371d7e6f-2ea5-460e-9656-5c75c620a17c eng series Mainstream Renewable Power Limited Data Manager 140 London Wall London EC2Y 5DN United Kingdom info@neartnagaoithe.com www.mainstreamrp.com pointOfContact 2014-05-01 MEDIN Discovery Profile 2.3.8 EPSG:27700 2011, LUC, Neart na Gaoithe Offshore Wind Farm, Onshore Phase 1 Habitat Survey 2012 revision 2011 creation UK02-WLFA-065 Mainstream Data Asset Tracking System (DATS) documentDigital mapDigital modelDigital tableDigital Mainstream Renewable Power Limited is currently developing the Neart na Gaoithe Offshore Wind Farm, located 15.5 km off Fife Ness on the east coast of Scotland. An Environmental Statement had to be prepared in support of the application for planning permission to construct and operate grid connection infrastructure associated with the Neart na Gaoithe Offshore Wind Farm located within East Lothian. Land Use Consultants Limited (LUC) were commissioned by Mainstream Renewable Power Limited, on behalf of Neart na Gaoithe Offshore Wind Limited, to undertake a Phase 1 Habitat Survey as part of the Environmental Statement. The survey of the entire study area was undertaken following the Joint Nature Conservation Committee methodology (JNCC, 2010). completed Joanna Wright Land Use Consultants Principal in Charge 37 Otago Street Glasgow G12 8JJ United Kingdom glasgow@landuse.co.uk www.landuse.co.uk originator Mainstream Renewable Power Limited Project Manager 140 London Wall London EC2Y 5 DN United Kingdom info@neartnagaoithe.com www.mainstreamrp.com pointOfContact Crown Estate Scotland +44 (0)131 260 6070 Quartermile Two, 2nd Floor, 2 Lister Square Edinburgh EH3 9GL United Kingdom enquiries@crownestatescotland.com http://www.crownestatescotland.com custodian Crown Estate Scotland +44 (0)131 260 6070 Quartermile Two, 2nd Floor, 2 Lister Square Edinburgh EH3 9GL United Kingdom enquiries@crownestatescotland.com http://www.crownestatescotland.com distributor notPlanned Marine Environmental Data and Information Network Onshore Cable Corridor The Crown Estate Renewable Energy Development Phases 2012-05-15 revision 1 Consenting The Crown Estate Renewable Energy Development Areas 2012-05-15 revision 1 Land vegetation Habitat characterisation SeaDataNet Parameter Discovery Vocabulary 2014-01-22 revision 80 Marine Environmental Data and Information Network Marine Environmental Data and Information Network Restricted restricted restricted Restricted eng biota environment -2.5480120 -2.3841745 55.912101 55.9704626 2011-06-12 2011-08-03 Data restricted Various Various https://www.marinedataexchange.co.uk/details/CES-253/summary A link to the web service or dataset. https://www.marinedataexchange.co.uk A link to the general host site. series A Phase 1 Habitat Survey of the entire study area was undertaken following the Joint Nature Conservation Committee methodology (JNCC, 2010). The Phase 1 Habitat Survey was undertaken by experienced surveyors over four days during the week of 6 June 2011, under optimal weather conditions. Plant nomenclature followed Stace (2010) and bryophyte nomenclature followed Atherton et al. (2010). Habitats were marked on a 1:10,000 base map, with a Minimum Mappable Unit (MMU) of 20 m x 20 m (0.04 ha), except where specific features marked on the base map allowed more precise mapping. Where the variation of vegetation types was intricate and it was not possible to reliably map individual habitat parcel boundaries, a mosaic was mapped including two or more Phase 1 habitat types. Species lists were recorded using the DAFOR scale15 to denote species abundance at specific points. Target notes were used to describe habitats, features of interest and incidental records of protected or notable species. A National Vegetation Classification (NVC) survey (Rodwell, 1991 et seq.) was undertaken targeting habitats of particular nature conservation interest, and potential GWDTEs within the Onshore Works and a 100 m buffer. The NVC is a more detailed classification system than Phase 1 Habitat Survey and can help to distinguish between habitats of higher conservation priority. The NVC survey broadly followed the method described by Rodwell (2006). Vegetation communities were classified in accordance with keys and floristic tables published in the five NVC volumes (Rodwell, 1991 et seq.). Other reference sources were also used to assist in the identification of different NVC communities (Averis et al,. 2004; Cooper, 1998). Quadrat sampling was undertaken to support field observation. A quadrat size of 2 x 2 m (5 x 5 m for woodland ground flora) was used and percentage cover of species within the quadrat was assessed according to the Domin scale16 (Mueller‐Dombois and Ellenberg, 1974). Where possible, classification to NVC sub‐community level was undertaken. However, in a few instances the vegetation was such that it could not be readily assigned sub‐community level.