Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Facts & Figures 2014 - 2019
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Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Facts & Figures 2014 - 2019 Your AONB Enjoy Wildlife & Habitats Get Involved Living & Working Heritage Landscape and the natural environment National Character Areas “National Character Areas (NCAs) divide England into 159 distinct natural areas. Each is defined by a unique combination of landscape, biodiversity, geodiversity and cultural and economic activity. Their boundaries follow natural lines in the landscape rather than administra- tive boundaries, making them a good decision making framework for the natural environment.” Natural England Area (ha) % of AONB Yorkshire Dales 39195 65.20 Pennine Dales Fringe 19736 32.83 Southern Magnesian Limestone 449 0.75 South Pennines 736 1.22 AONB 60117 100 Reference: http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/publications/nca/yorkshumber.aspx Landscape Character Assessment “The Harrogate District Landscape Character Assessment provides a detailed breakdown of the District into 106 smaller Character Areas, each with their own distinct character and sense of place. These areas are described in detail with regard to geology, landform, drainage, land use, vegetation, wildlife, built form and communications. Sensitivities and pressures for change are also described, along with guideline strate- gies for addressing them.” Harrogate District Landscape Character Assessment, February 2004 LCA Character Area Name 1 Upland Moorland 2 Upper Nidderdale Valley Reservoirs 3 Upper Nidderdale Valley 4 Middle Nidderdale Valley 5 Greenhow 6 Upper Colsterdale Valley 7 River Burn and Pott Beck Confluence 8 Pott Beck Valley reservoirs (Roundhill and Leighton) 9 Laverton Upland Fringe 10 Bishopside Upland Fringe Farmland 11 Nidderdale (Pateley Bridge to Summerbridge) 12 Fall or Padside beck 13 Lower Nidderdale Valley 14 Upper Washburn Valley 15 Undulating Grassland Plateau 16 Washburn Valley 17 Timble 18 Wharfedale Valley Table continued on next page 19 Lower Washburn Valley 20 Stainburn Moor, Lindley Moor and Sandwith Moor 21 Oak Beck and Reservoirs 22 Menwith 24 Lower Nidderdale Valley northwest of Harrogate 25 Thonton Beck Vale Fringe Wooded Grassland 26 Hartwith Moor Grassland Plateau 27 Brimham Rocks 28 Bishop Thornton Vale Fringe Farmland 29 Sawley Moor 30 Vale Fringe south of Skell and Skell Corridor 31 Upper River Skell Valley 32 Skelding, Galphay and Lumley Moors Upland Fringe Farmland 33 River Laver Corridor 34 Kirkby Malzeard Moor Parliamentary Enclosure 35 Kirkby Malzeard and Grewelthorpe 36 Grewelthorpe Moor 37 Ilton to Nutwith Wooded Upland Fringe Grassland 38 River Burn Valley 39 Ellingstring and Fearby Upland Fringe Grassland 40 Ellingstring and High Ellington 41 River Ure Corridor (Charlcot to Aldburgh Hall) 42 Ure Corridor (Hackfall to Mickley Reach) 43 Vale fringe farmland Kirkby Malzeard to Azerley 44 Aldfield to Studley Vale Fringe Farmland 77 North Ripon Farmland Reference: http://www.harrogate.gov.uk/plan/Pages/Landscape-Character-Assess- ment.aspx Tranquility Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) commissioned research- ers to create a national tranquillity map in 2006. “Each 500m by 500m square of England has been given a tranquillity score, based on 44 differ- ent factors which add to or detract from people’s feelings of tranquillity. These scores have been colour coded – darkest green for those places most likely to make people feel tranquil, brightest red for those least likely.” CPRE Reference: http://www.cpre.org.uk/what-we-do/countryside/tranquil-places/in-depth/ item/1688-how-we-mapped-tranquillity Woodland cover/woodland type Map and summary stats were created using the 2012 Forestry Commis- sion National Forest Inventory spatial data for England. This dataset includes Interpreted Forest Types (IFTs) for all woodland over 0.5ha and Interpreted Open Area (IOA) information for areas over 0.5ha that are completely surrounded by woodland. AONB woodland by type Area % of % of AONB (ha) AONB woodland AONB 60117 100% - All woodland 5118 8.51% 100% Broadleaved 2425 4.03% 47.39% Conifer 2022 3.36% 39.50% Young trees 270 0.45% 5.27% Felled 115 0.19% 2.25% Assumed woodland 106 0.18% 2.06% Mixed mainly conifer 72.4 0.12% 1.41% Mixed mainly broadleaved 70.6 0.12% 1.38% Ground prep 25.3 0.04% 0.49% Low density 8.36 0.01% 0.16% Shrub 4.31 0.01% 0.08% Reference: http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/infd-8eyjwf Ancient Woodland Inventory (AWI ): ancient semi-natural wood- land (ASNW) and plantations on ancient woodland sites (PAWS) “Ancient woodland is land that has had a continuous woodland cover since at least 1600 AD and may be ancient semi-natural woodland (ASNW), which retains a native tree and shrub cover that has not been planted, although it may have been managed by coppicing or felling and allowed to regenerate naturally, or plantation on ancient woodland sites (PAWS) where the original tree cover has been felled and replaced by planting, often with conifers, and usually over the last century.” - Natural England Map and summary stats were created using the National Inventory of Ancient Woodlands, maintained by Natural England; dataset reference date 04/10/2012 Area % of % of % of AONB (ha) AONB AONB total ancient woodland woodland AONB 60117 100 - - Total AONB Woodland 5118 8.51 100 - Ancient Woodland 1245 2.07 24.33 100 ASNW 452 0.75 8.83 36.31 PAWS 793 1.32 15.49 63.69 Reference: http://www.gis.naturalengland.org.uk/pubs/gis/tech_aw.htm Woodland Grant Scheme “English Woodland Grant Scheme (EWGS) supports the creation and stewardship of woodlands and is operated by the Forestry Commission. The main aims of EWGS are the creation and sustainable management of woodlands to deliver environmental improvements such as biodiver- sity and climate change mitigation, and social benefits such as public access and recreation.” Forestry Commission Map and summary stats were created using EWGS spatial data supplied by Forestry Commission England; dataset reference date 07/01/2013 Area % of % of (ha) AONB AONB woodland AONB 60117 100 - AONB Woodland 5118 8.51 100 English Woodland Grant Scheme (EWGS) 1305* 2.17* 25.50* Woodland Management Grant (WMG) 1083 1.80 21.16 Woodland Planning Grant (WPG) 481 0.80 9.40 Woodland Regeneration Grant (WRG) 246 0.41 4.81 Woodland Improvement Grant (WIG) 155 0.26 3.03 Woodland Creation Grant (WCG) 66.3 0.11 1.30 Woodland Assessment Grant (WAG) 65.6 0.11 1.28 Felling License Application (FLA) 248 0.41 4.85 * note: the areas covered by the individual grants sum to more than the total EWGS area, as multiple grants may apply to a single site. References: http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-6DCCEN, http:// www.forestry.gov.uk/datadownload Felling licence applications Map and summary stats were created using spatial data on Felling Licence Application (FLA) areas approved by Forestry Commission Eng- land; dataset reference date 21/01/2013 Area % of % of (ha) AONB AONB woodland AONB 60117 100 - AONB Woodland 5020 8.35 100 Clearfell (conditional) 196 0.33 3.91 Clearfell (unconditional) 2.64 0.00 0.05 Selective fell/ thin (conditional) 82.4 0.14 1.64 Selective fell/ thin (unconditional) 874 1.45 17.41 Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) Agri-environment coverage (by type) Map created using spatial data supplied by Harrogate Borough Council, Map and summary stats were created using spatial data supplied by October 2013 Natural England; dataset reference date May 2013 Area % of % of Number of Annual Cost (ha) AONB UAA Agreements Nidderdale AONB 60117 100 Utilisable 53049 88.24 100 Agricultural Area (UAA)* Environmental Stewardship (ES) Scheme (mutually exclusive areas) Entry Level plus 20761 34.53 39.14 76 £1,671,266 Higher Level Stewardship Entry Level 18443 30.68 34.77 295 £764,571 Stewardship Higher Level - - - - Stewardship Organic Entry 122 0.20 0.23 1 £15,948 Level plus Higher Level Stewardship Organic Entry 131 0.22 0.25 3 £8,307 Level Stewardship All ES Schemes 39456 65.63 74.38 375 £2,460,092 Classic Scheme CSS 350 0.58 0.66 £62,807 ESA - - - - - All Classic Schemes 350 0.58 0.66 £62,807 (CSS + ESA) Total (ES + Classics) £2,522,899 * Utilisable Agricultural Area (UAA) comprises the area of crops, grass and rough grazing, fallow and any uncropped land that could be re- turned to agricultural production. UAA is a measure used by the EU and the UK Government in measuring the uptake of AE schemes. Habitat coverage Summary stats produced from Land Cover Map, CEH (Centre for Ecology & Hydrology), 2007 Broad Habitat Class Area (ha) % AONB Improved grassland 21,660 36.03% Dwarf shrub heath 13,758 22.89% Bog 9,612 15.99% Acid grassland 4,136 6.88% Broad leaved, mixed and yew woodland 3,994 6.64% Rough low-productivity grassland 2,469 4.11% Arable and horticulture 1,647 2.74% Coniferous woodland 1,542 2.56% Freshwater 570 0.95% Built up areas and gardens 388 0.65% Montane habitats 214 0.36% Inland rock 63 0.10% Neutral grassland 55 0.09% Total area classified 60,108 99.98% Nidderdale AONB 60,117 100% River, lake and groundwater water quality (chemical and biological) The following charts show the current status and objectives for rivers, lakes and groundwater under the Water Framework Directive (WFD) Data was supplied by the Environment Agency, March 2013, and is based on WFD classification data collected in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Designated sites (statutory sites) Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) Area (ha) % of AONB AONB 60117 100 SSSI 17365 28.88 SAC 16845 28.02 SPA 16845 28.02 All designations 17365 28.88 SSSI Unit Condition Condition of biological SSSIs by habitat type Data Natural England; 2013 Unfavourable Unfavourable