Parkland & Veteran Trees: Key objectives [see actions below]

• Raise awareness of the importance of parkland and veteran trees for biodiversity as well as for heritage and their place in the landscape.
• Review extent and assess condition of parkland habitat in Barnsley including surveys for selected sites..
• Collect and analyse records of populations and assemblages of wildlife species in parkland habitat across Barnsley.
• Propose additional historic parks and former parkland remnants for Local Wildlife Site designation.
• Identify parkland sites for improved conservation and work with owners to bring into conservation management and favourable condition.
• Complete a register of all veteran and notable trees in parklands and elsewhere in Barnsley and protect through TPOs.
• Encourage owners of land with veteran and notable trees to conserve them, retaining dead wood, even if untidy.

Roles:

Landowners and managers:

• follow best practice in managing parkland
• protect and conserve veteran trees, wherever they are.

Natural England / Historic England:

• give advice and provide grants for historic parklands.

Barnsley Council as planning authority:

• sets conditions in relevant planning applications to ensure that the biodiversity value of parklands is maintained and enhanced.
• It also issues Tree Preservation Orders and designates Conservation Areas which can protect parklands.

Voluntary groups and volunteers:

• help with parkland management and conservation;
• help with information about parklands and veteran trees and provide wildlife records to the Record Centre.

What is being done?

• Veteran tree surveys  carried out at Stainborough, Wortley & Cannon Hall.
• Restoration of park landscapes carried out at Bretton Park and Stainborough Park.
• Veteran trees survey Cannon Hall 2016.
• Conservation of Cannon Hall parkland, Parks for People project BMBC 2017-21.

Proposed actions

• Public campaign to register notable and veteran trees. 2022-25
• Promotion of conservation of notable and veteran trees
• Promotion of restoration and conservation of parkland and wood-pasture. 2022-
• Analysis of records of wildlife species found in parkland and wood-pasture
• LWS designation of more parkland sites and veteran tree TPOs 2022-25

Marking progress

• No reduction in extent of parkland habitat
• Parklands and wood-pasture in positive conservation management
• Veteran or notable trees identified
• Veteran or notable trees given protected status
• Veteran or notable trees managed and conserved.

Parkland … action plan