SUDs and wildlife report
Region:
Highland Wide, Inverness area
Habitats:
Partners:
The research was carried out in partnership with Scottish Natural Heritage
Project Description
The report looks at the biodiversity value of SuDS in Inverness and their ability to provide multiple benefits within the urban environment and was undertaken by Marcia Rae.
Issues identified during the study included a lack of maintenance and management. A number of SuDS were not regularly monitored to ensure they were working to specifications and responsibility for maintenance was minimal and reactionary. Although pollution was found to be low, levels will fluctuate over the course of a year and it is important that this is monitored. There was a general lack of community understanding about SuDS and awareness of the multiple benefits that they can provide. This lack of communication between developers, planners and the local community can result in a lower acceptance of SuDS and lead to more concerns over safety of the sites.
Overall the biodiversity value of SuDS in Inverness and Culloden appears to be high. However, they are not currently reaching their full potential to provide multiple benefits for local people. This report outlines how this potential could be reached and provides recommendations for future work.
Funder Information
Scottish Natural Heritage provided funding and in-kind support.