Urban areas

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Urban areas within the Wiltshire Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) are defined as towns with a population of over 5,000, but include some settlements below 5,000 (e.g. Mere and Pewsey) because of their local significance in mainly rural areas.

When most people think of rich wildlife habitats they tend to think of the open countryside. Built-up areas, however, contain a wide range of wildlife habitats, some of which are of international importance, such as the River Avon in Salisbury.

Typical urban habitats may include:

• Semi-natural habitats such as woodland, wetland, water courses and grassland, which are often relics of former countryside;
• Managed open spaces such as parks, recreation grounds and amenity grassland, playing fields, grounds of institutions, cemeteries and churchyards and landscaped areas around developments;
• Gardens and allotments, i.e. areas not generally accessible to the public;
• Neglected/derelict sites which have been naturally colonised by plants – demolition sites, disused railways, mineral workings;
• Built structures including buildings and bridges.

Importance

Urban areas support an impressive variety of habitat types that exists in close proximity to large numbers of people. Bringing people into contact with wildlife can motivate people to do something positive to enhance their environment. Green spaces have the added importance of providing a social, recreational and aesthetic value for urban residents.

Green spaces are of more value to wildlife if they are linked together to form a network. In this way animals and plants are more likely to be able to establish themselves.

Semi-natural areas: These can have high ecological value, acting as refuges for a number of plant and animal species.

Managed Open Spaces: Open spaces are often intensively managed, being in effect green deserts of regularly mown grass with a few trees, bushes and flower beds. Often only a few changes, such as fewer grass cuts, are required in order to provide a significant benefit for wildlife, sometimes only involving the edges of the site. Churchyards may also be of wildlife interest, some having escaped the intensive management of other open spaces and so still holding vestiges of species-rich grassland. They may also contain old trees and mausoleums which may support bat roosts.

Gardens and allotments: Gardens vary in size, but their value to wildlife increases when they are arranged in a block, as is the case with allotments with a variety of native and/or nectar-producing plant types from mature trees to shrubs to flower beds are most beneficial to wildlife, especially where ponds are included. The value of gardens for wildlife increases as more wildlife is lost from rural areas.

Neglected/derelict sites: These are often referred to as brownfield sites. The fact that derelict sites may appear visually unattractive does not mean that they are unimportant for wildlife. Some sites absorb much heat from the sun and so attract reptiles and certain insects. Some sites, too, have been abandoned for a number of years and have evolved diverse communities. Neglected sites are often important to small birds as the plant species found growing on them typically produce large amounts of seed. An added interest is that some of the plants in neglected sites are relatively rare exotics.

Buildings: The roof spaces within buildings can harbour bats, while kestrels, swifts and house martins will nest under eaves and on ledges. Dippers have been known to nest under bridges. Specialist species found growing on old walls include mosses, lichens and species of larger plants. Important assemblages of invertebrates are also often found on built structures.

Extent and distribution

The urban area of Wiltshire is thought to be 28,000ha. It is not known how much green space occurs within this area, although two recent biodiversity audits in Swindon and Salisbury have revealed some interesting information. The Swindon audit found 82 urban spaces with wildlife value in Swindon and Wroughton, 46 having an existing wildlife value that was medium to high. The Salisbury audit examined 50 sites owned by Salisbury District Council and made management recommendations to further the wildlife interest on 27 of these.

Wiltshire currently has nine Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in urban areas and a small number of urban Local Nature Reserves (LNR). Wiltshire Wildlife Trust manages five reserves in urban areas and there are also a number of community nature reserves scattered through the county often owned by parish Councils and managed by Friends of Groups.

Trends

The population of urban areas in Wiltshire (excluding Swindon) is estimated to have grown by around 11% between 1991 and 1999. In addition to allowing towns to expand outwards, there is pressure to build on open spaces and brownfield sites within urban areas to ease the demand for new housing. At the same time, the increase in housing numbers results in the increase in the number of small gardens.

Last updated: 23 June 2009