Dartford Parks - FPCR

The development of the Dartford park site in East London by Prologis necessitated the clearance of water voles from a footprint of over 264 acres. A mitigation strategy was designed to accord with the likely requirements of the 2006 Water vole Handbook and in handbook. In 2004 130 captured animals were taken into the captive holding facility of the DGC at Upcott Grange in Devon. Provision had been made in the site development plan for the future establishment of new water bodies and the retention of already existing water vole habitat. There was no capacity to allow the water voles to remain on site while active construction works were undertaken. The mitigation strategy therefore focused on trapping out the onsite population completely to establish a captive breeding programme which would have the capacity to restore a significant population of genetically variable water voles to the Dartford park site once habitat restoration was complete. Although habitat restoration was originally programmed for 2007, delays to the construction schedule coupled with the slow regeneration of

vegetation delayed this process until 2009. In 2009 150 captive bred voles were released into the riparian edge habitats of Dartford Park. The sites chosen for release were all selected for friable soils and good vegetation cover. This was followed by further population reinforcement in 2010 with a further 71 voles which were late litter juveniles from 2009. A field sign survey in the Autumn of 2010 confirmed that a water voles population was well established throughout the suitable habitats present on site in Dartford Park. Links - click on the logo below SEE PAGE 13 OF PROLOGIS pdf report