Ref: CSFF050005
Lead: Lesley Sharpe, lesley.sharpe@live.co.uk
Group members: 19
Length of agreement: 5
Area of group (Hectares): 10,859
The Group’s collective landholding falls primarily within the Sherwood National Character Area (NCA49) and they will deliver against the following priorities:
Restoration of ancient semi-natural woodland, wood pasture and parkland, veteran trees, ~: 7 Group members holdings have these habitats and they will work to enhance and restore them. (Registered Parks and Gardens).
All of the farms have arable margins and these will be managed to both benefit water quality and to provide wildlife habitats.
There are 5 SSSI’s within the Group’s management, 4 of which are mostly unfavourable recovering status and the landowners will work towards them all being favourable status, including restoring heathland, broadleaved woodland, acid grassland and fen habitats.
Priority woodland, protected woodland, PAWS: the Group will bring unmanaged areas of woodland into active management alongside enhancing currently managed woodlands.
Management will look to increase populations of lesser spotted woodpecker, tree pipit, redstart, marsh tit, hawfinch and spotted flycatcher. Together they will be able to effectively address issues surrounding habitat quality, climate change, pest control e.g. deer/grey squirrels and address plant disease issues. Willow tit is a bespoke species for Sherwood NCA and will be targeted in woodland and scrub management.
The Group will work to increase populations of farmland birds and in particular tree sparrow, corn bunting, turtle dove, lapwing, yellow hammer, linnet and grey partridge supported by uptake of the Wild Pollinator and Farm Wildlife Package and its options.
The Group will be able to address the following water quality issues by taking a landscape-scale approach to reducing diffuse pollution from soil erosion and run-off: Maun, Meden and Poulter catchments – phosphate, sediment and nitrates.
Groundwater drinking water source near to Bilsthorpe – nitrates. Rainworth Lakes SSSI catchment – phosphates, nitrates and sediment. Clumber Park SSSI and Welbeck Great Lakes SSSI – phosphates.
