The design layouts, materials and construction methods used in the delivery of road schemes as part of development can have detrimental impacts on wildlife. Roads can create barriers to the movement of wildlife, animals can become trapped by traditional highway assets such as kerbs or gullies.
Materials used can be toxic to some species and construction sites can be particularly hazardous environments if not designed to prevent access by wildlife. Schemes must comply with environmental regulations to avoid detrimental impacts on biodiversity.
Materials and assets must comply with the key principles of asset management regarding durability and ease of maintenance, and this should be discussed with the appropriate specialists and the council at an early stage.
Please refer to the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges guidance, which outlines general requirements for biodiversity design on the highway (LD 118) and procedures to follow when assessing and reporting on the environmental effects of a proposed scheme in line with the Environmental Impact Assessment directive (LA 104).
Wildlife Crossings
The council will work with developers, alongside the planning ecologist, to agree designs on a case-by-case basis. Designs must meet the principles of good asset management practice, including maintainability.
Construction activities and the environment
Every construction project has environmental requirements that need to be well-managed by the site manager and site workers. Ciria’s ‘Environmental good practice on site’ guide provides information for site managers so that impacts on the natural environment can be avoided or minimised.
The discharge of water run-off from a construction site can cause pollution of the water environment, damaging valuable habitats. As such, any discharge of water run-off from a construction site to the water environment must be authorised by the Environment Agency (main river) or the Lead Local Flood Authority (ordinary watercourse).