Mixed Deciduous Woodland: Key objectives

• Raise awareness of importance of woodland habitat for biodiversity.
• Review the extent and condition of woodland habitat.
• Analyse records of populations and assemblages of woodland species.
• Identify additional woodland sites of high conservation value and propose designation as Local Wildlife Sites.
• Bring Ancient Woodland and other sites into conservation management and favourable condition, including replacing conifers with native trees.
• Undertake woodland planting where other priority habitat would not be lost and as a contribution to nature recovery networks,

Roles:

Land owners and managers:

• follow best practice in managing woodlands for wildlife
• take up opportunities to restore planted on to semi-natural ancient woodland
• create woodlands in absence of other priority habitats.

Natural England: administers stewardship funding schemes for woodland creation or improvement, tree health, or preparing woodland management plan.

Forestry Commission

• licenses felling and approves woodland management plans
• provides guidelines and sets conditions to protect biodiversity.

Woodland Trust: offers advice and offers trees for planting.

Barnsley Council as planning authority:

• sets conditions in planning applications to ensure that the biodiversity value of woodlands are maintained and enhanced
• issues Tree Preservation Orders.

Voluntary groups and volunteers:

• woodland management and planting
• collect information about condition of woodlands and provide records of wildlife.

What has been done

• 10 ha woodland planted at Barnsley Main & New Park Springs. BMBC, VAB, 2013-15
• Hugset Wood: Replanting of PAWS with native oak and birch. 2014 Owner
• West Haigh Wood: rhododendron control, thinning and glade creation with horse logger. BMBC
• Potter Holes Plantation: thinning, bramble control. BMBC, Friends group.
• Cliffe Wood: thinning of non-native trees. Japanese knotweed control. BMBC
• Vicar, Royd, Great Coates woods: woodland management grant. Owner
• Woodland engagement project with management plans for West Haigh, Wombwell, Potters Hole and Broad Ings woods. DVLP 2015-19

Marking progress:

• No reduction in the extent of ancient woodland
• Planted-on ancient woodland restored to semi-natural ancient woodland
• Semi-natural broadleaved woodland created
• Corridors between woodland sites established
• Deciduous woodland sites in positive conservation management, and in or moving towards favourable condition

Proposed actions

• Maintain inventories of
• woodland sites of high value.
• potential woodland planting sites
• Tree and woodland planting, including 10000 trees project.
• Project to identify/celebrate woods with abundant spring flowers. 2022-25
• Carry out woodland conservation in line with management plans
• Further woodland sites proposed for LWS designation. 2022-25.
• Additional woodland LWS in positive conservation management 2022-30.

Deciduous Woodland Action Plan