1. Lessons from the Green Transport Corridors Project
Dr Nick White– Senior Advisor – Net Gain & Green Infrastructure

2. Green Transport Corridors Project
Background to GTCP
GTCP – Phase 1
GTCP – Phase 2
Project Outcomes
Legacy

3. Transport Corridors & Wildlife?

4. ?

5. ?

6. Where are the Biodiversity Features in this Landscape?

7. Transport Networks & Lawton?
More, Bigger, Better and Joined-Up

8. An Over-Looked Opportunity?
Highways England + Network Rail Estate in England
Estimated 200,000 ha
700 species
87 s41 (most threatened) species
Network Rail = 200 SSSIs
Highways England = 20m trees

9. An Operational Challenge

10. GTCP - Intro
2011 Natural Environment White Paper Commitment 32 ‘The Government will work with its transport agencies and key delivery partners to contribute to the creation of coherent and resilient ecological networks …’
Tested in 2 Nature Improvement Areas (NIAs)
North Lancashire & South Cumbria
South Yorkshire & Humberside

11. Phase 1: 2012-Dec 2014
Key Aims 1) EU Literature review focussed on ecology and ecosystems services as well as transport resilience. 2) Identify potential land management options 3) Undertake a Multi-Criteria Analysis of these land management options to identify preferred approaches 4) Develop opportunity maps for the two NIAs, informed by ecological connectivity, ecosystem service provision and network resilience

12. Partnership Project Humberhead Levels NIA Partnership
Morecambe Bay Limestones & Wetlands NIA Partnership

13. Literature Review Key Findings
Biodiversity & Connectivity
Transport networks can provide connectivity for less sensitive species that are resilient to transport impacts but can pose risks for the more sensitive species.
Surrounding habitats can significantly influence the biodiversity value of the soft estate.   
Out of all species groups, the literature most strongly supports the use of verges for pollinators. 

14. Key Findings Cont’d Ecosystem Services & Infrastructure Resilience
Transport soft estate management can:
help to mitigate transport impacts on communities and the wider natural environment.
assist in the operations of the transport network itself and increase it’s resilience to climate change
The benefits and challenges vary across the range of ecosystems services. 

17. Phase 1 Opportunity Maps
Datasets
NIA boundaries (NE)
Road and rail infrastructure (OS open data)
Ecological designations including SACs, SPAs, Ramsar, SSSIs and NNRs (NE)
Priority habitats and ancient woodland sites
Flood warning areas (EA)
Water Framework Directive river ecological status (EA)
Higher Level Stewardship boundaries and options (NE):
Ecosystem services potential using Land Cover Map 2007 (CEH)
Highways Agency EnvIS data (HA)
Network Rail leaf fall tree survey data (NR)

18. Draft Opportunity Maps
Identified all priority habitats and ecosystem services habitats within 200m buffer
Each 100m section of road or track was scored according to whether priority habitat, designated site or ecosystem services habitat fell within the 200m buffer.
Total scores are then calculated for biodiversity (0-8), ecosystem services (0-4), network resilience (0-1) and the grand total (0-13) for each 100m stretch of line.
The higher the score the more significant the opportunity for managing the soft estate management in a way that connects with and enhances nearby habitats/ecosystem services or increases infrastructure resilience.
Highest ranked 100m sections chosen as opportunity areas

19. Draft Opportunity Maps
x 2 Maps per NIA – Network Rail + Highways England

20. Estate Management Options

21. Opportunity Map Testing
NIA workshops – conservation organisation reps
Highway + Rail webinars
- Engineers + contractors

22. GTCP Phase 2:
2 p/t Project Officers + Steering Group

24. Phase 2 Cont’d
Aims
Survey & trial management in opportunity areas in each NIA to ground-truth opportunity map information
Shape & refine decision-making and management tools for transport soft estate staff
Inform roll-out of the approach across the wider transport soft estate network

25. Cumbria A590 Example
Over five years enhance and restore 13.5ha of roadside vegetation
Enhanced connectivity to 400ha of SSSI on Foulshaw and Meathop Mosses and 1200ha on Whitbarrow and Nichols Moss.   
Create or restore species rich grassland/pollinator habitat
Restructure trees and woodlands
Plant new hedgerows
Create reptile hibernacula

26. Humberside M180 Example
10km Pollinator Corridor

27. Project Specific Successes
Investment of £72k leveraged £1.8m capital investment in environmental outcomes
Potential for transport network to enhance ecological connectivity
Forecast biodiversity unit uplifts (e.g. A590 = 123% increase)
Demonstrated win-wins between biodiversity and transport resilience
Value of partnership and collaboration
First ever use of volunteers on transport estate
Won industry awards + BBC Gardeners Question Time
Early trial of an Ecometric approach
‘We do like working on the roadside, as every time we pass the site we can see what an improvement we have made.’
BCT Volunteer

28. Project Specific Learning
It takes time to establish effective partnership working
Involve estate maintenance contractors from the outset
Organisational structures and cultures are complex
Health & safety concerns and limitations
Access to the soft estate can be costly and is easiest from the rear
Landscape-scale delivery is a challenge
Rural vs Urban – did not have an opportunity to test in urban areas
Access to infrastructure resilience data
Link to existing maintenance cycles
Challenges of securing maintenance vs capital funding
Policy drivers are still useful

29. Linear Infrastructure Network

31. Roads Investment Strategy
RIS
£300m Environmental Designated Fund (£30m specifically for biodiversity)
RIS
Continued capital investment in the environment

32. Green Bridges

33. Net Gain Biodiversity Net Gain Natural Capital Net Gain
Testing, application and learning from use of (2012) Defra Biodiversity Metric
Natural Capital Net Gain
Early testing of biodiversity-led Ecometric approach

34. Thank You