Upper Chew and Yeo Valleys
The strategic priority for nature here is to increase the ecological connectivity of the landscape for a wide range of species, including pollinators. This would contribute towards the wider of ambition of better connecting the Mendip Hills and Cotswolds for wildlife.
The parts of the area mapped as focus areas for nature recovery provide an indication of where action would be particularly useful in contributing towards this priority, which include the steep slopes north and northeast of Blagdon Lake, between the two lakes, and surrounding Folly Farm nature reserve, which is a local stronghold for wildlife.
To the southeast of Chew Valley Lake, there is a distinctive landscape of oak trees, hedgerows, and mixed farming, which is a priority for further enhancement for nature while maintaining its landscape character.
The Chew Valley Lake itself is a priority habitat for its value to wildfowl, in particular, and creation of new wetland habitat on unproductive farmland bordering the lake would increase its value to nature. It is also important to ensure that increased recreational access to the perimeter of Chew Valley Lake has minimal impact on wildlife.
The installation of elver and fish passes to improve access to the upper reaches of the Chew to migratory fish would help to open up the upper parts of the Chew catchment to the critically-endangered eel and other fish.
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.
There is a greater amount of land where extensive grazing creates diverse, dynamic and shifting habitat mosaic, including successional habitats and scrub.
| Measures | Most relevant to | Land type | Indicative level of land-use impact for nature |
| On areas that are currently biodiversity-poor, use a mix of free-roaming herbivores with different grazing habits to create a dynamic and shifting mosaic of habitats. Ideally, this should be done in a large enough area for natural processes to create habitat variety. | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Landscape recovery |
| Reduce the intensity of existing cattle grazing to improve biodiversity and create dynamic grassland mosaics; this could include introducing more hardy, native breeds of cattle, and introducing ponies alongside them. | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Landscape recovery |
| Manage areas of scrub that are in good condition to avoid them losing their scrub or thicket-like characteristics by, for example, coppicing on a suitable rotation and using appropriate grazing regimes. | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Landscape recovery |
There are more and better-connected species-rich lowland calcareous grasslands on limestone soils that support specialist pollinator and insect populations, including the small blue, marsh fritillary, chalkhill blue and grayling butterflies.
| Measures | Most relevant to | Land type | Indicative level of land-use impact for nature |
| Restore species-rich calcareous grassland on infertile soils and/or adjacent to existing species-rich grasslands. | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Landscape recovery |
| Convert improved grassland or enhance ‘semi-improved’ grassland to species-rich calcareous grassland with greater species diversity. | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Landscape recovery |
| Arable reversion to species-rich calcareous grassland where land is unproductive or arable farming is financially unviable. | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Landscape recovery |
There are more and better-connected species-rich neutral grasslands, including traditional hay meadows, that help support resilient, diverse pollinator and insect populations.
| Measures | Most relevant to | Land type | Indicative level of land-use impact for nature |
| Restore species-rich neutral grassland on infertile soils and/or adjacent to existing species-rich grasslands. | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Landscape recovery |
| Convert improved grassland or enhance ‘semi-improved’ grassland to species-rich neutral grassland with greater species diversity. | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Landscape recovery |
| Arable reversion to species-rich neutral grassland where land is unproductive or arable farming is financially unviable. | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Landscape recovery |
| Restore species-rich lowland meadows with appropriate ongoing management. | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Environmental Stewardship |
| Measures | Most relevant to | Land type | Indicative level of land-use impact for nature |
| Create semi-natural broadleaved woodland, following the principles set out in the Forest of Avon Plan and ensure the woodland has a suitable management plan in place. Where possible (i.e. next to or close to existing woodland), allow woodland to naturally generate rather than planting trees. | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Landscape recovery |
| Restore plantations on ancient woodland sites (PAWS) to native woodland. | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Landscape recovery |
| Create or restore wood pasture and parkland, which incorporate extensive grazing alongside trees. | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Landscape recovery |
| Allow natural regeneration of scrub and woodland close to existing semi-natural woodlands, which provides important ‘edge habitat’. | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Environmental stewardship |
| 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 |
| Measures | Most relevant to | Land type | Indicative level of land-use impact for nature |
| Manage existing wood pasture and parkland to maximise their value to wildlife and ensure continued survival of mature and veteran trees | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Landscape recovery |
| Carry out specialist tree surgery as needed to extend the lives of veteran and ancient trees | 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 |
Existing species-rich grasslands and meadows, including lowland calcareous grasslands, are protected and well-managed.
| Measures | Most relevant to | Land type | Indicative level of land-use impact for nature |
| Keep or put in place the appropriate extensive grazing regime for existing species-rich grasslands and lowland meadows, avoiding overgrazing or undergrazing that can lead to grassland habitat being lost | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Landscape recovery |
| Prevent scrub from encroaching on species-rich wildflower grasslands, while maintaining a minority area of scrub that is managed to create a varied age, composition and physical structure including glades and scalloped edges | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Environmental stewardship |
| Where there is an absence of scrub and successional habitat in or adjacent to grasslands, encourage a minority amount to improve structural diversity and benefit wildlife | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Environmental stewardship |
There are more waterbodies that are in good ecological status and support thriving populations of fish and other freshwater wildlife.
| Measures | Most relevant to | Land type | Indicative level of land-use impact for nature |
| Create a sediment pond or trap to provide an area where muddy run-off from fields or tracks is allowed to pond, so that sediment will settle out before entering watercourses | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Sustainable farming |
| Reduce run-off of pollutants from farmland through the use of best practice in applying fertiliser, manure and slurry | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Sustainable farming |
| Establish a buffer strip (which can contain long grasses, trees, and shrubs) of 4-12m on field boundaries or runoff channels. This can reduce nutrient and pollutant runoff into watercourses and provide habitat for wildlife | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Sustainable farming |
| Improve management of manure and slurry to reduce pollution (e.g. roofing manure storage or manure storage pads) | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Sustainable farming |
| Reduce the pollution caused by the transport network (particularly by cars through tyre and brake wear) by encouraging reduced use of private cars and more careful driving styles, encouraging manufacturers to produce tyres with less ecologically damaging components, and ensuring regular emptying of gullies. | Local Government Businesses Communities |
N/A | N/A |
| Reduce the frequency of continuous and intermittent point source pollution from sewage discharges | Businesses | N/A | N/A |
| Reduce the quantity of pollutants entering the freshwater environment from wastewater treatment works | Businesses | N/A | N/A |
| Ensure correct management of private septic tanks to reduce leakage of pollutants into the environment; and investigate and resolve drain misconnections in homes | Communities | N/A | N/A |
| Reduce demand on water supply through more efficient use of water in homes, businesses, and in farming | Businesses Communities Farmers and landowners |
N/A | N/A |
| Use constructed wetlands in wastewater treatment to reduce the amount of pollutants entering the freshwater environment, while providing wetland habitat | Businesses | N/A | N/A |
| Measures | Most relevant to | Land type | Indicative level of land-use impact for nature |
| Protect beavers from recreational disturbance and persecution, while managing conflict with other land uses where it arises | Farmers and landowners | N/A | N/A |
| Protect crops from beaver activity by using fencing that prevents beavers accessing the land to forage | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Sustainable farming |
| Make a natural space of 20 metres or more for beavers alongside the river edge, planting native species such as willow and aspen. This will reduce the likelihood of beavers foraging elsewhere on your land | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Landscape recovery |
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 |
| Measures | Most relevant to | Land type | Indicative level of land-use impact for nature |
| Add colour filters to LED streetlights to reduce their impact on insects, birds and bats. | Local Government | Gardens and other outdoor space and larger spaces; Development and regeneration; Streets; Gardens and other outdoor space | N/A |
| Minimise the use of lighting where safe to do so, including on the road network, and turning off public lighting for a time overnight. | Local Government Businesses Communities |
Gardens and other outdoor space and larger spaces; Development and regeneration; Streets; Gardens and other outdoor space | N/A |
| Use motion-sensitive lights to reduce the extent of light pollution | Local Government Businesses |
Streets | N/A |
Relevant priority species
- Adder
- Bechstein`s Bat
- Eel
- European Beaver
- Glow worm
- House Martin
- Lesser Horseshoe Bat
- Swallow