PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH A RED SQUIRREL REFUGE IN THE SEFTON COAST
WOODLANDS AND A BUFFER ZONE IN AREAS OF SEFTON AND WEST LANCASHIRE.
1.Purpose of this proposal
To seek the support of all land owners, managers, statutory agencies and conservation bodies for the designation of
the Sefton Coast Woodlands as a red squirrel refuge.
This will not be a statutory designation but rather a voluntary agreement between interested parties to manage land
for the benefit of red squirrels and to prevent colonisation by grey squirrels. It will, however, enable additional
financial resources to be drawn down through woodland and agricultural support schemes.
2.Introduction
The red squirrel is listed as a Priority Species in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UKBAP), which cites the three
main factors for its loss or decline as the spread of grey squirrels, habitat fragmentation and disease.
Red squirrels were once found throughout England but are now almost wholly restricted to the north with small
colonies on the Isle of Wight and Brownsea Island in Dorset. Sefton now supports the most southerly population in
mainland England. The total British population is estimated at around 16,000 animals, of which more than 1,000
are in Sefton.
Populations continue to be lost throughout Britain and the red squirrel is now regarded as endangered and its future
uncertain unless appropriate measures are taken to protect it.
The UK Red Squirrel Group (foresters, scientists and conservation agencies with responsibility for facilitating the
implementation of actions within the UKBAP) has drawn up a national strategy to ensure the survival of the red
squirrel. It aims to protect the main populations by establishing refuges and buffer zones throughout the country in
areas where red squirrels persist. A total of 16 red squirrel refuge sites are proposed for designation in the north of
England, nine of them in the north-west. The Sefton Coast refuge and buffer zone is the only site proposed in
Merseyside/Lancashire.
Refuge sites have been selected according to the following criteria:
 a minimum of 200ha of primarily conifer woodland supporting an existing, viable population of red
squirrels
 a buffer zone surrounding the refuge comprised largely of habitat that is hostile to squirrels and therefore
defendable against grey squirrel incursion
The Forestry Commission and English Nature have funded a study looking at the cost of red squirrel conservation
in all proposed refuges and buffer zones in the North of England. The first refuge in the North West was launched
at Thirlmere in Cumbria in May 2002; this was followed by the Oasis woodlands in Cumbria in 2004.
The establishment of a refuge site and buffer zone on North Merseyside is a key part of both the Red Alert North
West (RANW) Regional Action Plan and the North Merseyside BAP and has received endorsement from the
England Squirrel Forum (a forum of scientists, foresters and conservation agencies concerned with matters related
to red and grey squirrels in England, which reports to the UK squirrel group).
Red squirrels are not confined to the proposed refuge area but are found throughout the buffer zone in Sefton and
West Lancashire and the urban areas of Southport, Birkdale, Ainsdale, Formby, Hightown, Crosby, Blundellsands,
Augton and Ormskirk support a high proportion of the total population. The distinction between the refuge area and
buffer zone is, therefore, a little artificial and the conservation measures apply equally to both areas. The objective
is to maintain the red squirrel population in both the refuge and the buffer zone.
The red squirrel is held in high regard by the people of Sefton and is one of the Sefton Coast’s major attractions - it
is estimated that the National Trust Property at Formby alone attracts 300,000 visitors to the coast each year. The
red squirrel should not be undervalued as a marketing tool for sustainable green tourism and as such its potential
value in assisting Sefton’s economic development. While much conservation work is already in place for the red
squirrel in this area the designation of the Sefton Coast Woodlands as a red squirrel refuge would give added
protection and strengthen the effect that the conservation measures have on the red squirrel population of Sefton.
3.Conservation measures required
3.1 Factors causing the loss and decline of the red squirrel nationally are:
 Disease (squirrel pox virus, previously known as parapox) carried by grey squirrels, causing depletion of
populations and even local extinction
 Competition with grey squirrels
 Loss, fragmentation and poor management of woodland habitat
 Road casualties
In order to deal with these factors the priorities for conservation action are to:
 prevent the colonisation of red squirrel areas by grey squirrels
 manage woodlands within the refuge area for the benefit of red squirrels
 manage habitats within the buffer zone to discourage colonisation by, or movement through, by grey
squirrels
 encourage public understanding of issues concerning red squirrel conservation and their active participation
in conservation measures
3.2 Grey squirrel control must be adopted throughout the refuge and buffer zone. This will be achieved through a
variety of methods and funding such as trap loan schemes, pest control (private and council) and game-keeping.
3.3 Information on the whereabouts and population densities of both red and grey squirrels is currently gathered
through twice-yearly monitoring of 26 one-kilometre transects within Sefton, and through encouraging members of
the public to submit sightings of both species. Both mechanisms need to be maintained and expanded.
3.4 The link between grey squirrel incursion and red squirrel decline is well documented. However, the
mechanisms for transmission of disease are not fully understood, so as part of this proposal a partnership with
Liverpool University Veterinary School has been established to gain insights into our local squirrel populations
through virus screening. This study will give a unique insight into squirrel serology, with possible benefit to both
local and national conservation policies.
3.5 The Sefton Coast Woodland Forest Plan and The Sefton Coast Woodland and Scrub Strategy give the
framework for good habitat management throughout the refuge and provide a mechanism to fund red squirrel
conservation. Policy is further set out in the Sefton Coast Management Plan and the Unitary Development Plan.
3.6 The buffer zone is a crucial area for the protection of the red squirrel population. It is generally agreed that one
of the main reasons for the persistence of red squirrels in Sefton has been their relative isolation due to the low
levels of woodland cover within the agricultural zone. Although grey squirrels continue to move through this area
in small numbers, it is generally a hostile environment to them.
Over the past ten years The Mersey Forest Partnership has been working towards increasing woodland cover and
enhancing existing woodlands within Merseyside. This document will give valuable guidance to the project as it
continues to further the aims of a range of Biodiversity Action Plan habitats and species as well as those within The
Mersey Forest Plan and Business Plan. Several of these habitats and species require non-complementary action
leading to potential conflict. The Mersey Forest is keen to work with Red Alert to resolve these problems where
possible.
Woodland creation and extension projects need to be planned sensitively to minimise impacts on red squirrels by:
- avoiding planting of large-seeded broadleaved tree species and favouring species suitable for red squirrels in the
refuge area. Any new tree-planting which does take place within the buffer zone should consist of species which
disfavour grey squirrels.
- avoiding the creation of habitat corridors (woodlands, hedges etc.) which would facilitate the movement of grey
squirrels across the buffer zone and, in particular, avoiding creating linkages between grey squirrel areas and red
squirrel populations.
- assessing and making provision for additional grey squirrel control that may become necessary as a result of the
project
Guidelines on appropriate tree species are outlined in the North Merseyside Biodiversity Action Plan and Red Alert
North West literature and are summarised in Appendix 3.
3.7 Road mortality can have a significant impact on an isolated population; traffic calming devices such as road
signs have been shown to slow drivers down and reduce the risk of road mortality. The installation of warning signs
on red squirrel accident black spots should be encouraged.
Where practical, rope bridges which allow red squirrels to cross roads safely should also be encouraged.
4. Summary
Throughout the refuge and buffer zone:
 Implement grey control.
 Woodland creation and extension schemes to consider implications for red squirrel populations.
 Monitor red and grey squirrel distribution and population size.
 Work in partnership with The University of Liverpool to gain an insight into disease transfer within the
local populations.
 Installation of rope bridges and road warning signs at known black spots to reduce road mortality.
Appendix 1
Map shows proposed refuge outlined in red, proposed buffer zone outlined in blue.
Appendix 2. Legal.
Red squirrels are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and may not be intentionally trapped, killed
or kept, or have their dreys disturbed except under licence from English Nature. They are internationally protected
through the Bern Convention which gives protection to threatened plants, animals and habitats and regulates
against the exploitation of certain species.
Grey squirrels are classed as a vermin species and within measures of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 it is
an offence to release (or allow the escape) of any kind of animal of a kind that is not established in the wild in
Britain.
Appendix 3. Recommended tree species for planting within the refuge and buffer zone.
Species of conifer most preferred by red squirrels and which can be recommended for planting within the refuge:
Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris)
Corsican pine (Pinus nigra)
Norway spruce (Picea abies)
Larch (Larix decidua)
Small seeded broadleaved species considered to disfavour squirrels, which could be planted in the buffer zone
where tree-planting projects need to go ahead or where broadleaved species are desired in the refuge:
Willow (Salix sp.)
Birch (Betula sp.)
Alder (Alnus glutinosa)
Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia)
Aspen (Populus tremula)
Hawthorn (Cratageous monogyna)
Lime (Tilia sp.)
Field maple (Acer campestre)
Holly (Ilex aquifolium)
Ash (Fraxinus excelsior)
Large-seeded broadleaved species are known to encourage grey squirrels and should not be planted in either the
refuge or buffer zone:
Oak (Quercus sp.)
Sweet chestnut (Castinea sativa)
Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum)
Beech (Fagus sylvatica)
Hazel (Corylus avellana)
This list is based on common woodland species in our area and is not comprehensive. In parks and gardens more
exotic species may be more appropriate but the same basic principles apply.