Environmental considerations relevant to woodland expansion

Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)

Special Area of Conservation (SAC)

Special Protection Area (SPA)

National Nature Reserve (NNR)

View the Woodland Trust’s advice on Ancient woods

The Woodland Trust also offers free visits and assessments of ancient woodlands. Please contact the South West Outreach team for more information:  WoodlandOutreachEnglandSouthWest@woodlandtrust.org.uk

Find out more by reading wildlife and development guidance note for cirl buntings prepared by Devon County Council, Teignbridge District Council and Torbay Council.

Visit RSPB website where you will find information on The Cirl Bunting Conservation Project.

These datasets describe the geographic extent and location of wildlife habitats of principal importance, as defined under the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act (2006) Section 41. Introduction of trees would actually reduce the wildlife value of many of these priority habitats, whilst others may have very limited capacity to accommodate trees.

Health warning: These datasets are unfortunately far from perfect and there will be priority habitats (especially species rich grasslands) which are not yet mapped.  Before planting on any grassland please do ensure that it is not species rich grassland.

For a more up to date map of Priority Habitats in Devon please contact Devon Biodiversity Records Centre.

Always seek specialist advice if you are unsure what habitats are present on your planting site.

Introduction of more trees should normally be avoided on the following priority habitats, and should only be considered following detailed assessment. These datasets are derived from the UK Biodiversity Action Plan with the except of culm grassland which sits within its own dataset (Culm Grassland Inventory):

• UKBAP Blanket Bog
• UKBAP Coastal Saltmarsh
• UKBAP Coastal Sand Dunes
• UKBAP Coastal Vegetated Shingle
• UKBAP Fens
• UKBAP Lowland Acid Grassland
• UKBAP Lowland Calcareous Grassland
• UKBAP Lowland Heathland
• UKBAP Lowland Meadow
• UKBAP Maritime Cliff and Slope
• UKBAP Mudflats
• UKBAP Reedbeds
• UKBAP Upland Heathland
• UKBAP Purple Moor Grass and Rush Pasture plus Culm Grassland Inventory (Culm Grassland Inventory is a different dataset but comes under ‘Purple Moor Grass and Rush Pasture’. The two datasets overlap on the Viewer)

Seek specialist advice to identify whether there is any potential to accommodate more trees of suitable species on the following priority habitats:

• UKBAP Lowland Mixed Deciduous Woodland
• UKBAP Undetermined Woodland
• UKBAP Wet Woodland
• UKBAP Wood and Parkland
• UKBAP Lowland Beech and Yew Woodland
• UKBAP Upland Ashwoods
• UKBAP Coastal and Floodplain Grazing Marsh
• UKBAP Traditional Orchards

Forestry Commission Woodland Officers offers advice to ensure your woodland creation scheme complies with the UKFS – including habitat sensitivity. This is crucial for sites where the Forestry Commission pays a grant for a Woodland Creation Plan and that may require screening for EIA (dependent on the scale and location of the site- see further advice in Step 1: Identify your objectives). They can also offer advice on smaller schemes.

World Heritage Sites (WHS)

Scheduled Monuments (SM)

Registered Historic Parks Gardens (HPG)

Listed Buildings and their curtilages

These are Nationally Designated Heritage Assets and are likely to be the most sensitive to tree planting/regeneration on or adjacent to the site.  Ensure the setting of designated heritage assets is not harmed by new trees once mature e.g. by blocking important short or distant views to/from the asset. Seek specialist advice if unsure.

There may be opportunities to enhance some historic parks and gardens and the setting of Listed Buildings for example by restoring parkland tree cover or woodland. Statutory consent and/or consultation with specialists in relevant national and local agencies will be needed. If the site is subject to an approved Site Management Plan / Restoration Plan, ensure tree establishment is in accordance with this.

For Devon & Cornwall Mining Landscape WHS contact DCC Historic Environment Service and the relevant local authority Conservation Officer.

For Jurassic Coast WHS contact the Jurassic Coast Trust

For Scheduled Monuments: contact Historic England and DCC Historic Environment Service

For Grade I or 2* Listed Buildings and their setting: contact Historic England and the relevant local authority Conservation Officer; For Grade 2 Listed buildings and their setting: contact the relevant local authority Conservation Officer.

For Registered Historic Parks and Gardens Grade 1 and 2*: contact Historic England

For Registered Historic Parks and Gardens (all Grades): contact the Devon Gardens Trust, DCC Historic Environment Service and the relevant local authority Conservation Officer.

Conservation Areas

Locally Listed sites

Historic Environment Record Monuments (points and polygons)

Strip field systems

The Historic Environment Record (HER) includes some non-designated sites where tree establishment could damage their heritage value. For example, tree roots could physically damage archaeological features of interest (such as earthworks and cropmarks).

Tree planting / regeneration is therefore generally not recommended on earthwork or cropmark sites. New woodland areas could damage or obscure historically significant or rare field patterns (such as Medieval Strip Field Systems) and their ancient Devon hedgebank boundaries that contribute to the unique historic character and special qualities of a place. Ancient and intact field patterns occurring in National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty can be particularly sensitive to changes in land cover.

Instead of creating new woodland in these sensitive historic landscapes, consider other ways to increase tree cover that meets your objectives, for example, by changing hedge management regimes or species compositions to enhance biodiversity and increase carbon storage. See Devon Hedge Group guidance. Seek specialist advice if unsure.

Further details on the special qualities and distinctive character of the AONBs and National Parks can be found in their respective Management Plans. Find out more, including links to websites of all Devon’s protected landscapes here: National and UNESCO designations – Environment (devon.gov.uk)

• LCT 1K Unsettled High Upland Moorland
• LCT 4A Estuaries
• LCT 4F Dunes
• LCT 4H Cliffs

Landscape Character Types are generic landscapes that share similar characteristics. They form part of Devon’s landscape character assessments which help to convey how Devon’s landscape varies in character across the county.

Find out more about Devon’s landscape character assessments.

The landscape character types highlighted here have not previously been enclosed into fields.  They are of exceptional sensitivity to new tree planting because of their combination of open character, panoramic views, exposed feel, ecology, and heritage value. There may be limited opportunities for natural regeneration in selected locations within these LCTs, such as on moorland valley sides. In general these landscapes are considered unsuitable for tree planting or have very limited opportunities.