Bisley Road Cemetery, Stroud Local Nature Reserve Management Plan 2020 – 2024 Prepared for Stroud Town Council CONTENTS 1 VISION STATEMENT 2 POLICY STATEMENTS 3 GENERAL DESCRIPTION 3.1 General background information 3.1.1 Location and site boundaries Map 1 Site Location 3.1.2 Tenure Map 2 Schedule Plan 3.1.3 Management/organisational infrastructure 3.1.4 Site infrastructure 3.1.5 Map coverage 3.2 Environmental information 3.2.1 Physical 3.2.2 Biological 3.2.2.1 Habitats Map 3 Compartment Map – Old Cemetery Map 4 Compartment Map – New Cemetery 3.2.2.2 Flora 3.2.2.3 Fauna 3.3 Cultural 3.3.1 Past land use 3.3.2 Present land use 3.3.3 Past management for nature conservation 3.3.4 Present legal status 4 NATURE CONSERVATION FEATURES OF INTEREST 4.1 Identification and confirmation of conservation features 4.2 Objectives 4.2.1 Unimproved grassland 4.2.1.1 Summary description 4.2.1.2 Management objectives 4.2.1.3 Performance indicators 4.2.1.4 Conservation status 4.2.1.5 Rationale 4.2.1.6 Management projects 4.2.2 Trees and Woodland 4.2.2.1 Summary description 4.2.2.2 Management objectives 4.2.2.3 Performance indicators 4.2.2.4 Conservation status 4.2.2.5 Rationale 4.2.2.6 Management projects 4.2.3 Lichens 4.2.3.1 Summary description 4.2.3.2 Management objectives 4.2.3.3 Performance indicators 4.2.3.4 Conservation status 4.2.3.5 Rationale 4.2.3.6 Management projects 4.3 Rationale & Proposals per compartment Bisley Rd Cemetery Mgmt Plan 2020-2024 2 5 HISTORIC INTEREST 5.1 Confirmation of conservation features 5.2 Objectives 5.3 Rationale 6 STAKEHOLDERS 6.1 Evaluation 6.2 Management projects 7 ACCESS / TOURISM 7.1 Evaluation 7.2 Management objectives 8 INTERPRETATION 8.1 Evaluation 8.2 Management Projects 9 OPERATIONAL OBJECTIVES 9.1 Operational objectives 9.2 Management projects 10 WORK PLAN Appendix 1 Species List Bisley Rd Cemetery Mgmt Plan 2020-2024 3 1 VISION STATEMENT Stroud Town Council are committed to conserving Stroud Cemetery to: • Enable the people of Stroud to always have a place of peace and quiet reflection and recreation. • Provide a living sanctuary for our wildlife. • Enhance the biodiversity of the site and local area. • Maintain features and memorials of historic interest. • Respect the original design and layout and recognise its place in the landscape. • Promote public understanding through interpretation and encouraging its use as a local educational resource and place of study. • Ensure visitors are aware that the site includes a functioning infant burial area The town council will explore and be open to opportunities for community engagement in the management of the site and to link management of the site with that of adjacent and nearby land, to help sustain local populations of species, particularly reptiles which are isolated and under threat. This plan focuses on wildlife but makes reference to the other aspects of the vision, including the important historic graves, war graves and other aspects of historical significance. 2 POLICY STATEMENTS There are a number of Stroud Town Council policies relevant to Bisley Road Cemetery: Policy on lighting fires: Fires only allowed in areas where scrub or secondary woodland is being removed from grassland, or where it is known that ground flora has already been impoverished by earlier activities. Timings of coppicing and tree felling: All woodland habitat management and scrub removal to take place out of bird nesting season, i.e. between 1st October and 28th February. Felling of individual trees may in exceptional circumstances be carried out at any time, subject to good reason and appropriate safeguarding of bats and nesting birds. Scrub removal from 1st September to 28th February. Other relevant policies: • Health and Safety Policy • Tree safety management Policy and Procedure • Deadwood Policy • Use of herbicides • Climate change resolution 3 GENERAL DESCRIPTION 3.1 General background information The site, a designated Local Nature Reserve and partly a Local Wildlife Site (LWS SO80/058)*, comprises two adjoining areas on steep to moderately sloping south and south-west facing ground on the eastern edge of Stroud. The original classic mid-Victorian cemetery occupies the top area, with the main access off Bisley Road. This area, the designated LWS, comprises the Chapel of Rest, old gravestones, unimproved grassland, scrub and plantation woodland and specimen trees, all divided by a network of paths. Substantial stone walls border much of the area. The more recent southern section is more formally laid out on a gentler slope. The site contains unimproved and semi-improved grassland, scrub/woodland, specimen trees and boundary hedgerows. This area is still used for burials. The site supports a rich variety of plants and animals, including nationally and locally rare species and UK and Gloucestershire Priority Habitats and Species. It also has considerable historical interest, with the Bisley Rd Cemetery Mgmt Plan 2020-2024 4 Grade II listed Chapel of Rest and many interesting gravestones. There are 17 Commonwealth War Graves. The site provides fine views across the Frome Valley and down the Severn Estuary. The site is bordered by housing, a recreation ground, allotments, semi-natural woodland and semi- improved grassland. Nearby LWS are; The Horns Bank, unimproved limestone grassland with extensive scrub growth, Abbey Wood & Proud Grove c0.7km. to the north-east, Claypits Wood 1km. south, Horns Wood 0.5km. east, all ancient woodlands, and the unimproved limestone grassland of Rodborough Common SSSI 1km. to the south-west. The lane, woodland, grassland, hedgerow and scrub to the east form a continuous wildlife corridor to the woods and other semi-natural areas of Horns valley and Cotswold scarp. The site is an important component of the Thrupp A Strategic Nature Area** – SN134 *A site recognised by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust (GWT) as being of at least county importance for wildlife. ** Strategic Nature Areas (SNAs), identified by the Gloucestershire Biodiversity Partnership, are landscape-scale areas where there is opportunity for both the maintenance and, crucially, the restoration/expansion of Priority Habitat. 3.1.1 Location and site boundaries Grid reference: SO864048 Area: Northern section - 4.1ha. Southern section - 2.2ha. Local authority: Stroud District Council Parish council: Stroud Town Council Map 1 Site Location Reproduced from Ordnance Survey 1:10000 Scale Raster with the permission of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, Crown copyright 2002, Gloucestershire Wildlife Management 3.1.2 Tenure Owners and occupiers: Owned and managed by Stroud Town Council Legal rights of access: The site is open at all times. There is vehicular access into both sections with parking spaces and there are numerous pedestrian access points into both sections. The road to The Horns dividing the two sections is a public footpath. This is not a legal document. Please refer to the original tenure documents before taking any decision or action which may have legal implications. Bisley Rd Cemetery Mgmt Plan 2020-2024 5 Area 1 To maintain the formal grassed areas and flower beds in accordance with good horticultural practice which shall include the removal of grass clippings and other horticultural refuse. Flower beds may be altered or removed to enhance the area. Area of mown grass may be reduced slightly to increase wildlife habitat. Area 2/2a To maintain the grassed areas in accordance with good horticultural practice to a standard that reflects the prominence of the areas location adjacent to Area 1 and the frontage of the cemetery to Bisley Road. Part of the boundary strip may be managed as Area 4, including fruit trees. To annually undertake wed control as necessary on graves. Such control may be accomplished by the use of suitable herbicide or through cutting. Area 3 To maintain the periphery of this area to a similar standard to that of Area 2 and to undertake such further routine maintenance as shall be sufficient to enable reasonable access to those graves in parts regularly visited by relatives. Area 4 To routinely maintain this area in accordance with its management as ‘meadow’ consistent with encouraging into the area species of flora and fauna associated with such land. Potential planting of fruit trees to create an orchard, which would not alter the grass management regime. Area 5 To routinely maintain this area in a manner that is consistent with its appearance as informal open grassed areas interspersed with trees and shrubs, and to maximise its biodiversity. Such maintenance as is required to trees and shrubs shall be undertaken with sensitivity to the habitat provided for fauna. To maintain a short sward within the infant burial area. Area 6 To maintain such open grassed areas in similar fashion to that of Area 5. Not to undertake maintenance of trees except in so far as public safety and access to the area is concerned, and removal of alien invasive species where appropriate. Bisley Rd Cemetery Mgmt Plan 2020-2024 6 Map 2 Schedule Plan Reproduced from Ordnance Survey 1:10000 Scale Raster with the permission of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, Crown copyright 2002, Gloucestershire Wildlife Management New Cemetery To routinely manage the majority of the site as a lawn cemetery. Some areas within sub-compartments Oa and S to be managed on an annual or twice per-annum cut in order to provide biodiversity. In such areas, paths will be cut as necessary to provide access to graves upon demand. In connection with graves under the custodianship of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, to allow the CWGC to maintain such graves to a standard acceptable to the Commission and not to undertake any works which might be deemed to affect such graves without prior reference to the Commission.