Bayston Hill Quarry

The screening bund, together with other peripheral areas around the quarry rim, provided a unique opportunity to create over 20ha of priority habitat, principally through the establishment of species-rich grassland, in an area that consists of predominately improved agricultural land.

The extent of wildflower grassland has dramatically declined within Shropshire and across the county, with up to 97% lost nationwide, and it has been this habitat type that has formed a particular focus within the scheme for the screening bund. Two types of grassland have been created at Bayston Hill: lowland natural grassland and acid grassland, a typical habitat of the Welsh Borderland hills.

To minimise the fertility of the soil - thus maximising the ecological value - the topsoil was mixed with subsoil and placed to a depth of 800mm under 100mm and 250mm of topsoil from poorer soil areas for woodland and grassland creation, respectively. This method ensures that topsoil is not lost within the bulk fill of the landform itself, yet minimises increased depths of topsoil that would create too fertile conditions for habitat creation.

Some experimental translocation plots were also trialled. During the pre-application survey work, small areas of habitat containing characteristic woodland or acid grassland species were identified. As part of the creation of the bund, soil from these areas were conserved and placed directly onto the newly created landform in the anticipation that the seed bank held within the soil would be conserved and regenerate in the new locations. To date, bluebells, small-flowered buttercup, field pepperwort and Smith’s pepperwort have all regenerated within the translocated areas.

Grassland creation at the site provided an opportunity to involve the local community in active restoration at this site. Initial use of wildflower seed failed to establish the desired habitat, so a community-engagement exercise saw local residents taking part in a green hay strewing exercise. Further collaborative restoration works have been undertaken at the site with the creation of a community orchard.

Ponds have been created across the site which have already been colonised by a variety of species including great crest newts in four of the five pools, while, during a sweep-net exercise over the shallow pools, Tachytrechus notatus (species of long-legged fly) was recorded for the first time in Shropshire.