Leicester Leicestershire and Rutland Landscape and Woodland Strategy If you require further copies or larger print copies or have any other enquiries regarding this document please contact : Director of Planning and Transportation Leicestershire County Council County Hall Glenfield LEICESTERSHIRE LE3 8RJ Tel : 0116 265 7067 Fax : 0116 265 7965 Minicom : 0116 265 7334 e-mail : [email protected] Published by Leicestershire County Council County Hall, Glenfield, Leicestershire LE3 8RJ All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be repro- duced, stored in a retrieval system, or be transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, record- ing or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. ISBN 0 85022 4357 © Leicestershire County Council 2001 Designed by Edward Moody Design, Leicester. Printed by deVoyle, Rutland. Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Landscape and Woodland Strategy Contents 1. Introduction and Executive Summary . .1 2. Policy Background . .2 2.01 Introduction . .3 2.02 Structure and Local Plans . .3 2.03 Leicestershire County Council Strategies . .4 2.03.01 Sustainability Appraisal Scheme . .4 2.03.02 Countryside 2000 . .4 2.03.03 Nature Conservation Strategy . .4 2.03.04 Rural Strategy . .4 2.03.05 Tourism Strategy . .5 2.04 Local Agenda 21 . .5 2.05 Leicester Riverside Strategy . .5 2.06 Regional CharacterAreas and Natural Areas . .6 2.07 The UK Forestry Standard . .6 2.08 England Forestry Strategy . .9 2.09 Leicester,Leicestershire and Rutland BiodiversityAction Plan . .9 2.10 National Forest Strategy and BiodiversityAction Plan . .9 2.11 Local EnvironmentAgency Plans (LEAPs) . .10 3. The Leicestershire and Rutland Landscape 3.01 Introduction . .11 3.02 Geology . .11 3.03 Landform and drainage . .13 3.04 Climate . .15 3.05 Soils and land use . .16 3.06 Landscape development . .17 3.07 Landscape change . .20 3.07.01 Agricultural land use . .20 3.07.02 Woodlands and hedges . .21 3.07.03 Urban growth and countryside around towns . .22 3.07.04 Other factors . .22 4. Leicestershire and Rutland Woodlands 4.01 Introduction . .23 4.02 Soils for forestry and woodland . .24 4.03 The Leicestershire and Rutland woodland resource . .25 4.03.01 Ancient woodlands . .26 4.03.02 Distribution of forest types and principal species . .26 4.03.03 Native woodland types . .28 4.03.04 Ownership of woodlands . .29 4.03.05 Small woodlands . .29 4.03.06 Non-woodland trees . .30 4.04 Woodland management and new planting . .31 4.04.01 Management of existing woodlands . .31 4.04.02 New woodland planting . .32 4.04.03 Timber production . .33 5. Leicester,Leicestershire and Rutland Landscape CharacterAreas 5.01 Introduction . .35 5.02 TrentValley . .38 5.03 Langley Lowlands . .40 5.04 Soar Valley . .42 5.05 The Coalfield . .44 5.06 Charnwood Forest . .46 5.07 Mease/Sence Lowlands . .48 5.08 Upper Soar . .50 5.09 Lutterworth Lowlands . .52 5.10 Laughton Hills . .54 5.11 High Leicestershire . .56 5.12 Welland Valley . .58 5.13 Wreake Valley . .60 5.14 The Wolds . .62 5.15 Belvoir Scarp . .64 5.16 Vale of Belvoir . .66 5.17 Knipton Bowl . ..