THE FOREST OF AVON PLAN

5.7 Chew Valley Forest of Avon and AONB

Map Ref: 7.1 e. Establish new woodlands reflecting catchment Chew Valley (B&NES5) management priorities identified by BART and partners, and other priority habitats, which with a. Ensure all woodlands have a current Forestry those in 7.2 below, providing a corridor between Commission management plan (or equivalent), the woodland in b. above to the woodland on the addressing broad objectives, supporting their northern slopes of Mendip Hills. preparation and delivery. Focus on significant number of ASNW first. f. Ensure any new development requires the conservation and planting of trees within the site b. Buffer ASNW by establishing fringing areas for and as determined by scale and impact, includes natural regeneration. off-site tree and woodland planting. c. Establish new woodlands linking and consolidating g. Conserve and enhance small orchards, prioritising the complex of established and more recent those not covered by grant schemes, working to woodlands in the area east of , reflecting maintain locally distinctive varieties and extending catchment management priorities identified these whilst conserving priority habitats, historic by BART and partners, avoiding small areas monuments and viewpoints. of Grade 1 agricultural land and conserving priority habitats, historic monuments such as the h. Conserve and regenerate generally well-managed , access opportunities and viewpoints. hedgerow boundaries with an initial focus on those outside Grant Schemes, which are not low cut d. Establish woodlands in the valley west of Chew and/or where hedgerow trees are present. Magna of a scale, pattern and species mix appropriate to landscape character. Reflect i. Conserve hedgerow and other field trees and catchment management priorities identified plant new ones at irregular spacings where absent by BART and partners, avoiding small areas of within hedged boundaries. Grade 1 agricultural land and conserving priority j. Ensure that public access routes are easy to use habitats, historic monuments and viewpoints. and follow.

84 A TREE AND WOODLAND STRATEGY FOR THE WEST OF

Map Ref: 7.2 Map Ref: 7.3 Upper Chew and Yeo Valleys (B&NES3) Chew Rolling Valley Farmland a. Ensure all woodlands have a current Forestry (NSC J3) Commission management plan (or equivalent), a. Ensure all woodlands have a current Forestry addressing broad objectives, supporting their Commission management plan (or equivalent), preparation and delivery. addressing broad objectives, supporting their b. Establish new woodlands of a scale, pattern and preparation and delivery. species mix appropriate to landscape character. b. Ensure any new development requires the Reflect catchment management priorities identified conservation and planting of trees within the site by BART and partners, avoiding areas of Grade 1 and as determined by scale and impact, includes agricultural land between and Bishop off-site tree and woodland planting. Sutton and conserving priority habitats, historic c. Conserve and enhance orchards, prioritising monuments, access opportunities and viewpoints, those not covered by grant schemes, working to which with those in 7.1 above, create a woodland maintain locally distinctive varieties and extending corridor from east of Pensford to the northern these whilst conserving priority habitats, historic slopes of the Mendip Hills, monuments and viewpoints. c. In the context of AONB guidance, ensure any d. Conserve and regenerate generally well-managed permitted development conserves and enhances hedgerow boundaries with an initial focus on those the natural beauty of the Mendip Hills AONB by the outside Grant Schemes, which are not low cut and/ conservation and planting of trees within the site or where hedgerow trees are present. and as determined by scale and impact, includes e. Conserve hedgerow and other field trees and off-site tree and woodland planting of appropriate plant new ones at irregular spacings where absent species, in accordance with the Mendip Hills within hedged boundaries. AONB’s Tree Planting Guide and relevant Nature Recovery plans. f. Ensure that public access routes are easy to use and follow. d. Conserve and enhance orchards, prioritising those not covered by grant schemes, working to maintain locally distinctive varieties and extending these whilst conserving corridors, priority habitats, historic monuments and viewpoints. e. Conserve and regenerate generally well-managed hedgerow boundaries with an initial focus on those outside Grant Schemes, which are not low cut and/ or where hedgerow trees are present. f. Conserve hedgerow and other field trees and plant new ones at irregular spacings where absent within hedged boundaries. g. Ensure that public access routes are easy to use and follow.

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