ASHFORD COMMUNITY WOODLAND MANAGEMENT PLAN 2012-2016 Contents Introduction..................................................................................................................... 2 Key site information ...........................................................................................................................................2 Site principles .....................................................................................................................................................2 Site description summary ...................................................................................................................................2 Legal ....................................................................................................................................................................3 Site Account..................................................................................................................... 5 Access ................................................................................................................................................................. 6 Facilities .............................................................................................................................................................. 6 Transport links ....................................................................................................................................................6 Site issues ........................................................................................................................................................... 7 Costing ................................................................................................................................................................ 8 Volunteers .......................................................................................................................................................... 8 Key features on site.......................................................................................................... 8 Secondary woodland ..........................................................................................................................................9 Grassland habitat .............................................................................................................................................. 11 Scrub habitat (transition habitats) .................................................................................................................... 12 Hedgerows ........................................................................................................................................................13 Site infrastructure ............................................................................................................................................. 14 Wildlife .............................................................................................................................................................. 15 Public Engagement ........................................................................................................................................... 16 Future projects............................................................................................................... 17 Management aims and objectives .................................................................................. 17 Annexes .............................................................................................................................................................. 1 Annex 1. .............................................................................................................................................................. 1 Annex 2. .............................................................................................................................................................. 1 Annex 3. .............................................................................................................................................................. 3 Annex 4. .............................................................................................................................................................. 4 Annex 5. .............................................................................................................................................................. 8 Annex 7. ............................................................................................................................................................ 15 Annex 8. ............................................................................................................................................................ 16 Glossary ............................................................................................................................................................ 17 Version 1 This document supersedes the 2009-2012 ACW management plan. Updates to this plan are five yearly. Changes may be made during this time therefore for most recent version please contact. [email protected] . Introduction Ashford Community Woodland (ACW) is managed for people and wildlife. The woodland is owned by Ashford Borough Council (ABC) and management lead by Ashford Community Woodland Steering Group (ACWSG), a group of volunteers who give their free time to look after this space. The woodland is managed in partnership with The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) (formally British Trust for Conservation Volunteers) and organisations including the Kentish Stour Countryside Project (KSCP) and The Kent Wildlife Trust (KWT). ACW woodland is open access and free for people to use and enjoy. Key site information Site Name Ashford Community Woodland Location 2.2km South West of Ashford. Singleton Hill (Bucksford Lane) Ashford, Kent Bethersden Farmlands Landscape area within Low Weald Character Area. Grid ref TQ 986 413 Administrative boundary Ashford Borough Council, Great Chart Parish. Land tenure/Ownership Ashford Borough Council Management Ashford Community Woodland steering group (volunteers, ABC and TCV). Area (ha) 14.7 (35 acres) Elevation Highest point in South Ashford, 70m above ordnance datum. Designations None ( LNR at draft stage) Brief description of key Two areas bisected by Buxford Lane (merging into Singleton hill). features Semi natural broadleaf woodland (planted), scrub, mixed hedgerows and lowland meadows. Housing developments border the site to north and east, agricultural land to south west and designated traveller site to the south. The Singleton Environment Centre is located to the south east. Secure car park, pedestrian gates, sculptures and footpaths. Blocks Far-Away Wood, Fox Wood, Squirrel Wood, The Triangle, Carpark, Robin Wood, Dragonfly Wood, Lizard Wood, Lark Meadow, Sylvia’s Meadow, Slow-worm Wood, Kestrel Wood, Butterfly Meadow Management 1. Far-Away Meadow, 2. Far-Away Wood, 3. Fox Wood, 4.Fox Wood Meadow, Compartments: 5. Squirrel Wood, 6. The Triangle, 7. Lark Meadow, 8. Sylvia’s Meadow, 9. Robin Wood, 10. Dragonfly Wood, 11. Slow-worm Wood, 12. Lizard Wood, 13. Kestrel Wood, 14. Butterfly Meadow, 15. Kestrel Scrub, 16. Car park. See Annex 1 for map and Annex 2 for compartment descriptions. Nearby Green space Coleman’s Kitchen Wood, Great Chart field, Singleton Lake (part of Ashford (within 5km) Green corridor LNR), Ashford Warren LNR (Kent Wildlife Trust), Hothfield Common LNR, SSSI (KWT), Cuckoo Woods, Great Chart Field and Willesborough Dykes. Figure 1. Site location map Figure 2. Site map showing area names and paths, with footpaths in red. Site principles Enhance the site for wildlife and allow natural processes to direct management. Give due regard to wildlife on site. Encourage responsible public use of woodlands. Monitor site, record changes and evaluate management regularly. Work collaboratively and support like-minded groups. Encourage volunteering and education on site and empower volunteers. Site description summary Ashford Community woodland was originally set aside by Ashford Borough Council to celebrate the Millennium. ACW lies south west of Ashford in the Singleton area next to new housing estates and agricultural fields. The amenity site consists of semi natural broadleaf woodland planted as shelterbelt in 1985, new woodland planting in 2000-2004, planted and naturally established mixed scrub, and lowland meadow areas. The site was designed with input from local residents and broad areas were all named by local people. The site is designed to be managed primarily for wildlife and for use by the general public. The site is mainly flat with slight slopes away from the high point Butterfly Meadow. As the highest point in south Ashford at 70 metres the site provides excellent views over Ashford, with the Wye Crown and Kent Downs visible on a clear day. The site is situated next to an official traveller site. The site is accessible for visitors via informal and formal footpaths, which are surfaced to be accessible to all users. The gates on site are all RADAR accessible for wheelchair users. On site there is also informal seating, dog bins, interpretation boards and sculptures. There is a secured car park which can be used when needed for events and task days. The nearby environment centre also has a car park with 35 spaces, a licensed café and bar, toilets and three meeting rooms/classrooms. Ashford TCV