25 OCTOBER 2006 NEWS RELEASE No: 8989

OLD SUSSEX WOODS NEWLY FOUND

This is an important step forward in caring for these special places, say the partners in the project, Mid Sussex District Council, the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Unit, Natural England and the Forestry Commission.

The four organisations have been working in partnership to revise the Ancient Woodland Inventory for Mid Sussex District, a valuable tool for the local authorities and conservation bodies. In a heavily-wooded District such as Mid Sussex, the omission of so many small sites in the past was an important issue for the conservation and protection of the area’s ancient woodland. Government policy now places increasing focus on the protection of ancient woodlands and Mid Sussex District has one of the greatest concentrations of ancient woodland in the South East.

“Our work shows we now think the area of ancient woodland in Mid Sussex is actually some 5430 hectares, covering about 16% of the District,” says Sally Marsh, of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) unit, which undertook much of the work on today’s report.

Patrick McKernan, of The Forestry Commission, one of the authors of the report, says that: “Ancient woodlands are, by definition, irreplaceable, but many are not protected through designation. Local authorities have a key role to play in the protection of this unique resource through the planning process. The Forestry Commission recognises that this is a complex and potentially time-consuming task and its support for this revision of the Ancient Woodland Inventory for Mid Sussex District is part of a wider initiative to help co-ordinate similar surveys in other densely-wooded districts.”

The original Ancient Woodland Inventory for this area was compiled by the Nature Conservancy Council (the predecessor of English Nature, now Natural England) in the late 1980s. Co-ordinated by the High Weald AONB Unit, this latest survey sought to improve on the data used in the original Inventory. Study teams looked at further data sets and overlaid them to reveal the unidentified ancient woodlands. Working closely with the local authority, the work aimed to strengthen the understanding of, and protection for, ancient woodland in Mid Sussex.

“We believe that ancient semi-natural woods are irreplaceable and must be protected and managed to maintain and enhance their special character,” says Keith Kirby, national woodland specialist for Natural England. “A key nature conservation need is therefore to know where ancient woods are. This is why we worked with the other partners on this survey. Other District Councils in the South East Region are to be encouraged to follow Mid Sussex’s lead and survey the ancient woodlands in their own areas.”

Councillor Chris Hersey, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture at Mid Sussex District Council with responsibilities for the High Weald, says: “The newly discovered small ancient woodlands will now have full recognition for the special value they bring to the residents of, and visitors to, the district. There is a lot of pressure in this part of the country for new development and that’s why this information will be vital to us as we seek to ensure new development is compatible with, and complimentary to, our rich environmental heritage.”

Senior planning officer at Mid Sussex District Council, Alma Howell, adds: “This survey sought to provide a robust evidence base to help inform planning decisions in the District affecting ancient woodland. One of our main objectives is to provide a quality and sustainable environment and we think the results of this survey will help considerably towards that end.”



Notes to Editors:

1. The Survey was jointly funded by Mid Sussex District Council, Natural England, the High Weald AONB unit, and the INTERREG IIIB programme ‘Lifescape your Landscape’. Additional support came from West Sussex County Council, Sussex Wildlife Trust and the Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre.

2. Woodland definitions: Recent woodlands are woodland that has arisen within the last 400 years by planting or through natural regeneration on abandoned or un-grazed land. Ancient woodlands are defined by Natural England as those where there is believed to have been continuous woodland cover since at least 1600AD. Ancient woodland is divided into two categories, Ancient semi-natural woodland (ASNW) – are areas of woodland mainly with tree and shrub species native to the site that have not obviously been planted. Plantations on ancient woodland sites (PAWS) - are areas of ancient woodland where the original native tree cover has been felled and replaced by planted stock mostly of species not native to the site.

3. Natural England has been formed by bringing together English Nature, the landscape, access and recreation elements of the Countryside Agency and the environmental land management functions of the Rural Development Service. Natural England will work for people, places and nature, to enhance biodiversity, landscapes and wildlife in rural, urban, coastal and marine areas; promoting access, recreation and public well-being, and contributing to the way natural resources are managed so that they can be enjoyed now and by future generations.

4. The Forestry Commission is the government department for forestry in Great Britain. It supports woodland owners with grants, tree felling licences, regulation and advice; promotes the benefits of forests and forestry; and advises government on forestry policy. It manages more than a million hectares (2.5 million acres) of national forest land owned by Ministers for public benefits such as sustainable timber production, public recreation, nature conservation, and rural and community development. For further information, visit www.forestry.gov.uk. The Forestry Commission set out its commitment to the protection of ancient and native woodland in the policy document "Keepers of Time", further information about this policy is available at www.forestry.gov.uk/keepersoftime.

Media Contact: Rebecca Britton, on 01223 346 027