LOWLAND WOOD-PASTURE AND PARKLAND ACTION PLAN
The Trees and Woodlands Sub Group of the
Northamptonshire Biodiversity Partnership Group have developed this Plan. The group comprises representatives from
Boughton Estate, English Nature, Forestry Commission, Northamptonshire County
Council, Rockingham Forest Trust, Royal Forestry Society and the Wildlife
Trust..
Lead Agencies: Public Sector Forestry Commission
Voluntary Sector Royal Forestry Society
Lowland wood-pastures and parkland are the
products of historic land management systems and represent a vegetation
structure rather than a particular plant community. Parkland and wood-pasture
habitats are particularly of value for the fungi, lichens, bryophytes and
invertebrates associated with veteran trees and decaying timber.
Habitats included in this plan:
Lowland
wood-pastures, wooded commons, pastures and parklands
Veteran Trees
Orchards
Associated Habitats :
Silvo-pastural
systems – agro-forestry system
Derived from medieval royal hunting forests and
deer parks, containing veteran trees.
Some have subsequently had a designed landscape superimposed in the 16th
to 19th centuries. A range
of native species usually predominates amongst the old trees, but there may be
non-native species, which have been planted or regenerated naturally.
Under managed and unmanaged wood-pastures with
veteran trees, in a matrix of secondary woodland or scrub that has developed by
regeneration and /or planting.
Former parkland or wood-pasture that has been
converted to other land uses, such as arable fields, forestry and amenity land
but where surviving veteran trees are of nature conservation interest.
Example One: Boughton Park, near Geddington Grid Ref: SP
895818
Boughton is a
traditional English rural estate of about 4,500ha set predominantly in a special
landscape area, which has been in the ownership of the same family for nearly
500 years. The Park has a range of
habitats, including pasture, wild flower meadows, semi-natural woodland,
ancient and newly layered hedgerows, newly planted copses, 300 year old
parkland trees, a flowing river, lakes, ancient ponds and associated
wetlands. The Park is actively managed
by professional foresters, farm and estate rangers.
This includes trees that are of interest
biologically, aesthetically or culturally because of their age. In general they have passed any useful
commercial life-span and have ceased to expand their crowns, although there
will continue to be an incremental increase in girth. As it is very difficult to give a clear definition of a Veteran
Tree, any tree that “looks” old, because of its sheer stature, peculiarities of
growth, or has gnarled, twisted and fissured bark, probably classifies as a
Veteran Tree.
Example Two: The Church Path Oak, Salcey Forest. Grid Ref. SP520805
Salcey Forest
has the largest number of ancient oak trees anywhere in Northamptonshire. Notable oaks that have survived include The
Salcey Oak and Milking Oak, both of which are situated on the forest lawn and
The Piddington Oak and The Church Path Oak, which are to be seen in the Forest.
The Church Path Oak was situated on one side of the church path through the
forest. A plaque attached to this tree
read: “Salcey Forest Church Path Oak William Henry Sixth Duke of Grafton was
accustomed to rest under this tree on his way to and from Piddington Church”.
Salcey Forest is owned and managed by the Forestry Commission and the area is
open to the public.
Areas where fruit and nut trees were planted
for production, the trees and shrubs are planted in rows and are usually
even-aged.
Example Three:
Newnham Nuttery, Newnham, nr. Daventry Grid Ref. SP585595
The orchard at
The Nuttery is a hazel coppice which has existed for at least 200 years. For the past eighty years this orchard has
been managed for the production of hazelnuts (cobnuts) and snowdrop flowers for
the wholesale markets in Covent Garden and Coventry. The hazel is now coppiced on a 15 year rotation to maintain these
locally important features and the snowdrops are no longer marketed. This nuttery is owned and managed by the
Woodland Trust and is open to the public at all times.
Nationally, there are no reliable statistics on
the extent of the overall resource, although the figure of 10-20,000ha given in
the UK Biodiversity Steering Group report is the current best estimate. This habitat is most common in southern
England and the number and continuity of veteran trees with their associated
distinctive wood-eating fauna and epiphytic flora are more abundant in Britain
than anywhere else.
Parklands and wood-pasture may also be of
interest for bats and birds and may preserve indigenous tree genotypes. These areas are outstanding at a European
level.
There is a National Habitat Action Plan for
this habitat.
Stag beetle (Lacanus cervus), Redpoll (Carduelis flammea), Pipistrelle bat (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) and the lichen (Physcia clementei).
Locally derived fruit varieties include the
Barnack Beauty Apple.
See Appendix 2 Trees and
Woodlands Priority Species for full list
·
Lack of younger generation and new planting of
trees is producing a skewed age structure, leading to breaks of continuity of
dead wood habitat and loss of specialised dependent species.
·
Neglect and loss of expertise of traditional
tree management techniques (e.g. pollarding) leading to trees collapsing or
being felled for safety reasons.
·
Removal of Veteran Trees and dead wood through
perceptions of safety and tidiness where sites have high amenity use, are near
to highways or where forest hygiene or vandalism is a concern.
·
Pasture improvement through reseeding, deep
ploughing, fertilisers leading to root damage, loss of nectar-bearing plants,
damage to soil and epiphytes.
·
Damage to tree roots from soil compaction and
erosion caused by trampling by livestock and people, car parking and close
ploughing to former parkland trees when parkland is converted to other
land-uses.
·
Pasture loss through conversion to arable and
other land-uses.
·
Protection of certain species under the
Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (e.g.
breeding birds, bats and associated rare plants ).
·
The obligation to consult English Heritage, in
accordance with the Ancient Monument and Archaeological Areas Act 1979, over
activities affecting Scheduled Ancient Monuments, work carried out on any land
included in their Register of Historic Parks and Gardens and register of
Historic Battlefields.
·
Need for a felling licence from the Forestry
Commission, for felling timber volumes greater than 5m3 per calendar
quarter.
·
Tree Preservation Orders or Conservation Areas
– administered by the local planning authority.
·
Protection of habitats. The maintenance of SSSI
status and the use of English Nature’s Wildlife Enhancement Scheme, which goes
beyond SSSI’s and can give financial incentives for appropriate management.
·
The occupiers Liability Act 1984 puts a “common
duty of care” onto landowners to ensure that a tree does not cause harm to
anybody. This has meant that veteran
trees, top-heavy pollards and trees recently exposed to storms are viewed with
suspicion where public safety is an issue.
·
Nature Conservancy Council’s 1970’s survey of
parklands and wood-pastures of importance for the “Mature Timber Habitat”.
·
Forestry Commission’s National Inventory of
Woodlands and Trees – initiated 1995 is a good source of information on the
extent, distribution and composition of woodland in the whole of the country.
·
English Heritage’s Scheduled Ancient Monument
database.
·
English Heritage’s Register of Historic Parks
and Gardens and Register of Historic Battlefields.
·
Joint Nature Conservation Committee Lower
Plants and Invertebrate Site Registers.
·
Inventory of Historic Parks and Gardens, based
at University of York, which contains information of historically important
sites and County Historic Gardens Trust data.
·
British Lichen Society database for
wood-pasture and parkland.
There is a wealth of management advice available with some
opportunities for grant aid:
·
The Woodland Trust and the Ancient Tree Forum
are working together in promoting the conservation of ancient trees.
·
English Heritage’s Parks and Garden’s Team of
historians, landscape managers, ecologists and arboriculturalists can offer
advice.
·
Arboricultural Advisory Service run by the
Forestry Commission.
·
Wildlife and tree management advice is
available locally through the statutory conservation agencies, Farming and
Wildlife Advisory Group, agricultural advisors, the Wildlife Trust and the
County Council. Arboricultural advice
is available from the local planning authority when a Veteran Tree is protected
by a Tree Preservation Order or in a Conservation Area.
·
British Lichenological Society has produced a
habitat management guide for lichens, including wood-pastures and parkland.
·
Department of Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs’ Countryside Stewardship Scheme.
·
Forestry Commission’s Woodland Grant Scheme is
available for woodland with more than 20% canopy cover.
·
Heritage Lottery Fund may be available for land
acquisition, restoration and management on historic parklands and other land of
heritage merit for its historic, scenic or ecological value.
·
The UK Forestry Standard and the Forestry
Commission Guidelines for the management of semi-natural woodlands should be
followed.
6. Lowland Wood-pasture and
parkland obJECTIVES AND ACTIONS
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OBJECTIVE
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ACTION
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LEAD AGENCY
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PARTNERS
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TARGETS
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6.1
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Policy and
Legislation
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Objective One: Ensure that BAP species and their habitats
are given an appropriate level of protection in local plans |
Include habitat and species protection
policies in local plans and/or supplementary guidance |
Local Authorities |
Wildlife Trust and English Nature |
By 2003 |
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|
Objective Two: Encourage Department of Environment, Food and
Rural Affairs to promote parkland
management in Countryside Stewardship agreements and give higher priority to
parkland applications and discourage close ploughing to “parkland trees” |
Lobby Department of Environment, Food and
Rural Affairs through consultation meetings |
County Council through Northamptonshire
Heritage |
All |
Throughout Action Plan Period |
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|
Objective Three: Maximise the opportunities offered by County
Structure Plan and Local Plan policies for protection, enhancement and
management of parklands |
Improve policies for parkland protection and
management through the production of local guidance notes and contributing to
the revisions of statutory plans |
County Council, Local Planning Authorities |
All Local Authorities and Forestry Commission |
Ensure management guidance is included in
Landscape Guidelines Handbook by 2002 |
6.2
|
Site safeguard and
management
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Objective Four: Encourage sympathetic management of existing
features |
Publish guidance on safety and management
issues |
English Nature |
Royal Forestry Society / English Heritage |
Guidance to be published by 2003 |
6.3
|
Advisory
|
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Objective Five: Disseminate good quality information about
parkland management |
Hold a seminar through established links |
Forestry Commission |
Royal Forestry Society |
Hold
seminar in 2003 |
6.4
|
Monitoring and
research
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Objective Six: Assess the quality of the remaining parklands
in the county |
Identify those parklands that have
semi-natural grassland |
Wildlife Trust |
English Heritage |
2003 |
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6.5 |
Communications and Publicity |
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Objective Seven: Publicise the progress made in delivering
this Action Plan in a BAP Annual Report |
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BAP Partners |
Annual |