Protecting wildlife and habitats

We’re as passionate about protecting and preserving the natural environment as we are about transforming our Bishopton site into a new and thriving community space. We want to accommodate wildlife and put in place new and improved habitats where it can flourish.

That’s why we have included within our overall vision a separate Ecological Design and Management Plan. It considers the impact engineering activities might have on wildlife and sets out standards and procedures to minimise this impact. We have also put action plans in place to help us manage each of the key species on the site.

There are many species of wildlife on the site and some displacement is inevitable, however the new development only accounts for 25% of the total site space. This leaves significant opportunity to create and improve habitats for wildlife for the long term on the remaining land. This will be an ongoing consideration for us. Our current focus is on identifying which habitats need to be improved first.

To help us achieve our goal of protecting and preserving the natural environment surrounding the Bishopton site, we have also appointed an Ecological Clerk of Works. He will advise on wildlife matters and ensure procedures set out in the Plan are properly applied.

Protecting badgers

There are a number of active badger clans across the site that tend to feed in specific, reasonably well defined areas. The presence of badgers brings with it certain responsibilities. As a result of this we’ve put in place a specific Badger Management Plan. This outlines the particular actions to be followed to ensure that work on site takes account of the conservation status of the badgers.

Plants

We are keen to minimise disruption to plants during the development process. There are no known protected species on the site, but we will continue to work with specialists and regulators to ensure that the variety of plants is managed in an appropriate way.

Regulatory Process

We are working with Renfrewshire Council and Scottish Natural Heritage to ensure we properly consider and manage all species during the transformation.

Planning with nature in mind

The new development gives us many interesting opportunities to create habitats of different types which will sustain wildlife and help it thrive. A mosaic of water, woodland and open grassland already provides the perfect place for many different wildlife species.
By planning our activities with nature conservation in mind, we’ll help preserve and protect the wildlife and habitats of Bishopton for the future.