SCOUT MOOR WINDFARM HABITAT ENHANCEMENT PLAN (HEP)

Aims of the HEP fund

The purpose of the HEP fund is to enable environmental improvement works within the uplands and their peripheral areas around the Scout Moor Wind Farm, so as to achieve the conservation, restoration and enhancement of wildlife interests.

Historic burning, over-grazing, drainage and pollution have resulted in major damage to, and losses of, moorland habitats in Lancashire and Greater Manchester.

The primary focus of the HEP fund will therefore be to re-wet blanket bog and to enhance other upland habitats, including heathland. In addition, however, many of the species that are characteristic of these areas may also depend on adjacent grasslands, and therefore the HEP fund would also aim to maximise the value of such areas for nature conservation.

Local Biodiversity Action Plans have been developed for such habitats, for example, the Lancashire Biodiversity Action Plan which can be found at http://www.lbap.org.uk/bap/habitat/moorland.htm. The HEP fund would be directed towards measures that further these Action Plans.

The HEP fund area

The HEP fund would be directed towards appropriate projects in the upland areas centred around the Scout Moor Wind Farm (the Grant Area), as shown on the map here >>

What measures will the HEP fund cover?

Funding will be provided for practical and positive projects that have a high potential to bring about the restoration to favourable condition of blanket bogs or upland habitats, and/or to deliver conditions that are favourable to upland breeding birds.

Payments would be considered for activities such as:

• Grip-blocking (re-wetting)
• Heather restoration
• Stock reductions, including fencing.
• Selective control of bracken
• Removal of trees and shrubs from mires
• Creation of wet grassland and marshland
• Funding availability

Projects would be funded using revenue derived from the operation of the Scout Moor Wind Farm. Payments would be made from the date upon which the wind farm begins to generate electricity until it is decommissioned, which would be expected to occur after 25 years.

The total HEP fund available exceeds £400,000, and is linked to inflation. It is intended that grants made in the early years of the HEP fund would be directed at capital works, while later grants would mainly be for maintenance and/or management activities relating to previously HEP funded projects. For this reason, the amount available each year has been weighted towards the first eight years of electricity generation. The total amount available in the first year of the HEP fund’s existence is approximately £39,000.

How are applications decided?

A Grant Panel made up of ecological advisors to Rossendale Borough Council and Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council, and an independent ecological consultant, would consider applications. The Panel would advise Scout Moor Wind Farm Ltd on the merits of each application and would recommend whether funding should be provided.

Proposals will be assessed on their own merits. However, applicants must fulfil at least the following criteria:

The application must be for works that would be carried out within the Grant Area.

The proposed scheme must deliver high quality ecological enhancements to blanket bog and/or the habitats of breeding upland birds.

There must be a commitment to long term management of the HEP funded works.

Funding could cover 100% of the cost of a project, although consideration would also be given to applications for funding to match grants from other sources, or to serve as Contributing Third Party (CTP) payments.

The first funding awards would be made in June 2008. Applications for this funding round should be made by 31st December 2007. Subsequently, grants would be made twice-yearly, in June and December. Closing dates for future applications will be posted on this website in due course.

How to apply

We intend that the process of making an application should be as simple as possible. An application form can be found here >>

Points to bear in mind are:

The Grant Panel will wish to understand how the project for which funding is being sought will lead to measurable gains in the quality and/or extent of blanket bog, upland habitats or upland breeding bird habitat. With this in mind you should aim to provide details of the existing habitats in and around the area of the planned works, commenting on their condition and setting out how the project will deliver benefits.

The project for which funding is required should ideally be a practical one, using proven techniques. Applicants may find it useful to refer to English Nature’s Upland Management Handbook, which can be found at http://www.english-nature.org.uk/pubs/Handbooks/upland.asp?id=1

The Grant Panel will need to be satisfied that the persons undertaking any works are appropriately experienced and qualified to do so. It is therefore important that applicants provide as much detail as possible on how the work would be undertaken and by whom.

Applications will be considered regardless of size, although larger scale schemes and/or schemes which show high grade management to create optimum habitat will be given preference.

You will need to demonstrate how the benefits of the project will be sustained once the initial funding has been used.

Some activities that benefit biodiversity can have adverse effects on other features in the environment, such as for example, archaeological resources. It would be the applicant’s responsibility to investigate any potential impacts on such features or other environmental interests.

What happens after an application is made?

It is possible that a member of the Grant Panel may contact you to talk about your application. In some cases, this will be a telephone conversation, but in other cases, the initial contact will be to arrange a time for you to be visited, ideally at the project site, so that the project can be discussed in detail and advice can be given where appropriate.

Your application would be discussed with the other members of the Grant Panel at its next meeting, and a decision will be made at that point as to whether the application has been successful. Successful applicants would be advised, and payments made, as soon as practically possible after each meeting of the Grant Panel.

Payment for successful projects would be made in advance of the works. By signing the application form you will have agreed to the terms and conditions of the HEP fund, which will include a requirement for you to submit progress reports and evidence of expenditure on the project. The terms and conditions will also require applicants to allow access to the project site by representatives of the Grant Panel for the purposes of verification and monitoring.

Further advice

Should you require further information, or to have an informal discussion about a possible application, please contact the Greater Manchester Ecology Unit (0161 371 9171) or the Lancashire Natural and Historic Environment Service (01772 534164).