Leckhampton Hill and Charlton Kings Common Management Plan
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LECKHAMPTON HILL AND CHARLTON KINGS COMMON MANAGEMENT PLAN Issue 2. April 2003 Green Environment, Central Depot, Swindon Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL51 9JZ. Tel: 01242 - 250019 Fax: 01242 - 250448 Email: [email protected] LECKHAMPTON HILL AND CHARLTON KINGS COMMON MANAGEMENT PLAN Issue 2. April 2003 Green Environment, Central Depot, Swindon Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL51 9JZ. Tel: 01242 - 250019 Fax: 01242 - 250448 Email: [email protected] Prepared by Nortoft Partnerships Ltd, Nortoft, Guilsborough, Northants NN6 8QB Email: [email protected] Tel 01604 740854 Fax: 01604 743423 CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1 FOREWORD 2 PART ONE. BACKGROUND INFORMATION 4 GENERAL DESCRIPTION 5 Location And Size 6 Elevation And Geology 6 Tenure 7 Access 7 Site Status/Legal Issues. 9 Definitive Map/ Highway Record /Rights Of Way 9 Site Of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) 9 Registered Common Land 10 Scheduled Ancient Monument/Sites And Monuments Record 11 Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty 12 Administrative Boundaries 12 Other Features 12 MAPS 13 Map 1. Location 14 Map 2. Land Ownership 15 Map 3. Rights of Way 16 Map 4. Car Parks and Official Access Points 17 Map 5. Site of Special Scientific Interest 18 Map 6. Registered Common Land 19 Map 7. Historic Features 20 Map 8. Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty 21 Map 9. Administrative Boundaries 22 CURRENT MANAGEMENT AND MANAGEMENT ISSUES 23 Management Issues 25 Management Constraints 25 Topographical Constraints 25 Geological Constraints 25 Statutory Constraints 26 Public Perception 26 PART TWO. APPRAISAL AND EVALUATION OF KEY FEATURES 28 BIOLOGICAL APPRAISAL AND EVALUATION 29 General 30 Biological Description 31 Evaluation of Biological Interest 35 Limestone Grassland 37 Scrub 40 Woodland 41 Other Grassland 44 Biological Value of the Quarries 44 Species Information 47 Summary of Key Biodiversity Priorities 52 GEODIVERSITY APPRAISAL AND EVALUATION 53 Geological Conservation Status 54 Geological Description 55 Key Features 58 Local/Regional Context 60 Evaluation of Key Geodiversity Features 62 Condition Assessment/Status of Key Geodiversity Features 63 Major Factors Affecting the Status of Key Features 65 HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT APPRAISAL AND EVALUATION 67 General 68 Key Features 70 Round Barrow Within Square Enclosure 70 Leckhampton Camp 70 Quarries and Other Industrial Remains 72 Summary of Key Issues Affecting the Historic Environment 73 The Historic Environment Importance of Leckhampton Hill 74 Scheduled Ancient Monument 74 Gloucestershire Sites and Monuments Record 75 ACCESS AND RECREATION APPRAISAL 76 General 77 History of Access 77 Current Use and Tourism 79 Impact Of Recreational Activities 80 Access 87 Appraisal of Specific Issues Affecting Access 92 Public Rights Of Way 92 Cotswold Way National Trail 94 Registered Common Land 94 Commons Registration Act, 1965 96 Fencing and Works on Common Land 97 LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL APPRAISAL 98 Introduction 99 Base-Line Conditions 100 Impact Prediction 105 Mitigation 108 Further Recommendations and Summary 109 PART THREE. HEADLINE OBJECTIVES AND RECOMMENDATIONS 110 HEADLINE OBJECTIVES 111 ORGANISATIONAL AND OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS 118 LANDSCAPE RECOMMENDATIONS 129 BIODIVERSITY RECOMMENDATIONS 133 GEOCONSERVATION RECOMMENDATIONS 155 HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT RECOMMENDATIONS 170 ACCESS AND RECREATION RECOMMENDATIONS 181 PART FOUR. APPENDICES 196 Appendix 1. Bibliography 197 Appendix 2. Useful Addresses 199 Appendix 3. Numbered Access Points 205 Appendix 4. Leckhampton Hill and Charlton Kings Common Site of Special Scientific Interest Citation 208 Appendix 5. Location of On-Site Features, Nearby Features and Off-Site Context 210 Appendix 6. Comments From Public Consultation Meeting 216 Appendix 7. Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000: Fact Sheets 228 Crow Act Factsheet 1: Overview 228 Crow Act Factsheet 2: Access 233 Crow Act Factsheet 3: Rights of Way 235 Crow Act Factsheet 4: Nature Conservation 238 Crow Act Factsheet 5: Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty 243 Appendix 8 Gloucestershire Unimproved Limestone Grassland Action Plan 246 Appendix 9. Botanical Survey of Leckhampton Hill and Charlton Kings Common SSSI 254 Appendix 10. Botanical Survey of Selected Quarries 264 Appendix 11. Additional Geodiversity Information 273 Appendix 12. Information on Common Land 275 Appendix 13. Summary of Proposals for the Revision of Common Land Legislation 282 Appendix 14.Explanation of Risk Assessments 289 Appendix15. AONB Grassland Condition Report and Costs of Implementing Grazing Management 291 Appendix 16. Lowland Grassland SSSI Condition Assessment 294 Appendix 17.Joint Nature Conservancy Council (JNCC) Mineral and Fossil Collection Good Practice Guidance 296 Appendix 18. British Horse Society Code for Riding and Driving Responsibly 297 Appendix 19. “Off-Road Code” for Mountain Bikers 299 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The help and assistance of the following people in the production of this plan is gratefully acknowledged. Cheltenham Borough Council: Councillor Buckland, Councillor Ryder, John Crowther, David Elsey, Adam Reynolds, Maggie Fryer, Geoff Jenkins, Will Stewart, Cheryl Brakespear, Kathryn Finch FOLK: Julius Marstrand, Judy Frazer-Holland, Jack Shepherd, Anne North, Tony Clifford, Vic Ellis, Tony Meredith (and Frances Meredith), Allan Wood, Sheila Chaplin, Guy Meredith, John-Paul North, Sue Barrett Cotswold AONB: Mark Connelly English Nature: Paul Hackman, Mike Wilkinson Gloucestershire County Council Archaeology Service: Nick Russell, Tim Grubb Gloucestershire Society for Industrial Archaeology: Ray Wilson, David Bick Gloucestershire Geoconservation/Geode: Mark Campbell British Horse Society: William Reddaway Gloucestershire County Council Rights of Way Team: Andrew Houldey Cheltenham and County Cycling Club: James Rockhill Gloucestershire Soaring Association: Barrie Shayler Malvern Hang Gliding Club: Robert Davis Cotswold Way: Jo Ronald Gloucestershire Environmental Data Unit: Ian Carle Others: David Long, all who attended the public consultation meeting in Leckhampton. Leckhampton Hill and Charlton Kings Common Management Plan Page 1 of 299 FOREWORD Foreword From Cheltenham Borough Council “Cheltenham Borough Council originally had the foresight to secure the future of Leckhampton Hill for public benefit through its purchase. With the council’s stewardship responsibilities in mind for this magnificent and unique example of our natural environment, I have great pleasure in contributing a foreword to the new Site Management Plan for Leckhampton Hill and Charlton Kings Common. The plan has been commissioned by Cheltenham Borough Council as a strategic document for the future management of the hill. However the process of public participation and consultation has, in a way, almost been more important than the production of the plan itself. Drawing people together from an immensely diverse range of conservation, recreational and cultural interests to collaborate and work in partnership for a shared vision for the Hill has been both a challenging and richly rewarding experience. The extent and strength of the partnership working has been exemplified through the active participation of the Friends of Leckhampton Hill and Charlton Kings Common (FOLK), English Nature, the Cotswolds AONB Partnership and Gloucestershire County Council’s Archaeology Service, as well as a wide range of individuals and groups with specialist interests and local knowledge. It is with this focus of interests upon one of the most complex and diverse sites of our natural environment within Gloucestershire that I commend the Site Management Plan to everyone with an interest in Leckhampton Hill and Charlton Kings Common”. Councillor Lloyd Surgenor Cabinet Deputy for Public and Environmental Protection Cheltenham Borough Council Leckhampton Hill and Charlton Kings Common Management Plan Page 2 of 299 "This Site Management Plan has been heavily influenced by a long process of consultation, including a large public meeting, and the submission of statements from many of the groups and individuals with an interest in or specialist knowledge of the site. There have also been a series of Steering Group Meetings involving Cheltenham Borough Council, English Nature, the Cotwolds AONB, the Gloucestershire County Council Archaeology Service and FOLK. FOLK's Executive Committee also met with the consultants who produced this Plan and discussed the contents of both an early draft and the final draft in great detail. The Executive Committee is made up of members with a wide spectrum of interests in Leckhampton Hill and Charlton Kings Common, from those who are primarily interested in the ecology to those who use the site primarily for recreation, and it represents a broad cross-section of users. Despite this and as a result of some of the changes made to the Site Management Plan during the consultation process, the Committee reached a large measure of consensus over the Plan. Following some revisions to the final draft, FOLK's Executive Committee now feels able to commend the whole Plan to FOLK members and other users of the site." Julius Marstrand, Chairman, Friends of Leckhampton Hill and Charlton Kings Common (FOLK) Leckhampton Hill and Charlton Kings Common Management Plan Page 3 of 299 PART ONE. BACKGROUND INFORMATION Leckhampton Hill and Charlton Kings Common Management Plan Page 4 of 299 GENERAL DESCRIPTION Leckhampton Hill and Charlton Kings Common Management Plan Page 5 of 299 Location and Size (See Map 1) The site lies on the edge