Draft Islington’s Biodiversity Strategy andAction Plan2010 - 2013

Version 29

Date Version Lead officer Signed off26/2/10 29 L.Brisland

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PrefaceThe natural world is something on which we all depend. From the food we eat to the feeling of wellbeing we gain from walking in our local park, the natural world underpins everything from our quality of life and health to our economy. It is therefore absolutely vital that we protect and maintain our biodiversity.

Despite Islington being one of the most urban and densely populated of the London Boroughs it supports a fantastic diversity of wildlife. From our three flagship Local Nature Reserves to our award winning parks, the natural world is never far away. Even in our built environment, nature has made itself at home with roof tops and walls also providing valuable habitats.

Islington’s wildlife and wild places help bring the experience of the natural world to many people. They also can serve to bring together different communities for a common purpose, promoting community cohesion. Taking part in a wildlife project can increase people’s confidence and pride in their area.

Whilst there is no question that biodiversity makes our Borough a more enjoyable and more interesting place to live, it is under increasing threat and is vulnerable to habitat loss, neglect, development, pollution, climate change and other pressures. As a result we find that both nationally and locally species are declining or becoming extinct and that even some of our commonest species, such as the house sparrow, are under threat.

Much has already been achieved to date. Actions from creating floating islands along the Regents Canal to installing bird and bat boxes in our street trees are having positive results and we are very proud that Islington now has more green roofs than any other Borough in London. We have also increased the diversity of our tree population, planting new varietiesincluding species that are well equipped to deal with the effects of climate change such as longer drier summers.

But there is much more to be done and Islington’s Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan set out actions and activities to help us achieve this, building on the achievements of our first Biodiversity Action Plan. For example, both bee and swift populations have seen large declines nationally and to help us do more locally they have their own species action plans.

The protection of our biodiversity cannot however be achieved by the Council alone. We all have a responsibility to protect and enhance Islington’s biodiversity for the benefit of both wildlife and people. Through the Islington Biodiversity Partnership, the council, residents and businesses we will work together to make a difference and ensure that these actions and activities are achieved.

Each of us enjoys the benefits of biodiversity and has a role to play in its protection. We hope everyone in Islington will get involved in carrying forward this important plan contributing towards making the Borough a place where residents can access and enjoy a high quality natural environment.

Cllr Greg Foxsmith, Executive Member for the Environment, Islington Council

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Table of Contents

Preface.................................................................................................................................2

Executive Summary............................................................................................................5

1. Introduction .................................................................................................................7

1.1 What is Biodiversity?.............................................................................................................. 7

1.2 Why is Biodiversity Important? ............................................................................................. 71.2.1 Biodiversity, Health and Social Well-being ................................................................. 71.2.2 Ecosystem Services....................................................................................................... 91.2.3 Biodiversity and Economics ....................................................................................... 101.2.4 Biodiversity and a Changing Climate......................................................................... 11

2. The Ecology of Islington...........................................................................................13

2.1 Our Biodiversity Heritage..................................................................................................... 13

3. The Challenges and Opportunities ..........................................................................15

3.1 Climate Change ..................................................................................................................... 15

3.2 Our Green Infrastructure ...................................................................................................... 15

3.3 Conserving, Enhancing and Monitoring............................................................................. 16

3.4 Increasing Awareness and Working Together................................................................... 17

3.5 Planning and Development.................................................................................................. 18

3.6 An Ecosystems Approach ................................................................................................... 19

3.7 Leading By Example ............................................................................................................. 20

4. Protecting Biodiversity: The National and Regional Response.............................21

4.1 The Convention on Biological Diversity ............................................................................. 21

4.2 The National Response: UK Biodiversity Action Plan .................................................... 21

4.3 The Regional Response: London’s Biodiversity Action Plan ......................................... 21

5. The Local Response: An Action Plan for Islington................................................22

5.1 Our Biodiversity Duty ........................................................................................................... 22

5.2 Local Policy ........................................................................................................................... 23

5.3 Corporate Priorities .............................................................................................................. 23

5.4 What Are We Already Doing? .............................................................................................. 245.4.1 Biodiversity Gains through Planning ......................................................................... 245.4.2 Increasing and Improving Green Spaces .................................................................. 24

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5.4.3 Growing Green Roofs .................................................................................................. 255.4.4 Creating Greener Highways ........................................................................................ 255.4.5 Engaging the Wider Community and Raising Awareness ....................................... 25

6. The Future of Biodiversity in Islington ....................................................................27

6.1 Our Vision .............................................................................................................................. 27

6.2 Our Priorities ......................................................................................................................... 276.2.1 Priority Habitats............................................................................................................ 276.2.2 Priority Species ............................................................................................................ 306.2.3 Priority Areas ................................................................................................................ 30

6.3 Ensuring We Get It Right...................................................................................................... 31

6.4 Role of the Islington Biodiversity Partnership................................................................... 32

7. The Action Plans .......................................................................................................33

8. References and Further Information........................................................................34

APPENDICES.....................................................................................................................36Appendix A: Biodiversity Policies .............................................................................................. 36Appendix B: The Islington Biodiversity Partnership ................................................................ 38Appendix C: Islington’s Current List of Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation......... 39Appendix D: Islington Area of Natural Deficiency and SINCs ................................................. 40

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Executive Summary

Biodiversity is the variety of life on earth. It underpins our economic stability and the vital ecosystem services that support all of life, such as clean air and water, food, pollination and flood management. Biodiversity also plays a key role in our local quality of life, contributing to our health, well-being and social development, offering opportunities for promoting sustainable communities and social cohesion.

The conservation of biodiversity is key in our response to climate change. As a local authority and community leader, we have a responsibility to conserve the Borough’s biodiversity and to raise awareness about its importance. The Council plays a critical role as land-use planners, policy makers, and developers and managers of local infrastructure, in promoting sustainability and its biodiversity components.

This is the first revision of ‘Wild Islington’ Islington’s Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) 2004 -2009’.

Islington’s BAP provides an overarching framework within which action for biodiversity can be prioritised for the protection and enhancement of Islington’s biological diversity. It identifies priority habitat and species and sets a programme of action for their conservationover the next three years, contributing towards making the Borough a cleaner, greener, safer place where residents can access a high quality natural environment.

The significant difference from the previous BAP has been the introduction of a biodiversity strategy, which sits alongside the action plan, and now forms what is ‘Islington’s Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2010 – 2013: Looking Towards the Future.

The biodiversity strategy identifies the importance of biodiversity to the health and well-being of Islington’s residents, and the economic impact of its loss. It looks at the whole of Islington as an ecological functioning landscape and prioritises action across key areas.

There are many challenges that face us as a Borough, including the need to provide higher levels of housing, new developments, changing climate, economic pressures, health and well-being of residents, all of which have significant impacts on the Borough’s wildlife and the habitats that support it. The Islington Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan sets out the Borough’s approach to meeting these challenges.

Overarching Aims of Islington Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan To protect and enhance diversity of the Borough’s habitats and species To promote understanding and enjoyment of the Borough’s biodiversity To respond to the impacts of climatic change on the Borough’s habitats and species

Islington’s Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan sets out 18 policy statements, summarisedin Appendix A, which formalise the Council’s and the Islington Biodiversity Partnership’s commitment to securing the future of Islington’s biodiversity. It forms a key contribution towards fulfilling the local authority biodiversity duty to have regard to the conservation of biodiversity in exercising our functions as directed under Section 40 of The Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act 2006.

The strategy recognises the need and importance of partnership working in the conservation of the Borough’s biodiversity. The Islington Biodiversity Partnership has been working on the production of a revised Biodiversity Action Plan for Islington since the partnership’s re-establishment in May 2009 (a full list of partners can be found in Appendix B).

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The Action Plans implementation will depend on the willingness and ability of a wide range of partners to give a high priority to delivery of the strategies biodiversity objectives. It will also depend on the effective drive, influence and resources that the Partnership and the Council as the major partners, are able to bring to implementing the strategy.

Biodiversity is important in its own right and it is an indicator of the wider health of our environment. It is essential that we protect and wherever possible improve our environment in Islington. To achieve this, biodiversity must be considered in any plans, strategies or partnerships that will affect the future of Islington.

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‘Over the past one hundred years, it is estimated that humans have been responsible for up to a thousand times more extinctions than occur at the natural extinction rate’.

(Global Biodiversity Outlook 2, 2006)

Islington’s Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2010 - 2013: Looking towards the future

1. Introduction

1.1 What is Biodiversity?

The word ‘biodiversity’ is used to describe the abundance and variety of life on earth. It covers the whole range of living things: animals and birds, trees and flowers, insects and fungi. It is concerned with the interactions within and between species and the communities, habitats and ecosystems in which they occur.

It is not just about the rare and the threatened. As important is the wildlife we see and experience everyday and which contributes to our quality of life and enhances the environments in which we live.

From the tropical rainforest to the trees on our streets, from the endangered to the commonplace, biodiversity underpins the earth’s life support systems, without which we would not be able to exist.

1.2 Why is Biodiversity Important?

We rely on the natural environment for our health, well-being, economic stability and social development for example space for social interaction. Whether we are aware of it or not,our everyday needs are intimately linked to the important ecological ‘services’ biodiversity provides and which we cannot afford to lose.

Extinctions and changes to biological systems have always occurred naturally, andthroughout history, but it is the rate at which these losses and changes are now occurring that is of serious concern.

The loss of biodiversity already occurring is staggering, and so are the future predictions. If this degradation continues we will reach an irreversible tipping point, beyond which humanity will face an unprecedented global crisis, in many ways more catastrophic than climate change.

It is therefore absolutely vital that we protect and maintain the Earth’s biodiversity, on a global scale and also by taking action at a local level.

1.2.1 Biodiversity, Health and Social Well-being

Biodiversity, health and social well-being are intrinsically linked. Humans have spent many thousands of years adapting to natural environments, yet have only inhabited urban ones for relatively few generations. As a result we depend greatly on biodiversity for our well-being and quality of life.

Contact with the natural world provides physical, educational and health benefits for the people that utilise it. It is estimated that almost 17% of Islington adults are obese.Biodiversity plays an important role in enhancing and encouraging outdoor recreation,

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Health and Social Benefits linked to Biodiversity

There is compelling evidence that contact with nature can:

Maintain good health Help recovery from illness Alleviate stress and mental health problems Improve physical health Enhance social interaction and improve community cohesion Reduce aggression, violence and crime Improve a child’s well-being into adulthood.

(Nature, Health and Well-being, 2008)

Policy 1 The Council will look to maximise the opportunity that Islington’s residents have to engage with, and benefit from, Islington’s natural environment.

exercise and relaxation, and can help tackle health issues such as obesity and mental health problems, reducing stress and helping us remain calm.

Studies have shown that people who live within 500m of accessible green space are 24% more likely to be active at the levels recommended by the Chief Medical Officer (Natural England, 2009). There is also evidence showing that poorer communities are less likely to have easy access to open space, whether that is a private garden or public green space (Natural England, 2009). In Islington 62% of residents live in areas of the Borough ranked amongst the most deprived 10% in the country. Access to nature is therefore even more important for these communities who can’t so easily ‘escape’ out to the countryside.

The cost of mental health problems to the UK economy is estimated at more than £77 billion each year (Nature, health and wellbeing, 2008) yet people’s day to day experience and ‘contact’ with nature has been shown to improve people’s mental health, decreasing stresslevels within minutes.

In addition to the direct health benefits provided by walking and exercising in parks and open spaces, there are indirect benefits the environment can have on our health. For example the effect trees have on reducing air pollution levels and improving the microclimate of the streetscape. Urban greening, through the use of green walls, green roofs and tree planting, can also improve the visual aesthetics of the urban environment. ‘Greening the Grey’ can result in residents feeling that an area is more looked after andcared for, enhancing social cohesion, giving a ‘sense of place’ and shaping local distinctiveness.

There is evidence showing that the presence of natural vegetation in housing estates is associated with a 50% reduction in crime and domestic violence. Other studies show cared-for, well-managed green environments can serve as a deterrent to crime, which is particularly important for the vulnerable and elderly (Nature, Health and Well-being, 2008).

Nature can also help attract people from under-represented groups into the outdoors. This can be achieved through offering opportunities for community engagement, promoting social inclusion and ownership of the natural environment, such as those gained through volunteering on conservation projects.

Exposure to the natural environment is also important for young people for their social development and in influencing future physical, mental and social well-being as an adult.

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Biodiversity benefits for young people

Contact with nature improves children’s concentration and self discipline. Play in natural environments increases self-confidence. Behavioural symptoms of attention deficit disorder are reduced when children

play in natural environments. Children actively seek nature to recover from stress.

Ecosystem Services

Some of the ‘ecosystem services’ provided by the natural world include:

Clean air and water, healthy soils and climate regulation Pollination of our crops for food and many wildflowers Resilience to pests, diseases and natural disasters Materials for clothing and building Vital medicines

The Cost of Pollination

The value of bee pollination is estimated at £137bn globally. Bees contribute £165m a year to the UK economy through their pollination of fruit

trees, field beans and other crops, estimated by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

5,000 tonnes of British honey sold in UK stores generates a further £12m.

The educational value of the natural environment has also been shown to improve pupil attainment providing a wealth of opportunity for teaching the National Curriculum in an engaging and interactive way.

For all of these reasons it is vital that we protect biodiversity to ensure the benefits we derive from it for our health, well being and sense of place are not diminished.

1.2.2 Ecosystem Services

As well as improving quality of life, the natural world and the ecosystems that it supports provide us with a range of natural goods and services on which we all depend in our everyday lives and without which we would not be able to function. However, as a result of human activity and our over-exploitation of the earth’s natural resources these natural goods and services are increasingly being lost or threatened.

Pollination is a natural service on which humanity depends but this is in increasing danger of being lost. At least 80% of the crops that make up the world food supply are pollinated by wild bees and other wildlife (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005). Yet bee populations are under intensifying stress and declining. In the UK we are now seeing dramatic declines in bumblebee numbers and some species have completely disappeared. We have also seen a decrease of 15% in our honey bee populations as a result of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) thought to be brought about by human induced factors such as pesticide use.

If nothing is done about this the honeybee population in the UK could be wiped out in 10 years (UK farming minister Lord Rooker, 2008). The loss of these natural pollinators will severely impact our ability to produce enough food to feed an increasing global and local population.

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Policy 2 The Council will commit to minimising negative impacts on the natural environment through the services it delivers and the actions it takes.

The Value of Biodiversity

Increasing the amount of accessible green space to increase exercise levels of just 1 per cent of the UK’s population would deliver nearly £1.5bn in health care savings.

We are losing between 2.8 and 5.8 million tonnes of CO2 per year from the cultivation and draining of lowland peat soils. Based on the shadow price of carbon, the annual value of this loss is estimated at £74 million – 150 million.

The global value of plant-derived pharmaceutical products is more than £260bn in industrialised countries. Of the medicines currently available, 40-50% is derived from natural products. Yet with every species lost so is a potential remedy that could cure one of the many global health problems.

Natural England, 2009

‘Green spaces transform city life, cooling our cities, filtering out pollutants and having a startling impact on the activity levels of local people’

Natural England, 2009

Locally, Islington’s green infrastructure including our parks and open spaces, gardens, allotments, railway corridors and street trees provides a valuable function. It not only makesthe borough a greener and more visually attractive place to live. From reducing the risk of flooding, to improving air quality, providing us with locally grown food, improving health and well-being, and helping to cool urban areas in summer, it plays an essential role in the everyday lives of Islington’s residents.

1.2.3 Biodiversity and Economics

The loss of species and the habitats which support them has direct consequences for the economy globally and locally. Natural goods and services that we derive from the environment are often taken for granted, but now we are realising the true economic value of these and the fundamental importance of biological diversity for the global economy.

Ecosystem services have historically been viewed as public goods with no markets and no prices, so they have often been left out of economic calculations. Yet two-thirds of the world’s ecosystem services are in decline as a result of loss of biodiversity from human induced pressures including population growth, changing diets, urbanisation and climate change.

The report ‘The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity’ (TEEB, 2009) highlights the growing costs of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation and draws attention to the global economic benefits of biodiversity. It also highlights the value of investing in biodiversity and the long term cost savings that this can bring about.

Just as the ‘Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change’ (2006) clearly conveyed that addressing climate change now will cost less than paying to fix its future impacts, the TEEB report demonstrates that the costs of doing nothing to halt the loss and degradation of biodiversity will severely outweigh the cost of investing in its management and conservation now. The economic impact of not investing in biodiversity and allowing its continued loss could be more detrimental to the global economy than the current financial crisis.

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Predicted changes to Islington’s climate based on predictions by the UK Climate Change Impacts Programme (UKCIP)

Increasing Temperatures – Warmer summers, with an increased number of heat waves and sustained periods of heat and warmer winters. In dense urban areas such as Islington temperatures could increase by as much as 9ºC on the hottest days.

Changes in Precipitation Patterns – Drier summers and wetter winters. Torrential downpours will characterise rainfall, rather than a consistent stream of precipitation needed for water supplies.

Increase in Extreme Weather Incidents – The weather will become more unpredictable with extreme weather events such as gales, sudden snowfall and heatwaves becoming increasingly severe and frequent.

Policy 3 The Council recognises the economic value of the natural world and its contribution to the Borough’s economy and commits to working for its conservation now and for the future.

The web of life that sustains our global society is getting weaker as biodiversity is lost. We are not only losing their uniqueness and beauty, but the specific functions of species within ecosystems which underpin economic growth are also irrecoverably lost.

1.2.4 Biodiversity and a Changing Climate

Climate change is one of the biggest challenges that face us today. The consequences of this will impact on lifestyles, the economy and above all our natural environment. Experts predict that one-fourth of the Earth’s species will be in danger of extinction by 2050 if the warming trend continues at its current rate (The Nature Conservancy, 2009).

Impacts of climate change will exacerbate the pressure that habitats and species are already under from human activity.

The exact effects of climate change at a local level are still not clearly known, but it is expected that species composition will change and there will be greater pressures exerted on particular habitats.

There is clear evidence to show that species populations, ranges, migration patterns, and seasonal and reproductive behaviour are already being affected. Such effects are likely to become more apparent and extensive as climate continues to change.

For example, exotic plant and invertebrate species will be more widespread and new pest species will find it easier to establish with warmer weather. Hibernation patterns of many species, such as the hedgehog, will be impacted by warmer winters and earlier springs andthe timing of flowering by plants and egg laying by many bird species are likely to be affected.

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The Wasp Spider

The wasp spider is a species that is already demonstrating the impact of the UK’s climate getting warmer. Predominantly found on the south coast of Britain, its range has extended northwards and can now be found in parts of London, including our own Gillespie Park.

Climate change will also cause increased pressure from competitors, predators andparasites, and an increase in diseases and disturbances (such as fires or storms). Climate change will often act in combination with other major threats such as habitat loss and invasive alien species, making their impacts considerably worse.

The impact of climate change on Biodiversity may also be hastened and exacerbated by a lack of connectivity between existing habitats, increasing barriers and fragmentation of habitats.

Despite the challenges of climate change, biodiversity plays a significant role in our resilience and response to its affects, particularly in urban areas. For example in Islington,the effects of climate change will be amplified due to its densely built nature: the likelihood of flooding will be greatly increased and local temperatures will be raised as a result of the Urban Heat Island Effect. Islington’s green infrastructure will be essential in reducing these impacts.

Vegetation has been shown to reduce the effects of raised urban temperatures and climate change through evaporative cooling, shading surfaces, and allowing natural drainage. This can work in reverse in winter where greenery such as green roofs and walls can reduce the heat lost by buildings by providing better insulation and lower energy use. Street trees and urban greening also are a major contribution to the capture and storage of CO2 and improvement of air quality. As well as vegetation, open bodies of water can assist with thecooling of surrounding areas and in reducing daytime temperatures.

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Islington has more trees per square kilometre than any other London borough and the total stock value currently stands at just under £181 million, this does not include trees on privately owned land.

2. The Ecology of Islington

Urban areas are becoming increasingly important as refuges for wildlife. Many plants and animals have adapted to these environments and made them their home. From the common swift using cracks and crevices in buildings to nest, to the colonisation of many wildflowers, such as London Rocket, in our urban landscape, wildlife has learned to flourish in the inner city.

2.1 Our Biodiversity Heritage

Historically, Islington was a rural part of London, with many open fields for grazing cattle and providing a natural attraction for wealthy Londoners wanting to spend time in the countryside.

Today, Islington is one of the smallest, most built up of all London Boroughs, with 87% of its total area being built. It also has the smallest amount of open space per head of population. Although the amount of green space is limited and many sites in Islington are small and fragmented, this in fact creates a rich tapestry of habitat which supports a huge diversity of wildlife, from bee orchids to great spotted woodpeckers. These are supported by a network of parks, open spaces, gardens, allotments and food growing areas, rail side lands, waterways and the ‘urban forest’.

The Urban ForestIn an urban borough such as Islington, trees make a vital contribution to biodiversity and its wildlife value. Trees are important as species in their own right and because of the other species they support including invertebrates, birds and bats in particular. The trees that make up Islington’s ‘urban forest’ complement and link our network of green spaces.

Islington’s RaritiesIslington’s biodiversity includes a number of rarities and nationally important species. Examples include at least four species of the native black poplar tree, one of Britain’s rarest native timber trees; the first recorded sighting in Britain of Lasius emarginatus, an ant species usually found in Europe; the red data book species Nomada lathburiana, a cuckoo bee which is a species of conservation concern; and the first breeding colony in Britain of the long-tailed blue, a rare migrant species of butterfly.

Local Nature ReservesThe Borough has three statutory Local Nature Reserves: Gillespie Park, Barnsbury Wood and the Parkland Walk, each support a remarkable diversity of habitats and species.

Gillespie Park consists of a mosaic of habitats, including ponds, woodland and grassland. Several wild flowering plants occur here that are rare in central London, including narrow-leaved bird's-foot-trefoil, grass vetchling, pyramidal orchid and bee orchid. There is also a breeding population of slow worm, which is a nationally protected species.

The Parkland Walk is home to Islington’s largest area of woodland and has several nationally important species and habitats, including five different species of bat and a diverse acid grassland.

Barnsbury Wood is London’s smallest nature reserve which despite its size is a goodexample of mixed deciduous woodland.

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Policy 4 The Council will ensure the Borough’s three statutory Local Nature Reserves are effectively managed and maintained as sites of high biodiversity value and continue to be an educational resource. It will seek opportunities for the creation for further sites to be designated as Local Nature Reserves.

By their designation these sites are unique in the Borough, and in the fact that they are managed specifically for their nature conservation value. They also provide a great community resource, hosting a wide ranging curriculum-linked environmental education programme for schools and a broad programme of community events and classes for adults and young people. This includes guided walks, dawn chorus events, wildlife gardening workshops, bat detecting and family fun activities. An established weekly volunteer groupalso carries out tasks such as coppicing, pond clearance and wildlife gardening, contributingto many aspects of the reserve management, and offering participants an opportunity to learn new skills and get involved in improving their local environment.

Sites of Importance to Nature ConservationA wildlife survey of Islington was completed in 1989 by the London Ecology Unit. This identified and assessed the quality of Islington’s biodiversity resource, including many of those sites adopted in the Council’s Unitary Development Plan (UDP) as Sites of Importancefor Nature Conservation (SINC). In total there are 52 SINC sites in Islington, many of these are public parks, but they also include cemeteries, church yards, school grounds, theRegents Canal, housing estates, rail side lands and reservoirs (see appendix C for a full list of Designated sites). These designated sites are afforded additional protection through the planning process as a result of the UDP.

Among these the Borough has three Sites of Metropolitan Importance, meaning that not only are they important to Islington but also to London on a regional level because of the naturethey support.

Currently 11.3% of the Borough’s parks and open spaces are actively managed to support and encourage biodiversity. The Borough’s biodiversity however is not restricted to our nature reserves and SINCs. The built environment itself is an important habitat and has its own diversity of species, from London Rocket growing along the pavements in Clerkenwell to pied wagtails roosting in trees on the Holloway Road. Buildings themselves also provide an important habitat for a variety of plants and animals, for example as roosting sites for bats and nesting sites for swifts and house sparrows, two species of bird in serious national decline.

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Policy 6 The Council will ensure the public realm and the built environment positively contribute to biodiversity, through urban greening and the consideration of biodiversity in other infrastructure projects.

Policy 5 The Islington Biodiversity Partnership and the Council recognise the impact that climate change will have on biodiversity now and in the future, and will ensure habitats are managed to make them as resilient as possible.

3. The Challenges and Opportunities

It is essential that we protect, conserve and enhance Islington’s biodiversity resource.However, a number of threats face Islington’s ecosystem, habitats and species, not least of which are the pressures to build more buildings to support more people and to continueeconomic growth. These threats are compounded by changing environmental conditions, especially the changing climate. But despite these challenges there are also important opportunities for the Borough and its biodiversity work.

3.1 Climate Change

As the climate changes so will the Borough’s biodiversity. New species will move into Islington, while others will find survival harder, including many street trees. There will be greater demands on our open space, an increased risk of pests and invasive species, water shortages (droughts) and increased surface water flooding which will all add to pressure on vital habitats.

Our ability to provide good habitat management that is resilient and can be adapted to climate change will determine the survival of many of Islington’s plants and animals.

We have already begun to meet some of these challenges through our climate change adaptation work. This includes trialling new species of street tree that are more drought tolerant and considered more able to adapt to the predicted changes to our climate in the next 50 years; relaxing mowing regimes in parks and planting more drought-tolerant alternatives to grass such as clover; and planting of more herbaceous bedding that requires less water and lower levels of maintenance. There is also emerging work looking at sustainable drainage solutions, reducing hard standing and using soft landscaping to allow surface water to drain away at a slower and more natural rate.

There is more to do however to meet some of these challenges, whether it is by creating a greener infrastructure as a means of cooling the built environment and reducing the urban heat island effect, or promoting green walls and roofs as a means of insulating buildings and reducing energy consumption.

Warmer weather could however, mean people lead a more outdoor life style and the opportunity to have contact with and engage with nature will be greater. The Borough will see the arrival of new species and the diversification of habitats, all of which could increaseIslington’s biodiversity and residents’ enjoyment of it.

3.2 Our Green Infrastructure

Greening the built environment presents the greatest opportunity to increase biodiversity in a densely urban borough such as Islington. The built environment supports its own diverse range of flora and fauna and should be considered as a biologically functioning landscape in its own right.

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Policy 7 The Islington Biodiversity Partnership and the Council will seek to engage other biodiversity stakeholders in the Borough, such as rail side land owners and operators, in the protection and management of biodiversity.

Policy 8 The Council commits to preserving and protecting those sites identified as having ecological value by:

Ensuring that the appropriate local designation is afforded to sites in consultation with the Local Sites Partnership for London.

Ensuring all sites are monitored in order to identify any impacts or changes as a result of development.

Ensuring appropriate management is achieved on local wildlife sites. Maximising the number of designated sites actively managed for nature

conservation, reporting annually on National Indicator 197

With increasing urbanisation, modernisation and regeneration, many old buildings in the inner city are either demolished or renovated. This ‘tidying’ and development of the city presents a particular challenge to preserving and enhancing biodiversity. As a result species such as bats and swifts continue to be in decline and under threat as a result of being disturbed or even displaced from their roosting and nesting sites.

An example in Islington where significant pressure and loss of biodiversity has occurred has been on brownfield and rail side land which make up some of the largest semi-natural habitat in Islington. These have and are continuing to disappear fast as a result of development which has led to the largest habitat loss in Islington in recent years. As a result species that these green corridors support have declined, including nationally rare species, such as the black redstart, which has been subsequently lost from the Borough.

Through the use of vegetation and the greening of the urban environment we could also realise the greatest increases in green space and enhancement of Islington’s green infrastructure. Forgotten spaces on housing estates and the public highway present anopportunity to both increase biodiversity and improve the quality of these areas for residents, improving the appearance of and engagement with neglected areas.

Through incorporating biodiversity within robust planning conditions, features such as green roofs, walls and wildlife friendly landscaping will maximise the available habitat for biodiversity in new development. Raising awareness and increasing public engagement will contribute towards ensuring biodiversity features are incorporated into existing buildings such as the homes of residents and the borough’s businesses.

3.3 Conserving, Enhancing and Monitoring

Islington’s Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation are required under National Indicator 197 (Improved Local Biodiversity – the active management of local sites) to receive active conservation management.

The resources and effort required to maintain and enhance these sites as biodiverse habitats should not be underestimated and presents a real challenge. In addition, not all of these sites are owned or directly controlled by the Council, meaning that their conservation value may be compromised by inappropriate use or management. This creates a number of difficulties. For example engaging private land owners to consider the biodiversity value of their sites and then ensuring they are actively managing them for biodiversity is not an easy task.

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Policy 9 Islington Biodiversity Partnership and the Council recognise the importance of monitoring biodiversity and the role that residents can play, and will ensure it forms an essential part of the conservation of Islington’s biodiversity.

One third of Islington is deficient in access to nature, meaning individuals living in areas of nature deficiency are further than 1km walking distance from a site of importance to nature conservation.

(Greater London Authority)

Whilst designated sites include the nature reserves, which are managed for nature conservation, they also include sites that have a variety of objectives to meet the needs of people as well as wildlife. As a result management specifications and practices may have to be adapted to ensure a more wildlife-friendly approach whilst areas specifically developed for wildlife may have to be incorporated into the wider parks landscape. For example allotments and community food growing spaces where biodiversity can be supported and even play a beneficial role. The challenge of ensuring that both wildlife and people can enjoy these spaces is one which Islington’s land managers are working hard to meet.

Islington’s parks, estates and other green spaces also present a great opportunity forimproving biodiversity. By developing ecological management plans their nature conservation value can be greatly improved. Although many of Islington’s green spaces are small, they are large in number. This presents an opportunity to conserve and enhance a mosaic of habitats across Islington creating green corridors and networks that can form part of Islington’s functioning landscape.

The role of monitoring is central in ensuring that Islington’s habitats and species are not being lost and to understanding any environmental changes that may be occurring. This monitoring relies on both accurate long-term information from the Council and also on residents and other partners acting as the eyes and ears of Islington’s natural world. From garden wildlife surveys to working with London’s biological records centre (Greenspace Information for Greater London - GiGL), monitoring is required at regular intervals to ensure we maintain an up to date picture of the state of Islington’s natural environment.

Some of this recording is already happening, for example through biodiversity indicators in Islington’s annual State of the Environment Report, and as part of the reporting on NI197. It is vital that we continue to use these mechanisms for monitoring, as well as exploring other means of measuring Islington’s biodiversity.

3.4 Increasing Awareness and Working Together

When people are asked about wildlife in Islington they often say ‘what wildlife?’ Theawareness that people have of wildlife on their doorstep does not always correlate with the vast range of plant and animal species that the Borough supports. Part of this is attributableto residents being unable to access green spaces near to their homes and is a genuine issue for Islington’s residents.

People are also not always aware of the effect their actions can have on Islington’s wildlife. From local residents paving over front and back gardens to land managers using pesticides,the impact can be great. Yet Islington’s environment must be able to evolve and be managed to meet required standards. Finding alternative solutions to the way we live and work that minimise our environmental impact is essential for the survival of the Borough’s wildlife.

The education and engagement of businesses, residents and other stakeholders is key to making this work. Creating awareness of Islington’s natural world is essential, from

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Policy 10 The Council recognises the importance of partnership working in delivering biodiversity action, and will actively engage with and support the Islington Biodiversity Partnership in delivering the Biodiversity Action Plan.

Policy 11 The Council will put in place strong planning policies that protect and enhance biodiversity. It will use these to ensure that developments in the Borough make a positive contribution to biodiversity and do not have a long term detrimental impact.

providing children contact with the natural world as part of their learning and development through to the delivery of events which raise awareness and develop a sense of ownership of green spaces.

This can only be achieved through a partnership approach where residents, the Council and other agencies all play a role. By considering wildlife at home, at work and in our everyday lives we will ensure that biodiversity will thrive in the green spaces and the buildings we manage, the services we deliver and the homes we live in.

3.5 Planning and Development

Planning and development presents one of the biggest threats and one of the biggest opportunities to Islington’s biodiversity. Islington has one of the most challenging growth targets in London relative to the land available for development, putting major pressure on Islington’s wildlife.

Although much of this development is assessed for its impact on biodiversity through the regular local authority planning process, some, under permitted development rights, occurs outside of this framework.

Historically the protection of Islington’s bio-diverse sites has been achieved through their designation as SINCs and their inclusion in the Unitary Development Plan. However the last full assessment of the Borough’s SINCs took place in 1989 and this no longer reflects an accurate picture of the condition of many of the Borough’s sites for biodiversity. An essential piece of work for the Borough will be to reassess all of its green assets and their value for biodiversity, ensuring that all of Islington’s wildlife sites, from parks to forgotten corners, receive protection under Islington’s Local Development Framework (LDF).

Islington’s emerging planning policies in the Core Strategy and LDF have sustainability as one of their key principles, with the aim of ensuring that Islington’s built environment is developed in the most sustainable way practicable. The emerging policies seek to protect and enhance biodiversity across the borough, address deficiencies in access to nature, maximise opportunities to ‘green’ the borough, improve open space and increase access to it.

As well as those areas that will be identified within the LDF, opportunity areas for habitat enhancement and creation are being mapped regionally by the London Biodiversity Partnership and GiGL. These should be considered alongside the LDF to see where significant habitat gains can be achieved, thus increasing Islington’s biodiversity.

Islington’s building standards in the form of the BRE Environmental Assessment Method(BREEAM) and the Code for Sustainable Homes, embed biodiversity within new development by both incorporating habitat features within the buildings themselves, such as green roofs and walls, and also through ecological landscaping. Where on-site biodiversity enhancements cannot be made by a development, the Council will continue to look for mitigating measures through the planning process, thus helping to achieve biodiversity targets across Islington.

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Policy 12 The Council recognises the importance of a landscape scale approach to the protection and enhancement of the Borough’s biodiversity. It will seek to achieve this by:

Taking a more holistic approach to policy-making and service delivery, with the focus on maintaining healthy ecosystems and ecosystem services.

Ensuring that the value of ecosystem services is fully reflected in decision-making Taking decisions at the appropriate spatial scale while recognising the cumulative

impacts of decisions. Seeking opportunities to increase the connectivity between existing green spaces

and reduce the fragmentation of habitats.

“The ecosystem services approach helps us balance competing demands we place on our natural environment”

RSPB, 2009

To achieve this, planning teams, developers and residents will require support and guidance to meet the biodiversity standards set by the Borough. Through the production of guidance notes and delivery of workshops and seminars, the potential for this will be maximised,enabling the council and its partners to work together to improve Islington’s green infrastructure.

3.6 An Ecosystems Approach

Although much progress has been made to meet the targets set in England’s Biodiversity Strategy, species and habitat losses nationally have continued, highlighting the continued threats and pressures on biodiversity. As a result, a new framework and approach is beginning to be adopted where our use of, and impact on, ecosystems and their services should be considered at all levels. Only by doing this will we ensure that the natural world and the benefits that it provides are managed and conserved in the most sustainable way possible. Simply put, we must look at the consequences of all our actions.

To achieve this in Islington we must look at both the short-term and long-term actions that we are taking in the delivery of our services and the impact they may have on biodiversity and the environment.

Part of this is the move towards thinking of Islington as an ecologically functioning landscape, that its green spaces, its built environment and all the habitats and species they support are interconnected and that the impact on one species or habitat can have an impact on another.

Critical to this is the understanding that if we remove too many of these links or alter these chains too much, we will reach a point at which species or habitats begin to disappear from the borough.

We therefore need to look at how we can increase the connectivity between existing green spaces, including gardens and estates; through creating green corridors by use of green roofs, green walls, tree planting, and the creation of Sustainable Urban Drainage systems and new pockets of green space wherever we can. We should also consider the impacts of each of the Council’s operations on the wider landscape. For example, the introduction of a new lighting scheme may have detrimental impacts on wildlife in that area if the scheme hasnot been designed with the requirements of wildlife in mind.

These challenges will need to be addressed in an appropriate way that is not detrimental to the Borough’s biodiversity or residents, for example reconciling perceived conflicts of interest between nature and safety. In taking this approach it is clear that habitats and

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Policy 13 The Council will lead by example and demonstrate best practice in the management of its green spaces for people and biodiversity.

pockets of green space, no matter how small, have a value as part of Islington’s ecosystem and should be protected accordingly.

3.7 Leading By Example

Islington Council, the Borough’s businesses and its residents all have a role to play in protecting and enhancing Islington’s biodiversity. Whether it is putting up a bird box in a back garden or installing a green roof on a new building, we all share this responsibility.

Through leading by example and demonstrating best practice, we can all ensure that awareness is raised and knowledge is shared on biodiversity and its conservation. Through working with established support networks such as Islington’s Biodiversity Partnership, Islington Environment Forum and Islington’s Strategic Partnership we can ensure that everyone has the opportunity to engage with nature and help in its conservation, ultimately making Islington a greener, cleaner and safer place.

By doing this we can drive the development of innovative approaches to conservation,allowing the Council and its partners to meet the challenges facing the Borough’s wildlife today, but also in tackling the challenges of the future.

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Policy 14 The Council supports the London targets for habitats, and will assist with the delivery of these targets locally, wherever feasible.

4. Protecting Biodiversity: The National and Regional Response

The protection of biodiversity is now recognised at all levels and there are a number of significant mechanisms and policies in place which aim to deliver this protection.

4.1 The Convention on Biological Diversity

In response to the threat to the world’s ecosystems the Convention on Biological Diversity was signed by over 150 countries in 1992, at the Rio Earth Summit. This agreement aimed to protect the global diversity of species and habitats and showed a formal commitment of those countries to work together to promote nature and human well-being through the sustainable use of resources.

The convention recognises that biodiversity and sustainability go hand in hand, and its purpose was to halt biodiversity loss, securing future continuity of its beneficial uses.

4.2 The National Response: UK Biodiversity Action Plan

As a result of this agreement the UK was one of the first countries to follow up on the convention, with the production of a national strategy, the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. This identified the UK’s biological resources and detailed an action plan to protect them. It lists priority species and habitats which are in most need of protection and action across the UK, and its targets have been translated into the England Biodiversity Strategy, launched in 2002.

Essential in meeting these national targets is the delivery of actions at both a regional and local level. Local authorities are in a key position to take measures that will directly affect the quality of the environment, raise public awareness and ensure the well-being of the population at a local level. This has resulted in the production of Local Biodiversity Action Plans (LBAPs). 4.3 The Regional Response: London’s Biodiversity Action Plan

The Mayor of London has produced a biodiversity strategy for the Capital ‘Connecting with London’s Nature’. This is the first ever statutory biodiversity strategy at a regional level. It provides a strategic framework for conserving London’s natural open spaces and diversity of wildlife.

The Mayor’s strategy is delivered through the London Biodiversity Partnership (LBP), which co-ordinates biodiversity conservation across London, setting targets and actions for priority habitats and species in the London Biodiversity Action Plan.

This partnership is made up of a number of organisations covering local government including the Greater London Authority and representation from the London Boroughs Biodiversity Forum (LBBF); statutory bodies, including Natural England and the Environment Agency; non-governmental organisations, such as the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the London Wildlife Trust; in addition private landowners, including Peabody Trust and Thames Water.

The London BAP contains targets to improve the condition and increase the extent of a selected number of habitats and species found in the capital by 2015 and 2020. It is these priorities and targets which set the focus and format for local action plans across London, including Islington’s.

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“Biodiversity is first and foremost a local issue and local government are the front-line guardians of natural resources”

Convention on Biological Diversity

5. The Local Response: An Action Plan for Islington

Islington’s Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) is the Borough’s contribution to achieving the targets identified in both the UK and London BAPs. Islington’s original BAP was first adopted in 2005 and was put together by Islington Biodiversity Partnership led by the Council.

Although the BAP was a pioneering document for Islington and much progress has been made, a lot has changed since its original inception, and the document has now subsequently dated and is replaced by this document, Islington’s Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2010 – 2013.

Changes have included the review and update of national and regional biodiversity targets, including those in the London BAP. A review of these has shown that despite a lot of action, biodiversity is still being lost and that the UK, like many of the other countries signed up to the Convention on Biological Diversity, will not meet its 2010 targets for halting biodiversity loss.

As well as new targets being set, it has prompted a rethink on how the conservation of biodiversity is actually approached, resulting in a new national framework, emphasising the need to take a landscape scale approach rather than only protecting the best wildlife sites or single species. This approach forms a key part of our vision for conserving biodiversity in Islington.

Other changes have included new local and regional policies, such as the London Plan and our own Core Strategy; a change in local priorities, such as those introduced in Islington’s Sustainable Communities Strategy and the development of new local strategies, such as the Greenspace Strategy, Food Strategy and a Climate Change Adaptation Strategy.

Since April 2009, the new local government performance framework, the Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) requires the Council to report against ‘environmental sustainability’ national indicators (NIs). National Indicator 197 measures improved local biodiversity through an assessment of the proportion of Local Sites where positive management has been or is being implemented.

The above changes pose both challenges and opportunities for Islington in conserving its biodiversity, and there are a number of lessons learnt from the first BAP which have been taken into account in this revised action plan.

5.1 Our Biodiversity Duty

As part of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act 2006, section 40 requires that “every public authority must, in exercising its functions, have regard, so far asis consistent with the proper exercise of those functions, to the purpose of conserving biodiversity”.

The duty recognises that biodiversity is a core component of sustainable development, in underpinning economic development and developing sustainable communities as well as forming local distinctiveness. It aims to make biodiversity a natural and integral part of policy and decision making, clarify existing commitments with regard to biodiversity and to

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Policy 15 The Council is committed to meeting its biodiversity duty as set out in the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act (NERC) 2006, and recognises the Islington’s Biodiversity Action Plan plays an important role in this.

Policy 16 The Council will seek to maximise the opportunities that new policies, strategies and projects have to positively contribute towards Islington’s biodiversity, for example the Council’s Tree Strategy.

raise the profile and visibility of biodiversity, across all sections of local authorities and the wider community.

This biodiversity strategy and action plan contributes towards Islington Council fulfilling its ‘Biodiversity Duty’ to have regard to the conservation of biodiversity in exercising its functions by highlighting priorities and opportunities for protecting and enhancing the Borough’s biodiversity. It is also therefore important that impacts on biodiversity are taken into account in any key decisions, plans, policies or strategies affecting the future of Islington.

5.2 Local Policy

Local Development Framework Islington is currently completing its Local Development Framework (LDF), a portfolio of documents that will set out the future planning policies for the borough up to 2025 and will supersede the existing Unitary Development Plan (UDP). The key document within the LDF is the Core Strategy, which sets out where and how change will happen in Islington in the future, what supporting infrastructure will be needed, and how we can reduce negative impacts on the environment, whilst protecting and enhancing it. It also contains policies on housing, employment, retail and open space. The Core Strategy will be supported by a range of accompanying documents that will set out in more detail potential development sites, policies to manage development and plans for specific parts of the borough.

Sustainability Strategy and Action Plan The Sustainability Strategy draws together work from across the Council and sets sustainability targets for future action. It identifies global changes that have a specific local impact and seeks to engage the whole community in responding to these, concentrating specifically on areas where local action can be effective. The Action Plan prioritises key areas: the environment and the economy, responding to climate change, managing our resources, minimising negative impacts, the ecology of Islington, and sustainability and food.

Local Area Agreement (LAA) Indicators Local Area Agreements (LAA) set out the priorities for a local area agreed between central government and key partners at a local level. Islington’s current LAA sets out targets between 2008–2011 and covers a range of key areas of priority. These targets are measured against both national indicators and local indicators.

5.3 Corporate Priorities

Protecting and enhancing the environment goes hand in hand with improving the lives of local communities. This action plan recognises this and will contribute to the ‘One Islington’priorities, ensuring Islington is cleaner, greener and safer, providing a better quality of life for residents, and addresses those priorities set out in the Sustainable Communities Strategy, such as improving access for all and realising everyone’s potential.

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Sustainable Community Strategy The Islington Sustainable Community Strategy (SCS) develops a vision of a safer, stronger and more sustainable community. Led by the Islington Strategic Partnership, in consultation with residents and local organisations, it sets out objectives and actions to achieve this vision. The objectives of the Sustainable Communities Strategy are to:

Reduce poverty Improve access for all Realise everyone’s potential

Islington Council’s Corporate Priorities Islington Councils corporate priorities and its One Islington Vision aim to build a borough that is:

A greener, cleaner and safer place to live and work A borough of strong, thriving and active communities, where people are involved in

the decisions that affect their lives A place where people of all backgrounds are able to achieve their full potential.

5.4 What Are We Already Doing?

Many achievements and much progress have been made towards protecting and enhancinglocal biodiversity to date.

5.4.1 Biodiversity Gains through Planning

Most significant has been the recognition of the importance of planning in protecting and enhancing biodiversity in Islington. This has been achieved by developing a collaborative partnership between the Environmental Sustainability and Planning services, developing expert knowledge through additional in-house training, raising the awareness of planning and biodiversity and strengthening the development management processes.

The Green Construction Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) features a specific chapter on biodiversity, promoting the enhancements that development can make throughgreen roofs, green walls and by providing nesting opportunities for species such as swifts,which was pioneering for the Borough. More detailed ‘Good Practice Guides’ were produced for developers on green roofs and green walls, and other biodiversity measures, highlighting the opportunities for incorporating biodiversity into new developments. In addition more robust planning policies are being incorporated into the Boroughs emerging LDF.

We have secured contributions towards the delivery of the previous BAP through section 106 monies. This has been used to implement significant habitat enhancement projects, notably the floating islands project on the Regent’s Canal, where 120m of emergent habitat was created, significantly improving that part of the canal habitat.

We have improved the enforcement of standards by developing more robust planning conditions, such as for biodiversity based green roofs. This has resulted in Islington becoming the leading Borough in London for the amount of green roofs having been installed, equating to 16% of the total green roof area in London to date.

5.4.2 Increasing and Improving Green Spaces

We have increased the amount of publicly accessible green space by 1.76 hectares since 1997, with 11.3% of parkland now managed as nature conservation meadow or woodland.

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We have also raised grounds maintenance standards for parks and on our housing estates. In recognition of this, the number of national Green Flag and Green Pennant awards in Islington has grown from four in 2006 to eleven in 2009. We also received a Biodiversitydiscretionary award from the Royal Horticultural Society for the Borough’s work on biodiversity, which was recognised in the Borough’s Britain in Bloom campaign.

We have been working in partnership with the RSPB on a research project into the decline of the House Sparrow by trialling new wildflower meadows specifically designed for sparrows in a number of parks in the Borough.

We have also been successful in receiving external funding for larger scale biodiversity improvements to our green spaces. This has included securing £49,500 of Grantscape funding to create a flagship demonstration project on improving a housing estate for biodiversity and addressing the issues of access to nature in the south of the Borough. We have obtained SITA funding to carry out an AGNST (Natural England’s Access to Natural Greenspace Standards) project, involving the creation of a brand new wetland habitat in Whittington Park. This was one of 19 pilot projects taking place across London, designed to enhance naturalness, access and community connection.

5.4.3 Growing Green Roofs

As well as our planning work we have continued to run a flagship programme of developinghabitats on buildings. This has included developing showcase green roofs on new and existing Council and partner buildings, and demonstrating the best rooftop habitats to developers, planners and other interested stakeholders. This has been supported by running workshops for the general public and including green roofs in a temporary biodiversity garden created as part of the Imagine Islington community festival.

5.4.4 Creating Greener Highways

We have continued to develop projects to ‘green the grey’ on Islington highways. This has included planting climbing species to create ‘living walls’ and improving habitats for a widerrange of species. Other activities have included installing over 1000 bird nesting boxes across the Borough, with many along strategic travel routes, and the installation of a largenumber of bat boxes. These projects have proved significantly successful, resulting in over 60% uptake of bird boxes and more surprisingly the first evidence of bats roosting in the bat boxes installed on Highbury Fields. We have also installed swift boxes and a speaker system playing swift calls on the Council’s own Municipal Offices.

5.4.5 Engaging the Wider Community and Raising Awareness

The successful establishment of the Islington Wildlife Gardening Group has demonstrated the impact of the community can have in delivering biodiversity action. The group is made up of Islington residents keen on helping wildlife and strengthening local biodiversity both collectively and individually. The group have been actively managing the Archway Cuttings south east side, a Site of Borough Grade 1 Importance for nature conservation, and haverecently undertaken a wildlife survey of this site.

The first Borough wide garden wildlife survey took place in 2008 to assess the variety of gardens in Islington and what wildlife they were supporting. This survey was solely dependent on residents’ involvement and generated over 1,460 new wildlife records for the Borough. The installation of a bird box web cam, hosted on the Council’s website, has engaged residents by allowing them to access wildlife from their homes and offices around the Borough.

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There have been a number of key resources published to help raise awareness of biodiversity. These have included the production of guidance notes and a wildlife gardeningpack, covering a range of topics related to gardens and biodiversity from building ponds to putting up bird feeders.

In addition an annual biodiversity month has been well established, resulting in a whole month of biodiversity activities, education sessions, workshops and family events across the Borough covering a wide range of biodiversity topics. This takes place every May aimed at engaging Islington’s residents and has included an annual biodiversity bike ride, visiting some of Islington’s key wildlife sites.

We have also established the annual Big Schools Bird Watch, involving children from every primary school in the Borough taking part in an organised bird watching session in theirnearest green space. This has linked into the RSPB national project and has also led to the installation of a bird box in every primary school in the Borough.

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To protect and enhance Islington’s Biodiversity ensuring that everyone can have access to, and benefit from, the borough’s natural environment near to where they live or work, now and in the future.

Policy 17 The Council will ensure that biodiversity impacts of new policies and projects are assessed as part of the Environmental Impact assessment of all reports.

6. The Future of Biodiversity in Islington

Islington’s Biodiversity Action Plan identifies actions to be delivered over a three year period;the majority of actions will be carried out under existing Council services and some actions will be owned by partners and the Islington Biodiversity Partnership. External funding opportunities will be explored to achieve those actions not covered by the Council’s existing budgets, such as the recently received Grantscape fund to improve access to nature on the Grimthorpe Estate.

It sets out a framework for protecting and enhancing Islington’s biodiversity, helping to make the Borough a greener, cleaner place, improving the quality of life for all residents and helping to secure the Borough’s natural environment and green infrastructure for future generations.

The action plan identifies habitats and species important to Islington and London as a whole. For each habitat and species, the action plan lays out the current status, relevant threats, targets and actions.

The protection and care of our wildlife is something that everyone can contribute to and benefit from and this action plan will help to co-ordinate that approach.

6.1 Our Vision

6.2 Our Priorities

Each of the individual action plans has four overarching themes which are based generally on those in the London Biodiversity Action Plan. These are:

1. Conserve existing habitats, biodiversity features and species.2. Enhance existing environment, to improve the condition of existing areas of habitat.3. Create new habitats or increase the extent of existing habitat or range of species

through restoration or expansion.4. Engage all aspects of the community, raise the awareness of the importance of

biodiversity and promote action in the conservation of biodiversity.

6.2.1 Priority Habitats

The Islington Biodiversity Action Plan includes nine Habitat Action Plans (HAPs). These were identified either as important to Islington as a whole or of significant enoughbiodiversity value to warrant an action plan. Some of these are also important at a regional level, which means they either have a London Regional HAP and / or London targets for habitat expansion or improving condition, such as Acid Grassland.

Islington does not have many conventional ecological habitats but nevertheless it does have a wealth of places which can be considered as habitats in their own right, in an urban context and which support an abundance of biodiversity. These have been reflected in the

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habitat choices. From a review of the previous BAP and the emphasis on certain habitat types in the London biodiversity targets, Islington’s new BAP has a number of new action plans which reflect these.

Habitats present in Islington which are covered by London targets or Regional action plans include; acid grassland, woodland, orchards, built structures, canals, churchyards and cemeteries, parks and urban green spaces, private gardens, reedbeds and standing water. Not all of these have their own action plan in Islington’s BAP, but where possible will be covered in overarching plans. Reedbeds, for example, are predominantly found in the Borough’s nature reserves and are therefore covered in the Canals, Waterways and Standing Water HAP as well as the Parks and Urban Green Spaces HAP.

It is possible that other HAPs may be produced in the future as other priorities are identified.Below is a list of the Habitat Action Plans covered in Islington’s BAP:

1. The Built Environment – The built environment provides a home to diverse range of plants and animals. New developments can provide a real opportunity to enhance biodiversity in an area where little was present before and existing buildings can provide an important home to some of Islington’s most threatened species. Buildings can provide nesting opportunities for birds, walls can provide habitats for ferns, grasses, mosses etc and trees and roadside verges not only provide visual enhancement to the built environment but also help reduce pollution and provide habitats for invertebrates and birds. The creation of new buildings and continued urban expansion however can also serve as a major threat to biodiversity, and something which must be minimised.

2. Parks and Urban Green Spaces - Parks and urban green spaces are a vital asset in an inner city borough such as Islington, especially for the many residents who do not have gardens of their own. Our parks and urban green spaces offer opportunities for relaxation and recreation, and are beneficial to physical and mental well-being. They are of course also critically important to the biodiversity of local flora and fauna.

The scope of this document is public open spaces, primarily:

Parks Estate grounds Nature reserves Churchyards

3. Private Gardens, Community Gardens and Allotments - The importance of gardens and allotments in general as a source of wildlife habitat cannot be overestimated. With over three million gardens in Greater London, comprising 37,942.09 hectares, and the increasing amount of food growing areas to complement existing allotment sites, it is obvious that gardens and allotments are crucial to the survival of a broad range of wildlife. As sources of nectar for butterflies and bees they are vital.

Gardens and allotments are often adjacent to wildlife corridors such as canals, railway lines, parks and nature reserves; in this situation they become potential ‘feeding stations’ for a wide range of fauna. However, gardens themselves form vital wildlife corridors, and together form the largest area of green space in the borough.

The scope of this action plan includes both private and community gardens, and allotments including new and emerging food growing areas.

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4. Canals, Waterways and Standing Water - Islington contains just two significant water bodies, the Regent’s Canal and the New River. Waterways thus represent a very rare habitat for Islington, which contains no large water bodies and few ponds.

Unlike the previous HAP for canals and waterways this action plan now also includes standing water such as ponds, which are an important habitat on their own for a wealth of species including amphibians and reptiles which are declining nationally. This action plan includes all aspects of the waterways, from the water itself to the bank side vegetation, adjoining paths and adjacent open spaces.

5. Brownfield and Rail Side Land - Rail side land comprises the habitat that can be found adjacent to above-surface railways, including embankments, cuttings, and areas around stations and above tunnel mouths. A Brownfield site is defined as "previously developed land" that has the potential for being redeveloped. It is often (but not always) land that has been used for industrial and commercial purposes and is now derelict and possibly contaminated.

These are important habitats in their own right but have been combined into a single action plan as they are one of the most threatened habitats in the Borough and they provide some of the highest value, forming a rich mosaic habitat and act as essential green corridors.

6. School Grounds - The Habitat Action Plan for School Grounds considers the grounds of all educational facilities in Islington including adventure playgrounds and privately run as well as state schools. Due to the lack of green spaces within the grounds of these facilities,both hard and soft landscapes will be included.

The HAP will also recognise links with, and aim to complement, existing initiatives on a local, regional and national level. These will include the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) Sustainable Schools Framework, the Learning Outside the Classroom manifesto, Extended Schools, Eco Schools, Healthy Schools, Building Schools for the Future and Edible Islington.

7. Urban Woodlands, Orchards and Hedgerows - Although Islington does not have large areas of woodland, what it does have is an important habitat for the Borough, particularly for protected species such as bats. This action plan looks at these areas and the threats that face them and works alongside Islington’s Tree Strategy in the conservation of these valuable habitats.

8. Acid Grassland – This is a nationally important habitat in London and at the time of last wildlife survey, Islington has three sites identified as having Acid Grassland; the Parkland Walk, the Jewish Burial Ground on Kingsbury Road and Dartmouth Park Hill Reservoir. Although this habitat is found within parks and open spaces, due to its high biodiversity value and national importance it has been identified to warrant a specific action plan. It has specific management objectives and is a priority habitat within London. The priority is to assess the condition of this habitat and to try to conserve the overall extent within the Borough.

9. Cemeteries – This is a unique action plan in that the majority of the habitat is outside the Borough boundary. Islington however has the responsibility for the management of what is the largest cemetery acreage under one administration in London, and which presents a huge opportunity to conserve biodiversity. This action plan is being developed by a cross borough partnership with Camden and Islington with the aspiration of including both Barnet and Enfield.

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6.2.2 Priority Species

A list of priority species for Islington has been drawn up to include regional and UK BAP priority species that occur in Islington, and are identified as being of conservation concern.

The majority of species can be accommodated by the HAPs, which is now the preferred approach as positively managed habitats are expected to cover the protection of species. However there are some species that are wide ranging, require very specific management, or are under a particular threat and so warrant a separate Species Action Plan (SAP).

Following is the list of Species Action Plans covered by Islington’s BAP:

Native Black Poplar House Sparrow Common Swift

Bats (various species) Urban bees (various species)

The Native Black Poplar warrants a SAP as it is one of Britain’s rarest native timber trees, of which several specimens exist within Islington.

House sparrow, Common Swift, Bats and Urban bees SAPs have been chosen as they are of particular conservation concern, and under threat from activities such as development in the Borough.

It is likely that new SAPs may be produced in future, as other priorities are identified.

6.2.3 Priority Areas

Priority areas seek to utilise all aspects of the Borough’s environment from roads and streetscape, to existing buildings, new developments and other non-vegetated areas to create connections with wildlife habitats such as gardens, parks and open spaces.

The priority areas will include areas such as:

The South of the Borough which lacks SINC sites, green space and garden areas. It has been identified by the GLA as an area most affected by the Urban Heat Island Effectand as an area deficient in access to nature.

Those areas which are identified as nature deficient and GLA priority sites for improving access to nature.

These areas will also be decided as part of the Borough’s ‘Open Space and Green Infrastructure Policy’ which is currently being developed and will help inform allocation of Section 106 money from new developments.

In addition opportunity areas for habitat creation will be identified by the London Biodiversity Partnership’s ‘Habitat Suitability Maps’ which will help identify where there is potential to create London priority habitats within Islington.

Appendix D, shows a map of the Borough’s SINC and areas of nature deficiency

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State of the Environment Report indicators:

The area of green roofs on new developments The proportion of Parkland managed for nature conservation The area of land designated as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation The proportion of the Borough designated as deficient in access to nature The number of street trees The average number of house sparrows per garden

6.3 Ensuring We Get It Right

The Islington BAP is a working document and will be included on the national Biodiversity Action Plan Reporting System (BARS). BARS is a web based system specifically designed to write and report against biodiversity action plans and will allow changes and additions to be made easily. It is an integral part of the UK BAP process and is the only way of reporting Islington’s biodiversity work at a regional, national and international level. It is also an increasingly important requirement of specific biodiversity grants that are emerging, such as that awarded by Grantscape, as part of the Inner London Nature Conservation Fund.

Monitoring progress and measuring success is a vital part of the biodiversity action plan process. Annual reviews of the BAP will be carried out and action progress updated quarterly to ensure the plan is being monitored, which was a shortfall of Islington’s previous BAP.

The Council has a number of biodiversity linked indicators which it collates information on annually and there are a number that are reported against for the annual State of the Environment Report, which are highlighted below.

The active management of designated sites is monitored by the annual reporting mechanism required for NI197 a national Indicator from the National Performance Framework, which the Council has set targets for and are assessed against as part of the Comprehensive Area Assessment.

Up-to-date, accessible information is essential for the conservation and enhancement of biodiversity. Without accurate, reliable knowledge of the location, quality and quantity of priority habitats and species, action cannot be properly focused. Therefore ongoing monitoring and survey work are an important part of the BAP process, as the data gathered can be used to assess the success of the BAP and to set realistic new targets.

In supporting this, the Islington Biodiversity Partnership will undertake an annual review of the BAP and its actions, ensuring that the Council and its partners are held accountable for its delivery, and that the success of the BAP is evaluated, with actions added or adjusted accordingly. This will ensure that the BAP remains a live document that evolves as new priorities are identified or existing priorities and legislation change.

Greenspace Information for Greater London (GiGL)

GiGL, London's open space and biological records centre, collates, manages and makes available detailed information on London's wildlife, parks, nature reserves, gardens and other open spaces. It holds records from national agencies that can complement Borough records, helping form a comprehensive audit of Islington’s habitats and species. This will help us make evidence-based decisions a key feature of the ‘biodiversity duty’ under Section 40 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act (2006) and is an invaluable tool for monitoring species and habitat condition for Islington.

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Policy 18 Islington Biodiversity Partnership and the Council will actively raise awareness of the importance of biodiversity with Islington’s residents and businesses, maximising opportunities for their active involvement in its conservation.

6.4 Role of the Islington Biodiversity Partnership

Islington’s BAP was formulated by a Biodiversity Partnership including relevant council departments, local businesses, community groups, members of the public and voluntary organisations. A full list of partners can be found in the Appendices. The Partnership was re-launched in May 2009 to consider how the future of biodiversity in Islington can be conserved against the new challenges that face us.

The aim of the partnership is to bring council services, organisations, local businesses and local people together with an interest in or an influence over the natural environment in Islington.

The terms of reference have been formulated by the Islington Biodiversity Partnership and are set out below:

Vision: To protect and enhance Islington’s wildlife and natural places for future generations to benefit from and enjoy, ensuring that everyone has an opportunity to be part of Islington’s Biodiversity Partnership.

Objectives of Partnership

• To establish and maintain participation in the Biodiversity Action Plan process.• To seek engagement of wider stakeholders.• To encourage and support Islington’s Biodiversity Action Plan.• To implement actions in order to achieve the objectives and meet the targets outlined

in the Biodiversity Action Plan.• To be a consultative group on biodiversity issues in the Borough.• To champion and promote local biodiversity to all areas of the community.• To act as a forum for the communication and sharing of best practice, good news

and skills across the Borough around biodiversity related ideas.• To seek opportunities for joint projects and their funding wherever possible.• To agree new actions and establish partnership projects.• To monitor biodiversity and biodiversity action.• To report annually on its achievements.

MeetingsThe partnership will meet on a quarterly basis, with more regular initial meetings to continue to develop the habitat and species action plans.

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7. The Action Plans

Habitat Action Plans and Species Action Plans are in a separate document attachedto this one

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8. References and Further Information

London Borough of Islington (2009), Islington’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy2009 – 2012, Islington

London Wildlife Trust, Greater London Authority, Natural England, London Development Agency (2009) Adapting to Climate Change: Creating Natural Resilience, Greater London Authority

London Borough of Islington (2009), A Policy for Trees in Islington: Ensuring sustainable well cared for trees, for now and the future, Islington

London Borough of Islington (2009), Greenspace Strategy 2009-2010, Islington

London Borough of Islington and NHS Islington (2010) Food: A Strategy for Islington, Islington

London Borough of Islington (2010) Sustainability Action Plan 2010 - 12, Islington

Greater London Authority (2002) Connecting with London’s nature: The Mayor’s Biodiversity Strategy, GLA

Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (2006) Global Biodiversity Outlook 2Montreal

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) (2007) Guidance for Local Authorities on Implementing the Biodiversity Duty, Crown

Natural England (2009) England Biodiversity Strategy: Working with the Grain of Nature, Workstream Deliverables for 2010, Natural England

Natural England (2009) State of the Natural Environment in London: Securing our future, Natural England

Natural England and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) (2008), Securing Biodiversity: A new framework for delivering priority habitats and species in England, Natural England

Natural England (2009) No Charge? Valuing the Natural Environment, Natural England

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) (2009) Naturally, at your service: why it pays to invest in nature, RSPB

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) (2004) Natural Health, RSPB

Hampshire County Council (2008) Nature, health and Wellbeing, HCC

The Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act (2006)http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/biodiversity/protectandmanage/duty.aspx

Planning Policy Statement 9 (PPS9): Biodiversity and Geological Conservationhttp://www.communities.gov.uk/planningandbuilding/planning/planningpolicyguidance/historicenvironment/pps9/

The Nature Conservancy (2009) – Climate change impacts on biodiversity http://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/issues/art19623.html

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Natural Thinking – Investigating the links between Natural Environment,Biodiversity and Mental Health, Dr William Bird, 2007http://www.rspb.org.uk/Images/naturalthinking_tcm9-161856.pdf

Natural England’s Health Campaign:http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/campaigns/health/default.htm

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Policy 1 The Council will look to maximise the opportunity that Islington’s residents have to engage with, and benefit from, Islington’s natural environment.

Policy 2 The Council will commit to minimising negative impacts on the natural environment through the services it delivers and the actions it takes.

Policy 3 The Council recognises the economic value of the natural world and its contribution to the Borough’s economy and commits to working for its conservation now and for the future.

Policy 4 The Council will ensure the Borough’s three statutory Local Nature Reserves are effectively managed and maintained as sites of high biodiversity value and continue to be an educational resource. It will seek opportunities for the creation for further sites to be designated as Local Nature Reserves.

Policy 5 The Islington Biodiversity Partnership and the Council recognise the impact that climate change will have on biodiversity now and in the future, and will ensure habitats are managed to make them as resilient as possible.

Policy 6 The Council will ensure the public realm and the built environment positively contribute to biodiversity, through urban greening and the consideration of biodiversity in other infrastructure projects.

Policy 7 The Islington Biodiversity Partnership and the Council will seek to engage other biodiversity stakeholders in the Borough, such as rail side land owners and operators, in the protection and management of biodiversity.

Policy 8 The Council commits to preserving and protecting those sites identified as having ecological value by:

Ensuring that the appropriate local designation is afforded to sites in consultation with the Local Sites Partnership for London.

Ensuring all sites are monitored in order to identify any impacts or changes as a result of development.

Ensuring appropriate management is achieved on local wildlife sites. Maximising the number of designated sites actively managed for nature

conservation, reporting annually on National Indicator 197

Policy 9 Islington Biodiversity Partnership and the Council recognise the importance of monitoring biodiversity and the role that residents can play, and will ensure it forms an essential part of the conservation of Islington’s biodiversity

Policy 10 The Council recognises the importance of partnership working in delivering biodiversity action, and will actively engage and support the Islington Biodiversity Partnership in delivering the Biodiversity Action Plan.

Policy 11 The Council will put in place strong planning policies that protect and enhance biodiversity. It will use these to ensure that developments in the Borough make a positive contribution to biodiversity and do not have a long term detrimental impact.

APPENDICES

Appendix A: Biodiversity Policies

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Policy 12 The Council recognises the importance of a landscape scale approach to the protection and enhancement of the Borough’s biodiversity. It will seek to achieve this by:

Taking a more holistic approach to policy-making and service delivery, with the focus on maintaining healthy ecosystems and ecosystem services.

Ensuring that the value of ecosystem services is fully reflected in decision-making Taking decisions at the appropriate spatial scale while recognising the cumulative

impacts of decisions. Seeking opportunities to increase the connectivity between existing green spaces

and reduce the fragmentation of habitats.

Policy 13 The Council will lead by example and demonstrate best practice in the management of its green spaces for people and biodiversity.

Policy 14 The Council supports the London targets for habitats, and will assist with the delivery of these targets locally, wherever feasible.

Policy 15 The Council is committed to meeting its biodiversity duty as set out in the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act (NERC) 2006, and recognises Islington’s Biodiversity Action Plan plays an important role in this.

Policy 17 The Council will ensure that biodiversity impacts of new policies and projects are assessed as part of the Environmental Impact assessment of all reports.

Policy 16 The Council will seek to maximise the opportunities that new policies, strategies and projects have to positively contribute towards Islington’s biodiversity, for example the Council’s Tree Strategy.

Policy 18 Islington Biodiversity Partnership and the Council will actively raise awareness of the importance of biodiversity with Islington’s residents and businesses, maximising opportunities for there active involvement in its conservation.

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Appendix B: The Islington Biodiversity Partnership

Archway Herbal ClinicArvon Road Allotment AssociationBere ArchitectsBetter Archway ForumBritish WaterwaysBuglifeCally Rail GroupCulpeper Community GardenersEnterprise PlcFriends of Gillespie ParkFriends of King Henry’s Walk GardenFriends of Regents CanalGroundwork North LondonHighbury Builders CollectiveHomes for IslingtonIslington GardenersIslington Wildlife Gardening GroupLondon Bat GroupLondon Bee keepers AssociationLondon Biodiversity PartnershipLondon Borough of CamdenLondon Borough of IslingtonLondon Natural History SocietyLondon SwiftsLondon Wildlife TrustLivingroofs.orgNewington Green Action GroupRiver of FlowersRoyal Society for the Protection of BirdsSt Luke’s Parochial TrustSunnyside Community GardensThornhill Bridge Community GardenersWest London Synagogue

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Appendix C: Islington’s Current List of Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation

Sites of Metropolitan Importance

Ref. Site

NC1 Parkland WalkNC2 Gillespie Park and SidingsNC3 Regent’s Canal (west)NC4 Regent’s Canal (East)

Sites of Borough Importance – Grade 1

Ref. Site

NC5 Archway Road CuttingNC6 Dartmouth Park Hill ReservoirNC7 Upper Holloway Railway CuttingNC8 Junction Road CuttingNC9 Isledon RoadNC10 Drayton Park / Olden Gardens

NC11Holloway Road to Caledonian Road Railsides

NC12 Copenhagen JunctionNC13 North London Line – EastNC14 Barnsbury WoodNC15 New River WalkNC16 North London Line – WestNC17 Caledonian Park

Sites of Borough Importance – Grade 2

Ref. Site

NC18Elthorne Park and Sunnyside Gardens

NC19 Holly Park EstateNC20 Market Road GardensNC21 Freightliners FarmNC22 Culpeper Community Garden

NC23 Claremont Square ReservoirNC24 Claremont Close LawnsNC25 Bunhill Fields Burial GroundNC26 Dowcras Building WoodNC27 Gardens at St. Mary’s ChurchNC28 Jewish Burial Ground

Sites of Local Importance

Ref. Site

NC29 Archway Park

NC30 Margaret MacMillan Nursary School

NC31 Hatchard RoadNC32 Foxham Gardens

NC33Garden at Tufnell Park Primary School

NC34Site at r/o St. Mary Magdalene School

NC35 St Mary Magdalene GardensNC36 Highbury FieldsNC37 Newington Green GardensNC38 Bingfield ParkNC39 Thornhill SquareNC40 Barnsbury Square

NC41 St. Paul’s ShrubberyNC42 Lloyd SquareNC43 Wilmington SquareNC44 Spa Green GardensNC45 St. John’s GardensNC46 King Square GardensNC47 Garden at Bemerton Estate

NC48Kate Greenaway Nursery –Garden

NC49 Moreland School – GardenNC50 St Luke’s ChurchyardNC51 St Mary’s SchoolNC52 Whittington ParkNC53 Winton School - Garden

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Appendix D: Islington Area of Natural Deficiency and SINCs