canada goose
* Grey lag goose
* Mute swan
* Shelduck
* Shoveler
* Wigeon
* Mallard
* Teal
* Grey partridge
* Pheasant
* Red-legged partridge
* Stock dove
* Woodpigeon
* Lapwing
* Golden plover
* Snipe
* Green sandpiper
* Black-headed gull
* Common gull
* Grey heron
* Little egret
* Sparrowhawk
* Buzzard
* Kestrel
* Merlin
* Peregrine
* Magpie
* Jackdaw
* Rook
* Carrion crow
* Blue tit
* Skylark
* Wren
* Starling
* Blackbird
* Fieldfare
* Song thrush
* Redwing
* Robin
* Dunnock
* Pied wagtail
* Meadow pipit
* Chaffinch
* Brambling
* Greenfinch
* Linnet
* Goldfinch
* Corn bunting
* Yellowhammer
* Reed bunting
Among the most noteworthy of these species are golden plover and lapwing.
However, the consultant's only sighting of the former consisted of two individuals foraging on an agricultural field outside the proposed development area on October 24, 2023.
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| Golden plover - sighted only on a single day in October |
He writes: "Recorded on just one occasion, these birds were considered to be generally roving around in the much wider agricultural landscape.
"The proposed development area should therefore be considered to be of negligible importance to this species."
More abundant were lapwings which were recorded in each month of the survey of wintering birds.
Notes Mr Latham: "Outside the proposed development area, two birds were recorded in November and ten in March.
"Within the proposed development area, 309 were recorded in November; 28 in December; 30 in January; and one in February.
"Coinciding with a strong passage of lapwing through the region, the good count of 309 made on November 19, 2023 was considered to have been comprised of transient birds on autumn migration.
"There is no evidence to suggest that the lapwings loafing/roosting on the proposed development area were commuting to/from Humber Estuary Special Protection Area/ Site of Special Scientific Interest.
"Instead, they formed part of the regular inland passage/wintering population with all their requirements (foraging, loafing, roosting) provided across the vast Lincolnshire / East Midlands agricultural landscape."
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| Lapwing - a species regularly seen on Lincolnshire farmland in autumn and winter |
Because the field could be of archaeological interest, an additional condition on the planning consent is that there should be an archaeological evaluation involving trench excavation.
Says Denise Drury of Sleaford-based Heritage Lincolnshire: "The proposal is located in an area of archaeological potential, with Roman pottery and medieval and undated cropmarks and earthworks being recorded in the general vicinity."
The planning consent from East Lindsey District Council imposes no condition that Ecotricity is required to conduct post-installation bird surveys, let alone publish same, so it may never be known if the mitgation measures succeed.
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