West of England Woodland Opportunity Study

Data Source:

Natural England

Assumption:

The following priority habitats were treated as constraints:

• Coastal and floodplain grazing marsh
• Coastal saltmarsh
• Coastal sand dunes
• Deciduous woodland
• Lowland calcareous grassland
• Lowland dry acid grassland
• Lowland fens
• Lowland heathland
• Lowland meadows
• Lowland raised bog
• Maritime cliff and slope
• Mudflats
• Ponds
• Purple moor grass and rush pastures
• Reedbeds
• Traditional orchard

Justification:

Priority habitats would not be suitable for woodland planting as they are identified for being the most threatened habitats and requiring conservation action. Therefore, these habitats should be maintained.

Note: The following habitats would have also been excluded but are not present within the study area. They are listed for completeness:

• Blanket bog
• Calaminarian grassland
• Coastal vegetated shingle
• Limestone pavement
• Mountain heaths and willow scrub
• Saline lagoons
• Upland calcareous grassland
• Upland flushes, fens, and swamps
• Upland hay meadow
• Upland heathland

The following habitats were not treated as constraints. This is in line with the Forestry Commission 2024 methodology as, although included within the inventory, these are classed as non-priority habitats and as such woodland planting may be appropriate on them:

• Fragmented heath (none present in study area)
• Grass moorland (none present in study area)
• Good quality semi-improved grassland

In addition, habitats classified as “No main habitat but additional habitats present” were also not treated as a constraint as they are also classed as non-priority habitats.

However, site-based assessment of potential woodland planting sites may identify these habitats and may indicate that these are in fact priority habitats and may be of importance for Natural England habitat network opportunities. As such, further assessment would be required to determine if sites with these habitats present are suitable for woodland planting.

Data Source:

Natural England

Assumption:

Land covered by the following biodiversity designations were treated as constraints:

• Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
• Ramsar
• Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
• Special Protection Area (SPA)
• National Nature Reserve

Justification:

Generally, these sites would not be suitable for woodland planting based on law/policy/guidance including:

• Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 (as amended).
• Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

These areas are designated for their existing conditions in supporting biodiversity and therefore should be protected and managed as per their site management plans.

Woodland planting on or in proximity to land covered by these designations may be inappropriate, unless identified as part of the site management plans or would be dependent on the circumstances in individual sites.

Individual site assessment is beyond the scope of this study.

Note: RSPB reserves are considered a constraint, however there are none present within the study area.

Data Source:

Natural England

South Gloucestershire Council

North Somerset Council

Assumption:

Land covered by the following biodiversity designations were treated as constraints:

• Local Nature Reserves
• Sites of Nature Conservation Interest
• Local Wildlife Sites

Justification:

Generally, these sites would not be suitable for woodland planting based on law/policy/guidance including:

• National Planning Policy Framework.
• Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006.

These areas are designated for their existing conditions in supporting biodiversity and therefore should be protected and managed as per their site management plans.

Woodland planting on or in proximity to them may be inappropriate, unless identified as part of the site management plans. This would require individual site assessment beyond the scope of this study.

Data Source:

Natural England

National Forest Inventory (NFI) 2021

Assumption:

Existing woodland was treated as a constraint, including:

• ancient woodland; and

the following NFI categories:

• Assumed woodland
• Broadleaved
• Conifer
• Ground prep
• Low density
• Mixed mainly broadleaved
• Mixed mainly conifer
• Young trees

Justification:

Existing woodland was excluded to avoid identifying opportunities for woodland creation where woodland already exists.

Note: The following woodland types would have also been excluded but are not present within the study area. They are listed for completeness:

• Coppice
• Coppice with standards

The following NFI categories were not treated as constraints as tree planting may be suitable in these locations:

• Agriculture land (none present in study area)
• Bare area
• Cloud/shadow (none present in study area)
• Failed (none present in study area)
• Felled
• Grassland
• Other vegetation (none present in study area)
• Shrub
• Uncertain (none present in study area)
• Windblow (none present in study area)

In addition, the following categories within the NFI were not excluded as the inventory does not include all non-woodland land covers, only those open areas greater than 0.5 hectares that are completely surrounded by woodland, and as such this is not a complete dataset for non-woodland land covers and would be inappropriate to use. Moreover, where data was available these were considered using other more detailed datasets:

• Open water
• Power line (none present in study area)
• Quarry (none present in study area)
• River (none present in study area)
• Road (none present in study area)
• Urban
• Wind farm (none present in study area)