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Thameslink Programme-Delivering Network Rails first net positive biodiversity offset
Amelia Woodley – Thameslink Environment Manager, Network RailJulia Baker – Biodiversity Specialist, Parsons Brinckerhoff
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Biodiversity & Railways
Railway embankments can provide habitats for wildlife
Vegetation clearance is often required for projects that upgrade existing railway infrastructure
On-site replanting restricted by H&S regulations
Railway embankments subject to vandalism; disturbance from rail operations
Creates major challenges to preserve & enhance biodiversity
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Presentation Title: View > Header & Footer
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Thameslink
Transforming north-south travel
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Thameslink Phase 1
Solar-roof rail bridge
New viaduct
Brown roof installation
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Reconstructing London Bridge Station
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Presentation Title: View > Header & Footer
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Thameslink’s Biodiversity
Rural & urban habitats
Applied the mitigation hierarchy
Some biodiversity loss was unavoidable
Want to set biodiversity target but no uniform industry standard to measure biodiversity?
Deliver a net gain?
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Delivering a net gain
Putting a number to biodiversity
Engaging Executive Board
Delivering Biodiversity Benefits policy & procedure
Staff & supply chain training
Understanding business risk
Designing the offset
Delivering the offset.... Tree planting!
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Numbers
• Numbers are useful management tools
• Effective after understanding biodiversity
• We sought to answer two questions:
• What is the value of each Thameslink site in nature conservation terms?
• What is the primary ecological function of each Thameslink site?
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Site Nature Conservation Value Primary Ecological Function
A Low Green corridor
B Moderate Rail-locked trees
C Low Limited green corridor
D Low-Moderate Green corridor
E Very Low Very limited temporary shelter
F Very Low Very limited temporary shelter
H Low Green corridor
G Moderate-High Wildlife sheltering habitat
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Numbers
• Defra’s metric is a habitat-based tool
• Need appropriate skills & experience
Habitat Parcel Distinctiveness Condition Hectares Biodiversity Unit
LowlandMeadow
6 2 6 (6*2*6)72 biodiversity
units
Scattered trees: broadleaved
6 2 1 (6*2*1) 12 biodiversity
units
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Numbers
Appendix 1 & FEP list certain habitat types
My brief was to calculate EVERY bit of green cover on Thameslink
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Putting a number on biodiversity
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Total biodiversity baseline units
A B C D E F G
Nu
mb
er
of
un
its
Site B is the most valuable site in terms of biodiversity units:
a rail-locked area of silver birch trees
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Biodiversity baseline units per hectare
A B C D E F G
Nu
mb
er
of
un
its
Site B remains the most valuable site but Site F also important
Units per hectare gives further understanding of what the numbers mean
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Unavoidable loss of biodiversity
A B C D E F G
Nu
mb
er
of
un
its
Greatest loss at Site B: a rail-locked area of silver birch trees
Achieving a net gain not only in numbers, but also in nature conservation
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Engaging Executive Board
Numbers & graphs to communicate vague concepts of biodiversity
Powerful engagement tool with business leaders regardless of offsetting
For Thameslink, secured senior commitment to go beyond our planning commitment & achieve a net-gain
Developed a new policy & procedure:
Delivering Biodiversity Benefits
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Delivering biodiversity benefits
Focus on the end goal: benefits
Corporate commitment – strong message to staff & supply chain
Emphasised on-site enhancements
Transparency
Adherence to Defra’s guidance on offsetting
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Staff & supply chain training
Corporate message....
Training to support staff & supply chain
Habitat identification
Brain-storming sessions generating ideas for on-site enhancements
Changing client-contractor-ecologist relationship
New wildflower area!
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Understanding business risk
The Guardian
Biodiversity offsetting will unleash a new spirit of destruction on the land
Biodiversity offsetting attracts local opposition
Rush to biodiversity offsetting ‘massively
premature’
Working towards an appropriate solution to deliver a net gain
Awareness of views across industry, government & conservation
Potential negative impact on the business, programme & our client (dft)
Mitigating this risk through robust processes & transparency
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Designing the offset
Greatest loss rail-locked trees in South London
• Pool units into one offset or several separate offsets?
• Type of offset habitat?
• Offset location?
Developed criteria to evaluate offset proposals
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Distance to TLPDiverse native
woodland
Site designated for nature
conservation
Contribute to a biodiversity
strategy
Increase connectivity
Bring people closer to nature
Timescales TLP involvement London-based
Designing the offset
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Delivering the offset
• Partnership approach with conservation experts
• London Wildlife Trust: proactive, appropriate approach to biodiversity offsetting
• Proposals:
1. Brockwell Park
2. Dulwich Woods
Streatham Common matched criteria
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How many biodiversity units?
Multiplier Type Multiplier
Delivery Risk Difficulty low given LWT’s
expertise
Low 1
Spatial Risk Offset is in a location identified
in LWT’s biodiversity strategy –
Great North Wood Restoration
Yes No multiplier
required
Temporal Risk Years to target condition:
information from LWT &
adopted the precautionary
approach
5 years 1.2
10 years 1.4
15 years 1.7
20 years 2.0
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Offset proposals
Proposal Woodland Offset Total Cost Total
Biodiversity
Units
Cost Per
Biodiversity
Unit
Streatham
Common
Creation £18,800 12.96 £1451
Enhancement £29,200 19.20 £1521
Brockwell Park Creation £31,700 11.58 £2737
Enhancement £17,300 2.36 £7339
Dulwich Wood Enhancement £48,500 2.40 £20,208
All 3 proposals were inherently similar woodland schemes in Greater London
Dulwich wood required intensive management..... high costs for limited biodiversity
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Restoring the Great North Wood
Streatham Common is a local nature reserve & public park
adding value for wildlife
a net-gain for Thameslink
increasing public enjoyment
An offset in perpetuity...BOMP
Years 1 to 3: London Wildlife Trust
Thereafter: Lambeth Council as land owners
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Key messages
• Developed a model that fits
• Mitigation hierarchy
• Engaging Executive Board
• Training staff & supply chain
• A net-gain beyond planning commitments
• Grass-roots collaboration of industry, conservation & local government
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