Proposed Church Village Bypass, North of Cardiff
South Wales
Client: Glamorgan Engineering Consultancy / Rhondda Cynon Taff Highways Department
A Stage 3 environmental assessment was undertaken for a traffic congestion reduction scheme linking an important cross valley route between Llantrisant & Pontypridd to the north of Cardiff. Part of the Stage 3 environmental assessment comprised detailed ecological impact assessment to qualify predicted impacts of the proposed scheme on local ecology and biodiversity.
The study area supports a diversity of habitats and vegetation communities, including grassland, woodland, scrub and tall herb communities, mature hedgerows, wetland, open water bodies and watercourses and disturbed ground. Surveys identified habitat which supports the Marsh Fritillary butterfly which is a protected species of European concern. Extensive impact assessments were undertaken with respect to the Marsh Fritillary habitat.
A mitigation proposal and management plan was agreed with CCW to ensure the conservation of the habitat affected together with further impact assessment for breeding birds, badgers, dormice, otter and vole, bats, reptiles and amphibians, butterflies and other invertebrates.
