LAF 11/18

Suffolk Local Access Forum

Title: Letter to Independent Panel on Forestry

Meeting Date: 14 July 2011

Author/Contact: David Falk Venue: Aspall Room, Kerrison Conference Centre, Stoke Road, Thorndon, Nr Eye, , IP23 7JG

SLAF SLAF Suffolk Local Access Forum PO Box 872 Suffolk IP1 9JW To the Right Reverend James Jones, Bishop of Liverpool, Tel: 01473 264759 chairman of the independent panel Fax: 01473 216877 on forestry. Email: [email protected]

Web: By email. http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/Environment/Public

RightsOfWay/SuffolkLocalAccessForum

Your Ref: Our Ref: Date: 16 June 2011

Dear Chairman

From the chairman of the Suffolk Local Access Forum.

I am writing on behalf of the Suffolk Local Access Forum (SLAF). Local access forums are statutorily prescribed bodies, introduced by s94 and s95 of the Countryside and Rights of Way (CROW) Act 2000. Their main function is to advise their appointing authority as to the improvement of public access to land in that area for the purposes of open-air recreation and the enjoyment of the area. Local access forums comprise appointed members who represent both users of local rights of way or access land and owners and occupiers of access land or land encompassing local rights of way.

SLAF understand that the Panel has recently opened its doors for views on forests and woods and announced forest visits. The forum further understands that following your second meeting, you have announced initial visits to the Forest of Dean, Northumberland and Kent.

The Suffolk Local Access Forum wishes to convey its views to the panel on the future of the public forest estate (PFE) in Suffolk, in particular on the future of public access for all those groups currently enjoying access in the county’s woodland and forest, whether by right, permission or de facto.

Providing independent advice on access to the countryside in Suffolk LAF 11/18 Suffolk has extensive tracts of forest in the west of the county around , and in the east of the county within the AONB.

Perhaps I could start by giving you a flavour of the PFE in those areas, and the access enjoyed therein.

Thetford Forest

In putting its successful case together in 2008/09 to object to the dualling of the A11 near on the grounds of lack of access for non motorised users, SLAF sought background information from the county council for the surrounding area. This confirmed the area around Elveden enjoys a very high quality of public access for walkers, cyclists and horse-riders (non motorised users) – on public rights of way, tracks and land designated as open access. The network is actively promoted by both the Forestry Commission and the county council at and Brandon Country Park. The area serves the local towns of Thetford, Brandon, Lakenheath, Mildenhall, and Bury St Edmunds. The Center Parcs at Elveden also attracts many visitors to the area. The total population of the parishes within 10 miles of the scheme in 2005 was 91,870.

As well as being a sustainable source of recreation for the local population, this resource contributes to the health, well being and economy of the area – all national and local government priorities.

Levels of use of local visitor attractions were noted as follows:

Brandon Country Park: Visitor centre numbers – 06/07 - 104,198 07/08 - 163,087

Total vehicle visits - 06/07 – 51,398 07/08 – 63,603

Total people visits - 06/07 – 114,078 07/08 – 137,431

West Stow Country Park: Numbers through Park Gate 2007 = 170,289

Visitors to Anglo Saxon Village 2007 = 33,207

The Forestry Commission reported a minimum of 500,000 day visits per year in the Brandon Park and High Lodge forest blocks. Roughly a third of the more than 300,000 visitors at High Lodge in 2010 came for a cycling activity and both of the car parks at Kings Forest host at least 10,000 cars each year.

The Forestry Commission has also held 19 equestrian events at Santon Downham and Kings Forest in 2008.

There are a number of riding schools in the area, the closest being at Elveden, Santon Downham, Brandon, Lakenheath and Riddleworth. In addition there is a cycling club at Mildenhall and an active rambling fraternity.

The Council’s Access and Tourism Strategy has the following to say about the forest:

“Thetford Forest currently covers 14,320 ha of accessible land and accommodates 1.5 million visitors annually, the number of visitors to Thetford is set to grow with the populations in Thetford,

Providing independent advice on access to the countryside in Suffolk LAF 11/18 Bury St Edmunds, Cambridge, Norwich and the Haven Gateway growth points. There is a legal requirement to protect the nature conservation interest whilst at the same providing a regional green infrastructure resource for the growing population.

“As a key green infrastructure resource, the forest contributes to Local Development Framework and Local Area Agreement targets for health, the economy, wildlife and biodiversity, renewable energy, air quality, public access and sustainable transport routes.”

Forest in the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB

The PFE in the AONB totals 3,107 hectares and is primarily made up of Rendlesham, Tunstall and Dunwich Forests. All are predominantly coniferous forests, originally planted in the 1920s on what was once Sandlings heathland. All contain significant elements of broadleaf woodland, having been planted or, in many cases, regenerating naturally. At over 3000ha, the estate is by far the largest area of land, under one owner, within the AONB. Given its size, single public ownership and that the forests lie on former Sandlings heath, they present the most significant opportunity within the AONB for major enhancements of landscape quality, wildlife conservation and public access.

All are important for public access, Rendlesham & Tunstall particularly so, with c.950,000 person- visits per year. They provide a wide range of public access opportunities including walking, cycling, horse-riding, carriage driving and husky racing.

Rendlesham Forest and the forest centre at Tangham is one of the focal points for tourism and recreation in the Sandlings, as well as being designated for its wildlife value. In addition to a campsite, there are numerous walking and cycling routes around the forest, with a special UFO trail, as a legacy of the world-renowned “close-encounter” in 1980. In recent years the Red Rose Chain theatre company have successfully run an open air-theatre at Tangham throughout the month of August.

Tunstall Forest consists of coniferous plantations, broadleaved belts and heathland areas which link up with both Tunstall and Common. Tunstall is very popular with walkers, cyclists and horse riders alike.

Rendlesham and Tunstall Forests are currently subject to restoration programmes where plantation is being restored to heathland and open forest and this is supported by funding from the Lottery and also from the SITA Trust Landfill Communities Fund.

Development of the access and recreation facilities in the forests are likely to help reduce the people pressure on other more sensitive areas of the AONB, less able to withstand large numbers of visitors, such as some coastal and estuary locations. This view is also supported by the Haven Gateway Green Infrastructure strategy.

In short, the PFE in Suffolk enjoys a very high level of public use of all types, from walking to cycling and horse riding, with clear benefits both socially, economically and in general health and well being. All these outcomes meet both local and national policies and priorities.

What SLAF Would Like To See

SLAF believes strongly that the PFE in its entirety should be publically accessible to walkers, cyclists and equestrians (and other forms of access where these are enjoyed currently). This applies to both the 70% of the estate which is freehold and the remainder in leasehold. Protecting and improving public access will have many benefits, including on physical and mental health, enhancing the appreciation of the natural world, strengthening social bonds and providing a low cost source of recreation.

Providing independent advice on access to the countryside in Suffolk LAF 11/18 Protecting public access can be simply achieved through dedication under Section 16 of the Countryside and Rights of Way (CROW) Act 2000 Act, which gives landowners and long leaseholders the opportunity to voluntarily dedicate land for public access. A dedication lasts in perpetuity or, where relevant, for the duration of a long lease.

Making a dedication under the Act can:

• give a legal public right of access to land that would not otherwise be covered by the CROW Act, such as woodland; or • ensure that land mapped as open country or registered common land will continue to be access land in the future, even if it ceases to be open country or registered common land.

Dedication can be used to create higher rights of access, for example for cycling and horse riding.

The advantage of dedication as open access is that once dedicated the land becomes access land under Part 1 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 and subject to the same management and use. Access to dedicated land can be restricted or excluded in the same way as with other access land (e.g. for up to 28 days per year, or where necessary for land management, safety or fire prevention reasons). To make sure access routes remain physically available, the Government should ensure funding is in place to continue their maintenance (in the same way the Forestry Commission maintains the routes now).

SLAF notes that a policy of open access already exists in Thetford Forest for horse riders.

In conclusion, the Suffolk Local Access Forum would urge the independent panel to give access the highest priority in its deliberations and give very serious consideration to dedicating higher access rights under Section 16 of the Countryside and Rights of Way (CROW) Act on the whole of the public forest estate, including land in long leasehold.

SLAF would welcome a visit from the panel, or individual members, to Suffolk to see at first hand what the local PFE has to offer visitors and perhaps hear from users themselves how much they value their freedom to use the estate.

Yours sincerely,

Bryan Collen

Chair of the Suffolk Local Access Forum

END

Providing independent advice on access to the countryside in Suffolk