Hull Biodiversity Action Plan

This built environment covers any man-made structure and includes domestic and industrial buildings, walls, bridges and tunnels, hard surfaces such as pavements and car parks and other structures such as electricity pylons. Many species that would normally use natural features such as caves, cliffs, rocks and bare ground have adapted to use man-made sites, as natural sites have decreased.

Ivy-leaved Toadflax

The built environment is home to a wide range of plants, birds and mammals. Ferns and flowering plants are found on buildings and walls, and lichens are can be found on many structures. Birds such as Swallows (Hirundo rustica), House Martins (Delichon urbica) and Swifts (Apus apus) use buildings instead of their traditional cliff habitats and Pipistrelle bats (Pipistrellus spp.) often form roosts in modern buildings, rather than hollow trees.

Some species that use the built environment are regarded as pests and attempts are often made to try and control them, such as rats and cockroaches. However most species do not cause damage or disturbance and should be tolerated or even encouraged. Some species using the built environment are in decline and are protected by law.

CURRENT STATUS

The built environment can be found across the UK. It is concentrated in lowland areas with most major towns and cities situated next to the coast or rivers. Built environment features such as roads and railways connect almost all man-made structures into a nation-wide network. The built environment is a major and growing part of the modern landscape.

Nearly 80% of Hull can be classed as 'Built Environment', it is therefore very important that it is recognised as an important habitat for wildlife. Many buildings in the Old Town are particularly valuable for Ferns and Lichens, and many newer buildings provide homes for House Martins, Pipistrelle bats and Whiskered bats.

CURRENT FACTORS AFFECTING THE HABITAT

Comparatively little is known about the built environment compared with more recognised habitat types. The requirements of many 'urban' species are poorly understood and options for management are unclear.
Legal powers exist to protect some of the species using the built environment; however, these species cannot be protected if their location is unknown. Until information is available it is difficult to address the conservation needs of this habitat.
Demolition, redevelopment and disturbance are typical within the urban environment. Many of the characteristic plants and animals of the built environment are tolerant of disturbance; however, others are not and conservation effort must be targeted at the vulnerable species. Many sites become occupied by wildlife when the human use of the building has finished, but frequently this is only an intermediate stage before the demolition of the buildings and redevelopment of the site.
Many species, particularly birds and mammals, have habitat needs which extend over numerous landscapes. In urban areas land is owned by many different people, this makes effective management for wildlife difficult.
It is sometimes impractical to protect urban habitats. Retention of certain built habitats would sometimes prevent the proper maintenance of buildings and structures or the effective economic use of land.
Many sites are subject to almost constant human and mechanical disturbance, including noise and light pollution.
Many lichens are very sensitive to air pollution. Surface water run-off is often contaminated with oil or salt from roads that can affect the plant species that are able to grow. Insects also may not tolerate air pollution therefore fewer insect eating birds are found in built up areas. Former industrial sites may have heavy metal contamination.
Some invasive alien plant species can be a problem in urban areas as they displace native species.

CURRENT ACTION

Legal Status

No building or structure is currently protected by any statutory or non-stautory wildlife designation. It is probable that few, if any buildings would meet current criteria for designation.

The demolition of buildings and other structures does not always need planning permission so the retention of buildings and other examples of the built environment are not necessarily regulated by the planning system. New buildings and structures usually require planning permission, as does alteration of existing buildings.

Listed buildings receive some protection from the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. Such buildings require 'Listed Building Consent' before they can be destroyed or altered. Buildings in Conservation Areas also require planning permission for complete demolition. However, relatively few buildings and structures are protected by this legislation.

Complying with legal requirements relating to public safety or dangerous structures may threaten important sites.

Bats often roost in buildings and their roosts are fully protected under Schedule 2 of the Conservation (Natural Habitats etc) Regulations, 1994. The Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) gives very full protection to bats because of their special requirements for roosting. It is also illegal intentionally to damage, destroy, or obstruct access to any place that a bat uses for shelter or protection, or to disturb a bat while it is occupying such a place. Bats often return to the same places year after year and so roosts are protected even if there aren't bats there all the time. English Nature must be informed before anything is done that would affect bat roosts.

Management, Research and Guidance

There is currently no specific management for wildlife in the built environment of Hull. However, there is guidance from elsewhere that can be followed up.

ACTION PLAN AIMS

To ensure the planning authority secures the inclusion of features useful to wildlife through the planning process.

To promote retention and use of native hedges or trees as area dividers rather than walls or fences.

To monitor plants in the built environment.

To highlight the importance of the built environment for wildlife.

WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO

Action	Target	Partner	Aim
Policy and Legislation
Ensure inclusion of features useful to wildlife through the planning process.	Medium Term: Produce 'Supplementary Planning Guidance' on building for wildlife. Ongoing: Ensure planned developments have features for wildlife.	KuHCC	1,2
Habitat Management and Protection
Promote use of native trees and shrubs of local provenance.	Ongoing: At least 50% of newly planted trees or shrubs to be native.	KuHCC	2
Advisory
Provide advice on how to build and manage for wildlife.	Medium Term: Produce 'Supplementary Planning Guidance'.	KuHCC	1,2
Provide advice to land and property owners wishing to establish the current status of bat usage.	Ongoing: Build a database of known bat roosting sites.	NEYEDC, EYBG	4
Future Research and Monitoring
Monitoring of plants within the built environment.	Short Term: Carry out survey of wall ferns. Ongoing: Continued monitoring of plant species. Ongoing: Continue monitoring Lichen species.	HNHS HBP	3
Communications and Publicity
Highlight the importance of the built environment for wildlife.	Short Term: Article in local press. Medium Term: Produce leaflet.		4

WHAT WE CAN ALL DO

Contribute to making the built environment more wildlife-friendly.

Allow lichens, mosses, ferns and flowering plants to grow on walls.

Incorporate access for birds and bats in new buildings or at least provide boxes on the outside.

Use local, native plants in landscaping schemes.

LINKS WITH OTHER ACTION PLANS

Species associated with the Built Environment for which Action Plans have been produced include Wall Ferns, Lichens, House Martins and Pipistrelle bats.

REFERENCES

Gilbert, O. (1996) Rooted in Stone: The Natural Flora of Urban Walls. English Nature. Peterborough.

Kingston upon Hull City Council (1997) State of the Environment. (Unpublished)

Middleton, R. (2000) The Plants of Hull: A Millennium Atlas. (Retrieved January 2002, from http://www.hull.ac.uk/hullflora)

Wheater, C. P. (1999) Urban Environments. Routledge, London