Roles

Landowners and managers

• be aware of the potential value of previously developed land for biodiversity in considering management, change of use, or development.
• follow best practice in managing and restoring areas of open mosaic habitat for biodiversity

Conservation bodies:

• give advice and support on identification and management of previously developed land. Buglife and Opal are particularly active.

Natural England:

• gives advice on open matrix habitat on previously developed land management.

Barnsley Council as planning authority:

• ensures that planning applications consider the biodiversity value of previously developed land and that the necessary ecology reports are provided.
• sets conditions in relevant planning applications to ensure that the value of open mosaic habitat on previously developed land for biodiversity is maintained and enhanced.

Voluntary groups and volunteers:

• help with information to identify open mosaic habitats and provide records of the wildlife in them.
• help with previously developed land management

Key objectives

• Raise awareness of the importance of previously developed sites as habitats for biodiversity and open matrix habitat in particular.
• Identify potential open matrix habitat sites on previously developed land and promote their being surveyed and recorded.
• Collect and analyse records of populations and assemblages of wildlife species in previously developed land in Barnsley with an emphasis on plants, invertebrates and reptiles.  
• Promote positive conservation management practice of identified open matrix habitat sites on previously developed land and other specialised habitats in order to bring them into favourable condition.
• Seek the conservation of open mosaic habitats on previously developed land where they are in danger of being damaged or lost through succession, inappropriate management or development.

Marking progress

• Open Mosaic habitat sites designated as LWS
• Open Mosaic habitat sites in positive conservation management
• …

What has been done

• Project with communities exploring wildlife in local brownfield sites particularly former pit stacks. DVLP,
• Former pit sites reptile surveys. DVLP
• Mapplewell Tip and Elsecar Colliery designated as LWS. BMBC
• 
  

Proposed actions

• Identification of further open mosaic habitat on previously developed land
• Prioritised conservation management programme.
• Additional OMH sites identified for LWS designation,protected and conserved.

 Previously Developed Land