The Provision of Habitat Improvement Works

Telford & Wrekin Council is wanting the establishment of wildflower grasslands. These will often include the g3c6 Lolium – Cynosurus neutral grassland habitat with a diversity of min 9-15 appropriate species per square metre.

The service required are:

A. Grassland species diversification

B. Annual sward management

C. Weed removal

It is likely that diversification contracts will be up to three years and annual management contracts for a year.

Service 1.A: Grassland species diversification

Service Providers are sought with the technical capability to, and proven experience of creating and establishing native species-rich wildflower grasslands on public open space.

The specific works required are:

• The Service Provider is to source and supply the seed mix (see below)
• Cultivate to destroy and bury the surface vegetation
• Harrow to produce a medium tilth
• Roll to produce a firm surface
• Seeding of appropriate seed mix in August/September
• Rolling, not covering of applied seed

The viability, appropriateness and diversity of the seed mixture is key to the project’s success of creating wildflower grasslands. The g3c6 Lolium – Cynosurus neutral grassland requires an appropriate diversity of a minimum of 12 appropriate species per square metre. Therefore, the appropriateness and diversity of this mix must be agreed in writing by the Council prior to sowing. It should be sown at the suppliers’ recommended rate. However, the Council is not liable for the viability or success of establishment of this seed.

The Council is looking for Service Providers who are able to deliver the following works:

A. Create and establish wildlife-rich hedgerows

B. Restore existing hedgerows

C. Trim hedgerows

D. Create and establish new woodland plantings

E. Diversify the species of established woodland with whips, seeds and/or plants

Woodland plantings will be site specific, however hedgerows will be more standardised in their specification. In this instance the Council is wanting the establishment of h2a5 Species-rich native hedgerow with a diversity of min 5 native woody species per 30m and a selected tree every 10m. We aim to create hedgerows that, in 10yrs, will have a target condition of:

• Min 5 woody species per 30m
• >1.5m in height and width
• Gap between ground and base of canopy <0.5m for >90% of length
• Gaps <10% length and all <5m
• Tree at least every >20m

Service Providers are sought with the technical capability to, and proven experience of installing stock proof fencing where public access is present.

Post and wire fencing will be needed around certain habitat interventions where livestock is likely to be present. The Service Provider is to source, supply and install the fencing. The use of the following specifications will be required:

Construction

• Pressure treated strainer posts sunk min 90cm into ground (with 2 struts) at most 100m apart and at changes in direction
• Pressure treated intermediate posts at a minimum depth of 55cm and at 2.7m intervals
• Galvanised netting strained and stapled on top, 3rd, 5th and bottom wire
• Additional top wire placed at 12.5cm above netting. Galvanised barbed wire used except next to paths where plain wire must be used.
• Wire possible under netting to fill gaps due to dips.
• Staples not to be fully driven in on intermediates.
• Pressure tantalised fencing rails should be used to stockproof between strainers and gates etc.

Materials

Timber

• must be round peeled softwood (not spruce) and pressure tanalised to BS 4072, or of equivalent quality and durability
• straining posts 2m x 120mm top diameter.
• struts 2m x 100mm top diameter
• intermediate stakes 1.7m x 65mm top diameter, pointed
• longer stakes may be needed in soft or uneven ground conditions

Wire

• must comply to BS 4102 and be galvanised to BS 443
• line wire: 4mm (8 swg) plain mild galvanised wire
• barbed wire to be two strand 2.5mm (12½ swg) mild steel galvanised 4 point barbed wire
• pig netting to be C8/80/15 galvanised pig netting
• staples to be 40mm x 4mm galvanised wire staples

Field gates would expected to be galvanised steel, 15ft long, 7 bar and box-braced.

Service Providers are sought with the technical capability to, and proven experience of woodland and scrub management on public open space. This lot may have some overlap with others, however it will mainly be used for operations which are not predominantly tractor/vehicle based.

The contract will likely be for up to 2 years and specification will be based on site requirements. Services required include:

1 Thinning existing woodland

2 Coppicing

3 Removing scrub from heathlands

4 Veteranisation works on mature trees

5 Invasive species removal including bracken, laurel and rhododendron.

6 Mulching bramble scrub

Much of this work is likely to form parts of projects to carry out a number of interventions on a woodland parcel to provide an improved condition for wildlife. Therefore, it is possible that a number of these operations would be included within a procurement exercise.

The specification for this service will very according to the particular project outcomes required. It will be provided in writing by the Council before commencement.

Service Providers are sought with the technical capability to, and proven experience of heathland management and similar on public open space. This lot may have some overlap with others, however it will mainly be used for operations which are predominantly tractor/vehicle based.

The contract will likely be for up to 2 years and specification will be based on site requirements. Services required include:

1 Topping of mature heath

2 Mulching gorse and bramble stands

3 Cutting firebreaks

4 Weedwiping sapplings standing above heather

5 Bare ground creation

6 Bracken control

Much of this work is likely to form parts of projects which will carry out a number of interventions on a woodland parcel to provide an improved condition for wildlife. Therefore, it is possible that a number of these operations would be included within a procurement exercise.

The specification for this service will very according to the particular project outcomes required. It will be provided in writing by the Council before commencement.

Service Providers are sought with the technical capability to, and proven experience of, creating and managing wetlands, including watercourses, for wildlife, on public open space.

The specification of this service will be very site specific. It would be expected to create or bring wetlands into a better condition. Operations would include:

• Digging ponds
• Vegetation and silt removal from ponds
• Daylighting culverts
• Reprofiling banks of watercourses
• Creating meanders, riffles and or/pools in watercourses
• Creating leaky dams and large woody debris in watercourses
• Tree works including pollarding and coppicing
• Removal of vegetation including scrub from fen/reedbeds
• Cutting and removing submergent and emergent vegetation from a canal (including via use of boats)
• Invasive plant species control

The specification for this service will very according to the particular project outcomes required. It will be provided in writing by the Council before commencement

Telford & Wrekin Council are a registered Habitat Delivery Body under the Natural England Great Crested Newt (GCN) District Level Licencing (DLL) scheme. The DLL scheme is a new approach to GCN conservation in the borough which focusses on strategic conservation of the species using Conservation Payments made by development schemes.

There are several elements of the DLL scheme which the Council will need to provide. In some cases these may be provided in house by the Council’s Ecology & Green Infrastructure Specialists and in some cases these services will be provided by independent contractors registered under this framework.

It is likely that diversification contracts will be up to three years and annual management contracts for a year.

Service providers are sought who have the technical capability to dig new ponds and restore ponds existing ponds in line with the established DLL scheme pond specification and who are also capable of carrying out pond maintenance works. The cost of each work element will be assessed and awarded either via direct awards or further competition.

Suppliers will, when circumstances require it, need to work under the supervision of an ecologist holding a great crested newt survey licence from Natural England. This will be the case where the pond is in an area where great crested newts are likely to be present and is required in order to ensure the protection of GCN which are a European Protected Species.