Highmeadow Forest Plan

2015 - 2025

West Forest District

PROTECTING AND EXPANDING ENGLANDS FORESTS AND WOODLANDS INCREASING THEIR VALUE TO SOCIETY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Francis-Raymond-Barker

FCE File Ref: OP10/31 (Old OP10/12)

FS File Ref: GL1/5/2.25

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APPLICATION FOR FOREST DESIGN PLAN APPROVAL

Forest District: West England Plan Area: Highmeadow Forest Plan : 1075 Ha Containing: Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) 1075 Ha Woodland or property name: Highmeadow Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI): • Upper Wye Gorge 186 Ha Special Area of Conservation (SAC) 186 Ha Staunton National Nature Reserve (NNR): Nearest town, village or locality: Five Acres • Lady Park Wood 45 Ha Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM): • Symonds Yat Promontory Fort 7 Ha • King Arthurs Cave S.A.M. circa 0.5 Ha OS Grid reference: Highmeadow: SO 552 136 • Merlins Cave S.A.M. circa 0.2 Ha

Gloucestershire County Council Conifer Felling: 26.5 Ha

Forest of Dean District Council Local Authority District/Unitary Authority:

Monmouthshire Broadleaf Felling: 3.3 Ha

Signed………………………………………………………………..

1. I apply for Forest Plan approval for the property described above and in Deputy Surveyor

the enclosed Forest Plan.

2. I confirm that the scoping, carried out and documented in the Consultation Record attached, incorporated those stakeholders that the Date………………………………………….………………………… FC agreed must be included. Where it has not been possible to resolve specific issues associated with the plan to the satisfaction of consultees, this is highlighted in the Consultation Record.

3. I confirm that the proposals contained in this plan comply with the UK Forestry Standard. Signed…………………………………………………………………. Signed…………………………………………………………………. Forest Services Regional Director Natural Resources 4. I undertake to obtain any permissions necessary for the

implementation of the approved Plan.

Date of approval…………………………………………………. Date of approval………………………………………………….

Date approval ends………………………………………………

Highmeadow Forest Plan

Plan period 2015-2025

Page 2 Content Application for Forest Plan Approval Page 1

Contents 2 APPENDIX 1: Physical environment Geology 26 PART 1 – Description, summary & objectives Soils 27 Location 3 Age Class Structure 28 Plan summary 4 Landform 29 Management objectives 5 Landscape Analysis 30-31

PART 2 – Character, analysis & concept APPENDIX 2: Management considerations Tenure & designations 6 Utilities 32 Landscape Character and National Character 7 Mines and Quarries 33 Site analysis 8 Stock data – February 2015 34-37 Design concept 9 Pests and Diseases 38

PART 3 – Composition and future management APPENDIX 3: Sorbus species Woodland composition 10 Distribution map 39 Naturalness 11 Leaf identification 39 Plantation Ancient Woodland 12 PAWs management 13 APPENDIX 4: Site of Special Scientific Interest Broadleaf management 14 SSSI plan for Upper Wye Gorge 40-

PART 4 – Thinning, felling and future composition APPENDIX 5: Symonds Yat Promontory Fort Thinning 15 Extract from SAM plan Felling and restocking 2015-2025 16 Felling Plan 2015-2055 17 APPENDIX 6: Glossary of terms Indicative Future Species 18 APPENDIX 7: Consultation Record PART 5 – Conservation, heritage and recreation Conservation 19 Conservation features 20 Heritage features 21 Recreation and public access 22

PART 6 – Meeting objectives and option testing Meeting Objectives 23-24 Option Testing 24-25 Highmeadow from Little Doward Hill Fort

1

West England Forest District

Forest Plan 4 HIGHMEADOW

2014 – 2025

Location 2

Page 3

Highmeadow lies completely within the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) to the west of the Forest of Dean and consists of 1075 Ha of mixed woodland. Highmeadow is situated north of the A4136 between Coleford and .

The Highmeadow area is shared between the three Counties of , Herefordshire and Gloucestershire. The area straddles the border between England and Wales with 304Ha in Wales and 810Ha in England.

Within Highmeadow including parts of Huntsham and the Doward 186Ha of the plan area forms part of a Special Area of Conservation 1 (SAC) with the main focus being the Wye Gorge that has a very high landscape and conservation value associated with it.

3 Within the plan proposals landscape and conservation will take high priority over much of the area.

1 – 132Ha in England and 54Ha in Wales

English / Welsh border Locations used for photos 3 and landscape analysis - See Appendix 1

The Highmeadow plan covers 1075 hectare s of mixed woodland in the Wye Valley west of the In the 20 th Century the policy of developing a national Forest of Dean straddling the border between England and Wales and the three counties of strategic reserve of timber meant large areas of the Forest Monmouthshire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire. of Dean including Highmeadow were planted with conifer.

The Wye Gorge has tremendous landscape and conservation value, and thanks to the rich In 1985 the value of broadleaf woodland was recognised

natural resources and geography of the area Highmeadow is steeped in social and economic by a change in policy that aimed to maintain and increase West England

history. broadleaf coverage. In 2005 the Keepers in Time policy Forest District

outlined a shift away from planting conifer on ancient In 18 th and 19 th Century the provided good access. A weir and dock were woodland sites to one of planting native broadleaf. Forest Plan constructed at Symonds Yat and the woodland enjoyed a thriving trade in iron ore helped by the coppice wood that fuelled the charcoal industry, remnants of both are clearly visible throughout The 2003 Forest Plan set out to restructure the woodland HIGHMEADOW the woodland to this day. with a series of carefully designed clearfells phased over a 30 year period in recognition of the values of this natural 2015 – 2025 In the latter part of the 17 th Century the picturesque movement enjoyed the Wye Valley and the and historic landscape. Gorge for its dramatic craggy scenery and today, despite the sheer rock faces being heavily Plan Summary cloaked in deciduous woodland, the Wye Valley and Gorge remains a favourite attraction for More recently the increasing threats from pests, disease people to enjoy panoramic views over the Gorge and surrounding countryside that are often still and changes in climate have highlighted the need to perceived as ‘wild’ and untouched. increase woodland resilience for the future through Page 4 diversifying tree species and woodland structure. Some areas are relatively inaccessible such as the Seven Sisters along with other parts of the Wye Gorge like the Doward and Huntsham Hill that all enjoy great ecological diversity. The importance of nature conservation is confirmed by their SSSI, SAC and NNR designations.

SYMONDS YAT west

MONMOUTH The focus of this plan will therefore face these new threats and risks by broadening the limited range of

native species, and begin to reduce

reliance on Oak, Beech, Birch and

Ash.

In the longer term management will seek to achieve a wider range of STAUNTON species to diversify woodland composition.

To achieve this sympathetically, there will be less clear felling with more use of Low Impact Silvicultural Systems.

CHRISTCHURCH

To conserve both cultural and heritage features within the plan area notably: Symonds Yat Hill Fort, King West England Arthurs Cave and Merlins Cave (all are Scheduled) and Forest District other recorded and unrecorded non-scheduled features for instance: hearths and platforms, banks and hedges, Forest Plan surface mineral workings etc.

The provision of formal public access at key HIGHMEADOW

Continued production of sites, and the provision and monitoring of

sustainable and marketable informal access that minimises damage to 2015 – 2025

woodland products that also sensitive areas such those being managed for

allows for the delivery of a native wood restoration or those with a high Management range of other public benefits heritage or cultural value.

and provides opportunities A considered management Objectives approach that ensures the for economic growth. Management of the protection and enhancement Page 5 woodland will be to the of both the external and standards required to internal landscape. maintain FSC and PEFC accreditation.

The continued use and development of Low Impact Silvicultural Systems (LISS) to complement and enhance management objectives that include the PROTECTING AND EXPANDING restoration of PAW sites and will help achieve a healthy robust woodland for the future. ENGLANDS FORESTS AND WOODLANDS

To undertake management that protects and enhances ASNW along AND INCREASING THEIR VALUE TO with other woodland and open habitats facilitating resilience and The objectives of this Plan will, in adaptation to projected climate change and threat of disease. part, deliver the West England SOCIETY AND THE ENVIRONMENT. Forest District Strategic Plan and the national Strategic Plan for the Public Forest Estate in England . To undertake management that maintains and enhances the condition of the SSSI and SAC areas. Sustainable management of the woodland will be to the standards required to maintain FSC and PEFC accreditation and therefore must deliver economic, environmental social objectives.

Monitoring of the meeting of these objectives and ultimately the success of the Plan is outlined in Part 6