Avon Rolling Valley Farmland
As the majority of this area is Grade 2 Agricultural Land and much of it is in arable production, the relevant priorities here focus on increasing the sustainability and nature-friendliness of farming while maintaining food production. The proximity to the wooded plateau and ridges to the south mean that increasing tree cover, including best hedgerow management and hedgerow creation, would be particularly beneficial, as would good management of existing woodland.
Priorities for nature recovery
Delivering the priorities for nature recovery is particularly important in the mapped Focus Areas for Nature Recovery. ‘Landscape recovery’ measures, which will have the biggest impact on nature recovery, are particularly relevant in these Focus Areas.
| Measures | Most relevant to | Land type | Indicative level of land-use impact for nature |
| Restore and establish traditional orchards, including community orchards, with a focus on maintaining locally distinctive varieties | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Landscape recovery |
| Protect existing traditional orchards and continue to manage them well for wildlife | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Landscape recovery |
There is more woodland that is managed and in good ecological condition, including minimising the impact of ash dieback and reducing grazing pressure on sensitive woodlands from deer.
| Measures | Most relevant to | Land type | Indicative level of land-use impact for nature |
| Improve the management of existing areas of woodland for wildlife, following the principles set out in the Forest of Avon Plan | Farmers and landowners | Woodland | Landscape recovery |
| Reintroduce coppicing as a form of woodland management that benefits wildlife while potentially providing woodland products such as fuel | Farmers and landowners | Woodland | Landscape recovery |
| Open up rides and glades in existing woodland to develop ecotones and scrubby areas that better support a wider range of wildlife. Where appropriate, use new open woodland areas caused by ash dieback to create new wood pastures or glades | Farmers and landowners | Woodland | Landscape recovery |
| Consider introducing grazing animals in larger woodlands to create a more dynamic ecology and enable habitat succession. | Farmers & landowners | Woodland | Landscape recovery |
| Take measures to reduce deer grazing in woodlands, such as putting up deer fencing, to reduce their negative impact on woodland ecology due to overgrazing. | Farmers & landowners | Woodland | Environmental stewardship |
| Leave deadwood in situ to provide habitat for a variety of species including fungi, lichens, invertebrates, mosses, bats and birds. | Farmers & landowners | Woodland | Environmental stewardship |
| Periodically thin ‘high forest’ type woodlands (tall trees with little shrub layer) to maintain structural diversity and a varied age structure where appropriate | Farmers & landowners | Woodland | Environmental stewardship |
| Avoid placing game bird pens in woodlands with a high botanical value | Farmers & landowners | Woodland | N/A |
| Ensure public access to and recreational activities within woodlands minimises impacts on woodland ecology, including clearly marked paths. | Farmers & landowners | Woodland | N/A |
| Only fell trees affected by ash dieback when there is a material safety risk, a clear future safety risk, or as part of normal silvicultural operations, and leave deadwood in place where possible for the benefit of wildlife | Farmers & landowners | Woodland | Environmental stewardship |
| Where there is a diverse mix of tree species present, allow natural regeneration to replace trees lost through ash dieback. Where natural regeneration is not possible, replace trees lost through ash dieback with a suitable mix of native broadleaved species | Farmers & landowners | Woodland | Environmental stewardship |
| Adopt ecologically sound forestry practices in woodlands used for timber production. This can include continuous cover management regimes that attempt to mimic natural processes, and integration of areas and corridors of native broadleaved woodland in coniferous forests | Farmers & landowners | Woodland | Environmental stewardship |
| Include fire and fuel breaks and/or fire belts in woodland to reduce the risk of wildfires, and ensure woodlands are resilient to climate change in the future | Farmers & landowners | Woodland | N/A |
The extent and quality of our hedgerow network for wildlife is improved, helping to connect wildlife-rich sites.
| Measures | Most relevant to | Land type | Indicative level of land-use impact for nature |
| Manage hedgerows in a thick and tall condition for wildlife, following best practice set out by Hedgelink and only cutting every three years on rotation | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Environmental stewardship |
| Create/restore hedgerows where they have previously existed, or where they would fit in with the existing field system | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Environmental stewardship |
| Measures | Most relevant to | Land type | Indicative level of land-use impact for nature |
| Plant field trees within hedgerows where they are not already present | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Environmental stewardship |
| Protect existing trees within the farmed landscape, particularly veteran and ancient trees, and consider fencing off ancient and veteran trees to enable new trees to grow | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Environmental stewardship |
| Create shelterbelts (windbreaks) made up of trees to protect livestock and crops from inclement weather | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Environmental stewardship |
| Incorporate trees in grazing systems (silvopasture). This could include trees that can produce a fruit or nut crop alongside continued livestock grazing | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Environmental stewardship |
| Establish agroforestry systems alongside crop production (silvoarable systems) | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Environmental stewardship |
The farmed landscape is more hospitable and permeable to wildlife, especially to pollinators and to farmland birds that have suffered historic declines.
| Measures | Most relevant to | Land type | Indicative level of land-use impact for nature |
| Provide graded margins up to a thick hedgerow to create nesting sites for farmland birds such as linnets and yellowhammers | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Environmental stewardship |
| Establish beetle banks and other areas for natural predators within arable farming | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Sustainable farming |
| Establish flower-rich grass margins, blocks, or in-field strips | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Sustainable farming |
| Incorporate nectar strips and/or herb-rich arable leys into arable rotations | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Sustainable farming |
| Sow a wild bird seed mixture to provide a seed-rich winter cover crop, and/or leave unsprayed and unharvested arable headlands to provide food for farmland birds | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Sustainable farming |
| Leave overwinter stubble on cropped fields, and sow spring-sown crops to provide food for farmland birds | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Sustainable farming |
| Leave areas unsprayed in arable fields to support arable wildflowers, particularly in areas where important species are present | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Sustainable farming |
| Create skylark plots (unsown squares) in arable fields | Farmers & landowners | Countryside | Sustainable farming |
| Create/restore and properly manage farmland ponds for wildlife, including great-crested newt | Farmers & landowners | Countryside | Environmental stewardship |
| Protect existing swallow and house martin nesting sites, and provide artificial nesting sites where there is a lack of potential nesting sites | Farmers & landowners | Countryside; Gardens and other outdoor space and larger spaces; Development and regeneration; Gardens and other outdoor space | N/A |
There is more sustainable and regenerative agriculture that minimises the use of potentially harmful inputs including pesticides and artificial fertilisers, and regenerates the health and carbon stock of soils.
| Measures | Most relevant to | Land type | Indicative level of land-use impact for nature |
| Use sustainable soil management techniques, including undersowing of crops, reduced or no tillage, reducing compaction etc. | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Sustainable Farming |
| Establish a multi-species winter cover crop to protect soil from erosion and compaction, and improve soil biology | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Sustainable Farming |
| Reduce the use of pesticides through integrated pest management, including use of companion crops; and leave areas unsprayed to support arable wildflowers | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Sustainable Farming |
| Use precision farming techniques to reduce the use of pesticides | Farmers and landowners Communities |
Countryside | Sustainable Farming |
| Reduce or eliminate the application of fertiliser or manure on grassland, including through the use of precision farming techniques | Farmers and landowners Local Government |
Countryside | Sustainable Farming |
| Provide a more species-rich herbal ley for grazing livestock in place of an intensive perennial rye grass sward | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Sustainable Farming |
| Reduce the use of antibiotics and worming products in livestock, to improve the value of their dung to wildlife | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Sustainable Farming |
Relevant priority species
- House Martin
- Swallow