Lower Severn Avon Vales
As a low-lying area that is entirely in the flood zone and largely drained by rhynes (ditches), the Lower Severn Avon Vales provides a good opportunity to expand and enhance wetland habitat. Conservation and restoration of traditional orchards, and more extensive grazing to restore species-rich grassland or mosaic habitats are also relevant priorities for this area.
Given the international importance of the adjacent Severn Estuary for wading birds and wildfowl, creating additional high tide roost sites for wading birds and wildfowl close to the coast is another relevant priority. Potential sites include a settlement lagoon at Oldbury Magnox and expansion of Littleton Brick Pits. Managing and reducing human disturbance to wading birds and wildfowl near the coast is also important.
On farmed land that is drained by ditches, best management of rhynes for wildlife, less intensive grazing, reversion of maize farming to grazing, and creation of wet areas in fields would all contribute towards nature recovery here.
Easing the existing barriers to fish passage in the ditch and rhyne network is also a priority here to help the critically endangered European eel, as well as other fish species.
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.
More rivers and streams have natural courses and profiles, enable free passage of fish, and have more diverse in-river habitat, including spawning habitat in headwater streams.
| Measures | Most relevant to | Land type | Indicative level of land-use impact for nature |
| Modification (or, where feasible, removal) of barriers in rhynes and ditches to allow passage for eels and other fish* | Farmers and landowners | River | N/A |
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 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 |
| 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 |
| Where raising water levels is feasible, create wetland habitat with appropriate management in place to create and maintain a diverse structure* | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Landscape recovery |
| Create wet areas and wetland scrapes in grazed fields to benefit wading birds such as lapwing* | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Environmental Stewardship |
| Create areas of wet grassland / wet meadows for wading birds and wildfowl* | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Environmental Stewardship |
| Create and manage species-rich grassland with raised water levels* | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Landscape recovery |
| Manage existing wetland habitats to maintain/improve their value to wildlife. Management techniques will depend on the type of wetland habitat present | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Landscape recovery |
| Ensure the best management of rhynes/ditches for wildlife* | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Environmental Stewardship |
The role of rivers and streams as ecological corridors through the landscape is enhanced, with diverse riparian habitat that benefits a range of species, stabilises banks, captures nutrients, regulates water temperature and provides vital shade during warm weather.
| Measures | Most relevant to | Land type | Indicative level of land-use impact for nature |
| Continue or restore willow pollarding alongside rivers, rhynes and ditches* | Farmers and landowners | River | Environmental stewardship |
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 |
| Buffer rhynes/ditches to reduce run off of pollution into them and to provide additional habitat* | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Sustainable farming |
| Use constructed wetlands to settle out pollution from the M5 and junctions before it enters watercourses* | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Environmental Stewardship |
| 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 |
| Ensure good management of existing intertidal saltmarsh habitat through appropriate grazing regimes. | Farmers and landowners | Saltmarsh | Landscape recovery |
| Restoration and creation of intertidal saltmarsh habitat and mudflats, using techniques such as managed realignment or regulated tidal exchange where appropriate | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | Landscape recovery |
| Create additional high-tide roosts close to the coast, to provide places above mean high tide levels where waterbirds can rest and recover | Farmers and landowners | Saltmarsh | Landscape recovery |
| Minimise recreational disturbance to wildlife on the Estuary from people using the coast path | Local government | N/A | N/A |
| Measures | Most relevant to | Land type | Indicative level of land-use impact for nature |
| Humanely manage the impact of populations of the non-native muntjac deer, whose grazing can have severe negative impacts on woodland ecology, at the landscape level | Farmers and landowners | Countryside | 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 |
| Measures | Most relevant to | Land type | Indicative level of land-use impact for nature |
| Control populations of American mink to protect native species, including water vole | Farmers and landowners | N/A | N/A |
| Carefully planned reintroductions of water vole | Local Government | N/A | N/A |
Relevant priority species
- Bewick's Swan
- Eel
- House Martin
- Lapwing
- Long-horned bee
- Redshank
- Swallow
- Water Vole
- White-fronted Goose