In the City, Open Spaces, churchyards and
gardens provide a haven for birds, butterflies and other
wildlife. They also provide space for rest and recreation, to help
us stay relaxed and more in contact with our natural world.
Improving biodiversity in urban environments such as the City of
London is not about focusing on rare and endangered species; it is
about ensuring that the natural world which supports us remains
healthy. Plants and trees have always formed an integral part
of the urban environment. They work very hard for us by
cleaning the air, water and soil from toxins, pollutants and waste
products. They also help to retain moisture in the air and
reduce the urban heat island effect.
City of London Biodiversity Action Plan
Biodiversity is a term used to describe the numbers of plant,
insect and animal habitats in a given location. The original
City of London Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) launched in 2003 has
now been updated for 2010-2015. The new document (available to
download below) explains what progress has been made since 2003. It
also explores the opportunities that City habitats hold for
wildlife and details what projects the City
will carry out in order for us to protect, enhance and promote
biodiversity in the Square Mile.
Biodiversity Action Plan
2010-2015 (2mb)
Habitats in the City
This BAP is divided in to three Habitat Action Plans
(HAP) – these look at the different types of habitat that
exist in the City and the opportunities that these hold for
wildlife.
Urban Greenspaces, Churchyards and Cemeteries HAP
Urban Greenspaces, churchyards and cemeteries
have similar opportunities for wildlife in the City, therefore
they have been put together as one HAP -
Urban Greenspaces are gardens and open spaces
within the City that are publicly accessible, e.g. Finsbury Circus
and Cleary Garden.
Churchyards and Cemeteries are church
land, but due to no active burials being carried out in
the City, they are maintained as public open space. These may
still contain headstones as seen in the City at Postman's Park and
St. Mary's Staining Lane.
These open spaces are immensely important. They offer an
opportunity for City residents and workers to appreciate the plants
and animals that live among us in the City and escape the hustle
and bustle of City life.
Within the City some of these sites have been designated
as Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation, due to the
importance for wildlife (using the criteria and procedures set out
in the Mayor of London’s Biodiversity Strategy). They are listed as
below.
Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation
(SMINC):
- River Thames and its tidal tributaries
Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation (SBINC):
- Temple Gardens (Grade II)
- The Barbican and St Alphage’s Gardens (Grade II)
- Bunhill Fields Burial Ground (Grade II)
Site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation (SLINC):
- Pepys Garden, Seething lane and St Olave’s churchyard
- St Paul’s Cathedral Garden
- Cleary Garden
- St Botolph without Bishopsgate churchyard
- Aldermanbury Gardens
- Roman Wall Noble Street
- Finsbury Circus
Since the 2003 BAP we have been working hard to improve the
condition of these important sites, by adding insect log piles,
bird boxes, bird feeders and adding more nectar rich planting. Over
the next 5 years we are going to concentrate on managing these
sites for wildlife and monitor what species visit the
City.
Urban greenspaces, Churchyards and Cemeteries
HAP (342kb)
Built structures
The highly build environment of the City can and
does provide opportunities for biodiversity. Over the past few
years we have seen Peregrine Falcons choose City roof tops as
their nesting home, while balconies and green roofs provide
havens for insects, birds and butterflies. This habitat action
plan seeks to identify ways in which roofs, walls and
balconies that make up the build landscape of the City can be
utilised and maximised to benefit wildlife.
Many City residents and office occupiers take advantage of the
numerous opportunities to improve the visual outlook of their
building by developing attractive balcony gardens, providing window
boxes or simply attaching containers to their walls. Even the
smallest container of plants can attract insects and provide visual
amenity to passers by. The biodiversity value of these will
increase the more plentiful these are and depend upon the extent of
the wildlife corridor created.
Built Structures HAP (277KB)
Tidal Thames
The City of London Biodiversity Action Plan
identifies the stretch of the Thames that runs through the
City as being important to biodiversity and strives to protect
and enhance the wildlife habitats, species diversity and local
distinctiveness of the Tidal Thames. The River Thames is
now cleaner and sustains a greater diversity of wildlife than
it has for 200 years, supporting 119 different species of
fish.
The Thames Estuary has been identified as the largest green
corridor in London and is protected by Legal status. Green
corridors are essential in linking open spaces throughout London to
ensure free movement of species leading to increased biodiversity.
Throughout the City as a whole there is a lack of green corridors,
meaning that it is difficult for wildlife to migrate from the
Thames Northward through the City. Improvements in green roofs and
the encouragement of greening the City on any scale from gardens to
window boxes will help to improve links between the pockets of
green space within City.
Tidal Thames HAP (266kb)
Flagship species
The 2003 BAP identified House Sparrows, Peregrine Falcons and
Black Redstarts as local indicators of biodiversity. Their
numbers have been monitored to provide an indication of how
successful the action plan has been. For the 2010 – 2015 City
Biodiversity Action Plan we are adding Bats and Stag Beetle’s to
our Flagship species list to allow us to build up a broader picture
of wildlife in the City and to educate people about these important
species and their place in the City environment
Flagship Species full
document (207KB)