Roles

Landowners and tenants: seek the best results for wildlife by following best practice in managing standing water.

Also take up opportunities to create standing water habitats, including where this can help sustainable drainage and flood prevention.

The Environment Agency has identified areas in which new wetland creation would reduce flood risk.

Environment Agency, RSPB, Barnsley Council and others are working to improve wetlands and provide more seasonal standing water in the Dearne valley as flood defence.

A number of organisations including land fill bodies may offer grants for habitat improvement involving standing water.

Natural England funded pond creation and maintenance through Great Crested Newt District Level Licensing Scheme is undertaken by Wildscapes in South Yorkshire.

Barnsley council as planning authority:

• sets conditions in planning approvals to ensure in relevant cases that the biodiversity value of ponds and standing water is maintained and enhanced.
• promotes ponds as sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) in developments.
• promotes creation of ponds within district level great crested newt licensing scheme
• ensures that biodiversity net gain requirements are met or exceeded

Voluntary groups and volunteers:

• help with conservation work of ponds and standing water and their surroundings.
•  help provide  information about the condition of our ponds and standing water and collect records of the wildlife there.

Key objectives for biodiversity in standing water

• Raise awareness of importance of standing water for biodiversity.
• Review extent and condition of standing water habitats in Barnsley
• Collect and analyse records of populations and assemblages of standing water wildlife species incl Water Vole, amphibians, invertebrates.
• Maintain the extent of standing water habitat and create new ponds where other valuable habitats would not be damaged
• Create appropriate links and corridors between standing water sites.
• Promote improvement of the conservation value of standing water habitats through appropriate management and site protection:
• managing sites for their invertebrate, amphibian, mammal, bird and plant interest as a whole.
• promoting changes in land management practices that are having an adverse impact on ponds and standing water habitats.
• Monitor the extent of the spread of invasive species and promote the control or removal of invasive species.

Actions taken

• Habitat improvement involving scrapes and pools in Dearne Valley.
• Scrapes and open water at Carlton Marsh (BMBC + partners) 2015
• Scrapes at Lundwood wastewater site (YW and YWT) 2016
• Surveys Sowell Pond area. BMBC 2017
• Renovation of small pond Dearne Valley Park (Cliffe Wood LWS) by YWT ca 2017
• Scrape creation at The Fleet (Broomhill Flash extension) Garganey Trust c.2019
• Invasive species in ponds and canals in Lower Barugh, Wilthorpe Marsh, Cudworth Common, Dearne Valley CP removed and controlled

Proposed actions

• Additional ponds, pools and scrapes, including in development requirements, Sustainable Urban Drainage Schemes (SUDS) and GCN District Level Licensing.
• Analysis of records of wildlife species* in standing water bodies. Every 3-5 years.
• Additional ponds identified for designation, protected and conserved.
• Continue prioritised programme of invasive species removal and control.

 Standing Water Actions

Marking Progress

• Sites/extent of standing water in ‘moderate/good ecological condition’.
• Sites/extent of standing water supporting key priority species.
• Number and populations of priority species increasing.
• Sites of standing water connected in wider ecological network.
• Extent of invasive species / extent removed and controlled.

Continued

• Pond creation/restoration as a result planning permission with agreed mitigation and Biodiversity Net Gain requirements:
• Retention of pond and surroundings at Dearne Valley Parkway, Rockingham by Harworth Estates, 2020
• SUDS attenuation basins with standing water to improve habitats for wildlife, created by Harworth Estates Dearne Valley Parkway, Rockingham ) and Newlands Developments for Hermes on Land West of Sheffield Road, 2021
• Pond creation/restoration through GCN District Level Licensing (DLL) scheme: Tyers Hall and New Hall Farms, Ardsley.