The consultation ended 22 December 2023.
Consultation proposal
In recent years Taddington Valley has been impacted by high volumes of human activity, some of the trees on-site are in decline and ground flora is limited. By creating a formal plan, the Council can identify issues and investigate ways to address climate change, protect and enhance biodiversity and improve accessibility.
A plan will also support bids for external funding to support the management of the site. The Council needs the agreement of key stakeholders and members of the public before the plan is approved by the Forestry Commission and formally adopted.
View the proposed Woodland Management Plan here.
How could a plan enhance biodiversity?
Coppicing
Blocks of previously coppiced (cutting a tree to a stump, which encourages new shoots to grow) woodland are showing decline. Coppicing these areas in rotation will regenerate the woodland which will support ground flora, enhance biodiversity and increase resilience. The early stages of a coppice cycle can support wildlife including insects, birds and mammals.
Pollarding
The trees along the central trackway will be cut back to previous growth points and allowed to regrow. This will prolong the life of these trees.
How could a plan improve accessibility?
- We aim to increase the number of seats on site through TMBC’s seat sponsorship scheme.
- An access audit will be commissioned to identify potential improvements.
How could a plan address anti-social behaviour?
By enhancing biodiversity, improving accessibility and creating more opportunities for community involvement, it is hoped that the community value of the woodland will increase and help to deter anti-social behaviour. In addition to this, timber arisings from coppicing and pollarding work could be used to formalise routes and create barriers to certain areas, including informal access points to the site and will reduce incidents such as fly tipping and the use of motorbikes on the site.
Submit your comments
The consultation ended 22 December 2023.
Next steps
Following the consultation, results will be published to the TMBC website and will be used to aid in creating a final plan for approval by the Forestry Commission and formal TMBC adoption in 2024.