HARTLEY WINTNEY CENTRAL COMMONS MANAGEMENT PLAN 2010 - 2021 1 Version 3 - Date: 1 November 2010 Recommended citation: Rob McGibbon and John Underhill-Day (2010). The Hartley Wintney Central Commons Management Plan. Footprint Ecology. Wareham. www.footprint-ecology.co.uk Version 4 - Date: 30.1.13 Management Plan reviewed and updated by Leigh Neville, HDC site manager for Hartley Wintney Central Commons. Version 5 - Date: 27.10.14 Management Plan reviewed and updated by Leigh Neville, HDC site manager for Hartley Wintney Central Commons. Version 6 - Date: 27.9.17 Management Plan reviewed and updated by Leigh Wallace, Senior Ranger Visitor Services Version 7 - Date: 9.12.19 Management Plan reviewed and updated by Leigh Wallace, Visitor Services Manager Version 8 - Date: 16.12.20 Management Plan reviewed and updated by Kat Gerrard HDC site manager for Hartley Wintney Central Commons Site Name Hartley Wintney Central Commons Location Fleet, North Hampshire Head of Service John Elson Departmental Manager Adam Green Site Ranger Kat Gerrard Plan prepared by Rob McGibbon and John Underhill-Day Plan updated by Kat Gerrard Plan edited by Kat Gerrard Date of draft November 2010 Date of final copy November 2010 Reviewed December 2020 Next Review Date Summer 2021 2 Content Table SECTION 1 – INTRODUCTION & SITE INFORMATION .................................................... 4 1. Site Details ............................................................................................................ 4 2. Physical Features ................................................................................................. 5 3. Biological Features ............................................................................................... 6 SECTION 2 – MANAGEMENT & SITE FEATURES ......................................................... 11 1. Site Management Policy ..................................................................................... 11 2. Healthy, Safe & Secure ....................................................................................... 12 3. The Vision – A Welcoming Place ........................................................................ 14 SECTION 3 – OBJECTIVES & PRESCRIPTIONS ........................................................... 15 1. Old Trees ............................................................................................................ 15 2. Woodland ............................................................................................................ 20 3. Other Habitats ..................................................................................................... 22 4. Invasive Plants .................................................................................................... 23 5. Access & Site Structures ..................................................................................... 24 6. Marketing & Information ...................................................................................... 27 7. Monitoring ........................................................................................................... 28 8. Hunts Common ................................................................................................... 29 9. MAPS .................................................................................................................. 31 MAP 1 – Hartley Wintney Central Commons ...................................................... 31 MAP 2 – Hartley Wintney .................................................................................... 32 MAP 3 – Public Rights of Way from Definitive Map ............................................ 33 MAP 4 – Extract of Map from Commons Register .............................................. 34 MAP 5 – Extract from Inventory of Ancient Woodlands....................................... 35 MAP 7 – Mowing regimes ................................................................................... 37 SECTION 4 – ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT .......................................................... 38 1. A Welcoming Place ............................................................................................. 38 2. Sustainability & Carbon Footprint ........................................................................ 38 SECTION 5 – PARTNERSHIP WORKING & COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT .................. 40 SECTION 6 - APPENDICES ............................................................................................. 41 APPENDIX 1: Original Consultation with local people ............................................... 41 APPENDIX 2: Regular consultation through ‘Contact’ magazine & the Web. ..... Error! Bookmark not defined. APPENDIX 3: Bylaws relating to the commons ......................................................... 43 APPENDIX 4: Notable invertebrates on Hartley Wintney Central Commons ............ 45 APPENDIX 5: Financial Summary ............................................................................. 46 APPENDIX 6: Work Programme ............................................................................... 47 APPENDIX 7: Marketing Strategy ............................................................................. 52 APPENDIX 8: Hunts Common Maintenance Schedule ............................................. 54 1.Maintenance Schedule – Lengthsman ............................................................. 54 2.Wildflower Meadow At Orchard – Lengthsman ................................................ 55 3.Seeding/Plugging Wildflowers .......................................................................... 55 4.Hedgerow Planting ........................................................................................... 55 5.Chainsaw Carved Animals & Seating ............................................................... 56 6.Additional Maintenance Works At Orchard ...................................................... 56 APPENDIX 9: Page numbers of Green Flag information for judges .......................... 57 3 SECTION 1 – INTRODUCTION & SITE INFORMATION 1. Site Details Notes Location Hartley Wintney Central Central Common, Cricketer’s Commons Green, Causeway Green, Phoenix Green and Hunts Common (See MAP 1 and 2). County Hampshire District Hart Local Planning Hart District Council Authority Parish Council Hartley Wintney Parish Council Parliamentary North East Hampshire Constituency National Grid SU 762567 Reference Total area of site 33.22 hectares Freehold 33.22 hectares Leasehold - Legal rights of Details held by HDC access Other agreements Details held by HDC Designations etc Common Land subject to a See Map 4 deed of access under the Law of Property Act 1925; Common Land Unit: CL 32 Site of Importance Site of Importance for Nature The whole area is included for Nature Conservation (SINC). and denotes that it is of county Conservation importance for its nature (SINC) conservation interest. See Map 6. Archaeology/history Restored WWII pillbox with brick shuttering. Cultural/Historic There are several heritage Conservation Plan can be features features of interest. Please see found in the Conservation Plan for share/countryside/sites/Hartley detailed management of these Wintney Central features. Commons/Green Flag/Green Heritage Award Previous plans and Hampshire Wildlife Trust 1992: Used in the preparation of this reports Ecological Reports and plan. management Proposals for ‘The David Gorsky Nature Trail’ Common and Phoenix Green Common. 4 Hampshire Wildlife Trust 1995: Used in the preparation of this Hartley Wintney Central plan. Commons and West Green Ecological Survey and Report. (ME Flatt BSc, MSc) Staffing Hart District Council’s Maintenance of some of the Countryside Services, which open spaces is managed via a includes eight permanent partnership agreement with Countryside Rangers. The Basingstoke and Dean Countryside Service is part of Borough Council to supply a the Technical Services grounds maintenance service department within the Council, and a street care service to which also includes the Visitor Hart District Council via its in- Services team, Tree Officers, a house service. The Biodiversity Officer, a Countryside Manager will Landscape Officer, Operations oversee this partnership Manager and the Countryside agreement with the head of Service Manager. Technical Services. Biodiversity Action The management proposals Plans put forward in this plan are predominantly aimed at maintaining and, where possible, increasing local biological diversity and enhancing user’s enjoyment and experience of the site. Particular focus should be given to habitats of local importance and those which are included in the Biodiversity Actions Plans for Hampshire and Hart District Council’s Biodiversity Action Plan 2. Physical Features Geology - Bagshot Formation Sands – fine to medium grained yellow-brown sands with thin silt and clay lamellae and flint pebbles below - laid down in the mid Eocene period about 40 million years ago. Geomorphology - Part of a plateau at approximately 75 metres (200 feet above sea level) between the Rivers Hart and Whitewater. Soils - Mostly poorly drained but not waterlogged acid clay/sand loams with stones. Hydrology & Hydrochemistry - All the water courses are quite minor and some lack water in dry periods. The largest drain flows from Dilly Lane across the commons in a generally northerly direction, underneath the A30, to the north of Phoenix Green at West Green Road. A few minor drains feed into this. Small ponds are found in a number of