Forestry Commission Consultation Hub

For feedback on our proposed management plan for Giggle Alley Woodland, and the associated aspirations of management for the Japanese Garden. 

Appreciated the chance to engage, and raised issues regarding the Japanese Garden level of investment required, and appropriate utilisation of the volunteering potential in the wider community

We will be attending the Parish Council meeting on the 11th March, and will be looking to fund the Japanese Garden restoration as a standalone project if appropriate.

Through external consultation for Speech House Walk and Ruardean Walk Forest Plan, we invited external stakeholders and the General public to give feedback on the plan, to ensure consideration given to objectives and proposals within the Forest Plan achieve an appropriate balance.

With posters displayed in the woods, in local libraries and displayed on social media, the consultation ran between 1^st November 2024 and closed on 12^th December 2024.  In addition, emails were sent directly to known stakeholder organisations and individuals who we felt have an interest in how the forest is managed.

In total this mix of approaches achieved 18 responses.

Responses

Out of 18 responses 72% were from private individuals, 15 of which were resident and 3 were visiting: with 39% of you saying that you had previous experience with our consultation process.  It was great to see that 72% of you said that as a result of this consultation your understanding of Forest Plans had increased, and where this is not the case some people suggested holding some form of drop in session at Beechenhurst.

Balance

Out of the 18 responses, 50% agreed the Forest plan achieves an appropriate balance of environmental, social and economic objectives for the woodland, but 33% disagreed and 17% declined to say. In the analysis of balance for objectives you firmly agreed the Forest Plan placed Nature and Ecology first with Social and Economic objectives, being difficult to split, a close second.

Examples

• An excellent plan, incredibly well detailed and links those ideas to the goals very well, believe they are achievable.
• First to establish that my priority is to value what we already have and appreciate it for what it is. I do not presume upon myself the self confidence to tell anyone how it could all be made better. It seems that some part of plans seem to do exactly that. The other common theme no matter the question, the felling of trees always seems to be the answer. The idea that the view in a forest can be improved by cutting down trees is perverse.
• A brilliant plan and document and look forward to seeing how this is put into action over the coming years! I feel we live in a wildlife-rich forest compared to the surrounding countryside and this plan is going to further enhance and support nature by ensuring better connectivity and landscape-scale restoration and conservation.

Trees and nature

Two thirds felt it very important to ensure the right tree is planted in the right place for the right reason, with 66% of you saying the Forest Plan did this successfully, 27% adequately successfully and only 5% felt the plan unsuccessful.

94% felt that establishing a varied network of habitats for nature conservation was either very important or important, with 72% of you saying the Forest plan did this successfully, 22% adequately successfully and only 5% felt the plan unsuccessful.

But, 100% of you felt it very important or important to reduce the spread and impact of pests and diseases around and on the Forest.

Examples

• An excellent plan, incredibly well detailed and links those ideas to the goals very well, believe they are achievable.
• Fire, risk and prevention appears to feature at the end of the document, given the acceleration of climate change with extended heatwaves, this subject needs far greater attention.
• I think a variety of trees are needed for the forest. I understand that the forest is a working woodland but it would be much appreciated if the contractors didn’t leave such a mess.

Water

86% of you viewed slowing the flow of water out of the forest and improving water quality as very important or important, with 6% saying this objective was insignificant and a further 6% didn’t answer.

71% of you said the Forest Plan did this successfully, 16% adequately successfully and 11% said the plan was unsuccessful.

Examples

• The main issue with focusing on individual habitat types is it becomes too prescriptive and we lose sight that the forest is at its most effective for nature when it delivers 'mosaic' habitat.

Heritage

For Cultural Heritage, 94% felt it important that this should be respected, with 6% saying insignificant.  Built heritage and archaeology was pretty similar at 88% and 6% respectively with 6% not answering.

65% of you said the Forest Plan was Successful, 16% adequately so with 16% saying unsuccessful.

Access

In terms of identifying, maintaining and enhancing community access 83% of you felt this as being important or very important with 11% saying insignificant and 6% not answering. Enhancing the recreation offer fielded a much more varied response 33% saying this was important, 22% said very important. 33% said this was insignificant and 6% saying very insignificant.  No answer received from 6%.

Examples

• I believe there is enough recreational and access already, the whole reason visitors come is to see the natural environment, not a "visitor attraction".
• If the plan offers a solution to improve peoples experience of being in a forest by cutting large tracts of it down - its missing the point of what a forest is - Cutting trees along the cycle track to improve the view - people like being in a forest, can I strongly suggest they do not want you to cut it down.
• It should be possible for us to walk for our health. Tourists get catered for but not the residents!
• It is currently accessible for all so why change it?

Consultation awareness

Almost 40% of you said you found out about the survey through social media, 44% through an email from Forestry England, word of mouth was 11% with seeing and reading a poster in the woods at 5%

Where people expressed a concern over operational matters e.g. how work has been carried out, how sites have been left, access for recreational purposes compromised in some way, concerns raised over disabled and carer access or damage to the forest by boar, then these concerns and messages have been passed onto the Operational Beat Team, Recreation Team or Wildlife Team to be looked into.

The planting of minor species has been promoted and advocated for and this includes the adoption of Natural Regeneration where appropriate. Underplanting or Beating-up (replacing dead or missing trees on a restock area) with alternative species is being promoted as a means to diversify species composition, protect against the threat of pests and disease and ensure the Forest is resilient in face of a changing climate.

Programs of work within the plan have been discussed with appropriate staff to ensure that they are achievable and resources planned.

We know some areas are being significantly effected by statutory fellings, so prescriptions have been evaluated, reducing the amount of routine clear felling, either by increasing the amount of Continuous Cover or moving the felling dates into the future, allowing sites to develop further and be monitored.

The external consultation for the West Woods & Collingbourne Forest Plan was open for five weeks between late August and early October 2024. Posters were displayed within both woodlands, directing people to an online survey. In addition, emails were sent directly to known stakeholder organisations and individuals who we felt have an interest in how the forest is managed.

We had 44 responses to our online consultation survey for the West Woods & Collingbourne Forest Plan, and respondents were a combination of NGOs, neighbours, parish councils, community groups and forest users/members of the public.

When asked to score a range of interests in terms of their importance, the highest rated interests were “biodiversity & woodland ecology”, “communities & people”, “climate change”, “forest protection” and “recreation and access”, with the majority of respondents saying these interests were “very important” to them.

In answer to the question “How well does the Forest Plan address your needs and interests, or those of your organisation?”, 64% of respondents said “very well” or “well”, and 27% said “OK”. 7% of respondents felt that the Forest Plan addressed their needs and interests “poorly”, and 2% didn’t answer the question.

There were plenty of positive comments about the Forest Plan, which are appreciated and very rewarding to receive:

“Very interesting to see a plan of the different trees and a long-term strategy to manage the woods effectively - thank you.”

“I am excited about your thinning interventions to encourage natural regeneration.”

“This is an excellent document and I feel confident our woods are in good hands.”

“I fully endorse the plans to restore West Woods and Collingbourne Woods to Ancient Woodland.”

“Good recognition of biodiversity and heritage features.”

“Very much welcome other aspects of the plan to diversify natural woodland and support wildlife and biodiversity, and support better management of heritage features.”

• A number of respondents expressed strong concern over the illegal use of motorbikes and off-road vehicles within the woods:

e.g. “I would ask that there is more policing of the woods by Forestry Commission staff to stop motorbikes entering. It is becoming a daily intrusion and is not only noisy but threatens walkers/dog walkers/wildlife. Signs alone have not worked.”

Forestry England’s response: We take illegal activity very seriously, and encourage residents to report all incidents to the police and to Forestry England with as much information as possible. The local Forestry England team looks after 3500 hectares of woodland and isn’t resourced to police the forests against incursions. But we record all incident reports in order to understand recurring patterns of behaviour. Maintaining access for legitimate forest users whilst preventing abuse by motorised vehicles is an ongoing challenge.

• Two respondents felt that deer numbers have increased in the woods, and asked about our approach to deer management:

e.g. “There appears to be an increasing number of deer in West Woods which stray regularly beyond the woods into local residents’ gardens. Does Forestry England have a plan for controlling deer populations?”

Forestry England’s response: Active deer management is carried out in West Woods via a Deer Control Licence managed by Forestry England. Deer live wild and pass freely through the landscape wherever they want, not adhering to land boundaries. They aren’t confined to one particular habitat, and the number occupying a particular woodland at any given time is unlikely to remain consistent.

• Several respondents had concerns for the bluebells and wild daffodils present in the woods, expressing fear over a potential reduction in these wildflowers as a result of our planned forestry activities:

e.g. “Bluebell density must be conserved throughout all of West Woods, not just the protected area near the eastern car park.”

Forestry England’s response: Wild flowers, in particular bluebells, are a significant ecological feature of these woodlands and also a greatly loved feature  for visitors. Proposals within the new Forest Plan have been carefully considered to balance the need to diversify the woodland structure, and to preserve the bluebells. While the area on the eastern side of West Woods near to the Clatford car park has been identified as an area of particular bluebell abundance, this does not mean that bluebells elsewhere in the woodlands will be disregarded when felling operations are planned. Whilst preserving ecological features is a high priority, it is important to maintain a holistic view of the woodlands. If we do not carry out felling in an attempt to protect wildflowers, these woodlands would continue to have a very uniform canopy, with very little diversity – including woodland flora - and a lack of resilience and provision for healthy trees in the future.

• Several respondents expressed concern over our intention to investigate the potential for a grazing scheme to be put in place at Hursley Bottom in West Woods, for the purpose of habitat enhancement:

e.g. “I would be concerned about grazing, especially if it involved cattle, and think that it needs very clear information for walkers, so that they can avoid areas where cattle are grazing.”

Forestry England’s response: At this stage, the idea of introducing a conservation grazing scheme at Hursley Bottom is in the early stages of development and is only one of several possibilities being considered to manage this area effectively for wildlife benefit. If grazing was to be progressed, maintaining public access throughout the grazed area would be a key objective. Any proposals would be thoroughly assessed and discussed within Forestry England, and we would seek advice from other organisations who are successfully managing conservation grazing initiatives in publicly used areas.

• A small number of respondents didn’t agree with our proposals to embrace natural regeneration as a method of restocking areas following felling:

e.g. “The reliance on natural regeneration ensures that saplings of today will not yield any timber in the future.”

Forestry England’s response: Following any group felling or clearfelling operations, no immediate planting will take place, and instead we will monitor the abundance and species of natural regeneration, reviewing at 5 years post felling and 10 years post felling against stocking densities required by the UK Woodland Assurance Standard. At this point, if little regeneration has occurred, or it is of undesirable species or lacking in species diversity, then supplementary planting will be considered. Any planting will be carefully planned to achieve a desired species mix that is suited to expected future climatic conditions. There are many advantages to embracing natural regeneration. The resulting trees are likely to be very well adapted to local site conditions, including soil type, and are likely to be hardier to local climatic conditions and stressors. The process of natural regeneration allows for natural selection of the best adapted trees to occur. The species mixes and habitats created by regeneration are often more natural, and better able to support wildlife communities within the woodland. It is also beneficial to avoid needing to import saplings from abroad to plant, to reduce the risk of introducing pests and diseases to our woodlands.

• Some respondents thought that increasing visitor facilities at the woods would be beneficial, however others want infrastructure to remain minimal, to maintain the quiet feel of the woods:

e.g. “Picnic areas would be welcomed, as well as a toilet, as similar to Savernake woods.”

Forestry England’s response: While Forestry England is committed to removing barriers and widening access to the nation’s forests, visitor facilities must be appropriate to the woodland and we need the resources to manage them. At the current time, there are no plans to develop further visitor facilities at either West Woods or Collingbourne Wood. These largely ancient woodlands are valued for their tranquillity and naturalness, and we are keen to maintain the relaxed simplicity which visitors seek.

A full consultation record covering all of the topics that were frequently raised in the online survey will be available to view in the finalised Forest Plan once it has been published on our website.