60 - Mersey Valley : Analysis: Landscape Attributes & Opportunities

Analysis supporting Statements of Environmental Opportunity

The following analysis section focuses on the landscape attributes and opportunities for this NCA.

Further analysis on ecosytem services for this NCA is contained in the Analysis: Ecosytem Services section.

Landscape attributes

A low-lying landscape focusing on the broad linear valley of the River Mersey; estuarine in the west and with extensive areas of reclaimed mossland in the east.

Justification for selection:

• The River Mersey flows from east to west, forming a central, low-lying area.
• Distinctive river valley landscape focusing on the Mersey, its estuary and associated tributaries and waterways, although the Mersey itself is often obscured.
• Downstream of Warrington Weir, the Mersey is tidally influenced.
• In the east, small pockets of former mossland remain among land drained by ditches.
• Generally low relief topography, with an average elevation of just 23 m, rising locally to 144 m towards the Cheshire Sandstone Ridge.
• Some long distance views from elevated land such as Runcorn Hill, Helsby Hill and Overton Hill.

Underlain by Triassic sandstone, surface geology is principally drift material; marine and river alluvium in the valley bottom, extensive areas of till, pockets of glacial sands and gravels, with peat in some drainage hollows.

Justification for selection:

• An important feature is the occurrence of peat soils (covering 9 per cent of the NCA).
• Two geological Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
• 12 Local Geological Sites, including a Local Nature Reserve.
• The Permo-Triassic sandstone forms an important aquifer providing public and private water supplies to towns, farms and industry.

The Mersey Estuary is a defining element in the landscape, with expansive intertidal mud/sand flats and low exposed cliffs.

Justification for selection:

• In the west, the Mersey is estuarine in character with intertidal mud and sand flats and low exposed cliffs.
• Estuarine habitats, in particular mudflats/sand flats and fringing salt marshes, contribute to landscape character and support a wide range of wildlife.
• Open and expansive views out to and across the estuary.
• Dynamic estuarine processes.
• Constantly changing views with the flow and ebb of the tide.
• The area around the river crossings at Runcorn and Widnes has become particularly industrialised.

The River Mersey flows from east to west, joined by associated tributaries, although the Mersey itself is often obscured from view.

Justification for selection:

• Tributaries include the rivers Weaver, Bollin, Ditton Brook and Sankey Brook.
• The Manchester Ship Canal generally follows the original route of the River Mersey.
• The Mersey itself is often obscured, inaccessible, and blocked from view by industry; in Ellesmere Port, for example, it is barely obvious at all that the town is situated on the Mersey.

Trees and woodland are mainly associated with settlements, occasional parkland and isolated woodland blocks; and in recent years new community woodlands have been planted.

Justification for selection:

• Woodland covers 7.6 per cent of the NCA (3,383 ha).
• The Red Rose Community Forest and Mersey Community Forest cover much of the area.
• The majority of Dunham Park is pasture-woodland or park-woodland and has been managed as such since medieval times.
• 132 ha ancient semi-natural woodland.

Large-scale, open, predominantly flat high-quality farmland between development, with primarily arable farming to north of valley and a mixture of arable and dairying to the south.

Justification for selection:

• Two substantial bands of farmland follow the slopes of the broad linear Mersey Valley.
• To the north of the Mersey the farmland has a large-scale open character dominated by arable fields which extend up to the Lancashire Coal Measures.
• To the south, the area is a mix of arable and pasture which extends to the Shropshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire Plain.
• In the east an extensive area comprising large-scale, open, flat farmland on the dark, rich peaty soils of the former mosses.
• Grade 1 agricultural land on mosses west of Manchester and on the north side of the Mersey south of Speke; areas of Grade 2 and 3 land are intermixed between urban and industrial development.

Field pattern is regular and large- scale, often defined by hedgerows with isolated hedgerow trees; many hedgerows are intermittent and have been replaced by post and wire fencing; while field boundaries on the mosses are marked by ditches.

Justification for selection:

• Where farmland has been fragmented by industrial or urban development field patterns are becoming fragmented fields are often defined by hedgerows and isolated hedgerow trees, many of which are intermittent and have been replaced by post and wire fencing.
• Fields on the mosses are bounded by ditches.

A range of important wetland habitats remain including estuarine mud/sand flats and fringing salt marshes in the west, remnants of semi-natural mosslands and pockets of basin peats in the east, with the broad river valley in between.

Justification for selection:

• Mersey Estuary Special Protection Area (SPA) and Ramsar site covers 2 per cent of the NCA (968 ha). Estuarine habitats are of major importance for over wintering waders and wildfowl and as a valuable staging post for migrating birds in spring and autumn.
• Manchester Mosses Special Area of Conservation (SAC).
• Rixton Clay Pits SAC.
• Relict semi-natural bog habitats include those at Astley and Bedford Moss, parts of Astley Moss East and Botany Bay Wood, Twelve Yards Road, Light Oaks Moss, Little Woolden Moss and Caddishead Moss, Holcroft Moss and Risley Moss.
• Other wetland sites include Woolston Eyes, where lagoons, set aside to receive dredging from Manchester Ship Canal, provide important habitat for wintering wildfowl and breeding birds in summer, with its large areas of open water, reedbed and scrub vegetation.
• A total of 13 SSSI wholly or partly within the NCA, covering 4 per cent (1,585 ha).
• 83 local sites covering 7 per cent of the NCA (2,963 ha).

The predominant building material is red brick though some sandstone construction remains and some survival of earlier timber frame.

Justification for selection:

• Many 19th and 20th century buildings have been built from brick.
• The use of building stone tends to be confined to older buildings, churches, bridges and retaining walls.
• Traditionally the buildings in this region would have been similar to the half-timbered buildings on the Shropshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire Plain.
• Examples of the Cheshire vernacular, where timber-framed buildings were constructed on a stone plinth, can be found, an example being the 16th-century Speke Hall.
• The village of Hale has retained its distinctive character with many thatched houses.

Densely populated urban and suburban areas, with major towns particularly at the river crossings, including Runcorn, Widnes and Warrington, where there is continuing residential expansion.

Justification for selection:

• The character of this landscape has been highly influenced by the urban and industrial developments lining the banks of the Mersey.
• The urban areas are characterised by a dispersed cluster of small to medium sized towns, located along the immediate banks and flood plain of the River Mersey.

Large-scale highly visible industrial development, with docks, chemical and oil refineries.

Justification for selection:

• There is significant industrial land use in the area including oil refinement, salt production, manufacturing industry and chemical processing.
• Industrial infrastructure is often prominent, with large-scale, highly visible, development including docks, chemical plants and oil refineries.
• With the proximity of the Lancashire coalfields to the north and the salt and ore deposits of the Cheshire Plain to the south, the areas around Runcorn and Widnes have become the focus for major chemical industries.
• Large-scale industry has also developed along the Mersey, especially the oil refineries at Ellesmere Port and the Fiddlers Ferry Power Station.

The river valley has a dense communication network with motorways, roads, railways and canals running east-west; power lines are also prominent.

Justification for selection:

• The Manchester Ship Canal links the Mersey Estuary to the heart of Manchester and contributed to the industrial development of the area.
• The River Weaver Navigation, Bridgewater Canal, Leeds and Liverpool Canal and Shropshire Union Canal cross this NCA.
• To the west is Liverpool Airport, while two railways and two motorways (M56, M62) connect east to west, and the M6 runs north-south across the eastern end of the area.

Landscape opportunities

• Positive management of urban fringe landscapes including woodland planting, and hedgerow restoration and planting to assimilate development
• Conserve green spaces and create greenspace, including individual trees, groups of trees, woodlands, urban parks, canals and other habitats, in appropriate urban and industrial areas and settlements, such as school playing fields, open spaces, streets, highway verges, institutional grounds, derelict land, tipped and industrial land and development sites, for their many benefits, including providing places for recreation, to improve quality of life and to create places of relative tranquillity locally.
• Ensure that greenspace is provided within urban and industrial areas, providing access opportunities, and pockets of tranquillity, and enhance the ecological diversity, such as providing new planting and leaving uncut areas of grass and wildflowers.
• Conserve woodlands, including ancient woodlands, and plant woodlands as a buffer.
• Establish woodlands, copses, hedgerows and other habitats to assimilate new and existing industrial and residential development into the landscape.
• Manage and restore hedgerows and field boundary trees in the farmland areas away from the mosses, wetlands and estuary, to strengthen field patterns, and aim to link fragmented and degraded habitats.
• Maintain agricultural productivity on good quality land between settlements.
• Manage agricultural land to improve the landscape and as a habitat resource, particularly for farmland birds such as corn bunting, grey partridge and lapwing.
• Conserve open and expansive views of the landscape, such as views from the top of Runcorn Hill, Helsby Hill, Overton Hill and the Cheshire Sandstone Ridge.
• Plan to link and connect potentially fragmented habitats into a more cohesive whole and enable movement of species
• Protect, restore and buffer the mosslands and wetland areas, including lowland raised bogs.
• Conserve the historic buildings and character of the villages ensuring high quality design.
• Maintain and enhance the estuarine habitats, in particular mudflats/sand flats and salt marshes, that contribute to landscape character, provide tranquil places and support the wide range of wildlife.
• Conserve the open and expansive estuary views, including mudflats/sand flats and salt marshes along the Mersey Estuary.
• Allow for the continuing dynamic estuarine processes. Plan for and proactively seek opportunities to enhance estuarine habitats alongside coastal adaptation programmes.
• Provide improved interpretation and educational facilities to increase visitors’ understanding and enjoyment of the NCA’s natural and historic features, and engage the local community in its future management.
• Conserve and manage the banks of the linear features such as canals, roads, railways, for their biodiversity interest.
• Conserve the river corridor and enhance the visual unity of the Mersey river valley.
• Promote links between a healthy environment and economic growth, for example by promoting the benefits of a clean and healthy waterside environment as a positive focus for regeneration.