Stanmer Park’s woods are a great place to enjoy informal recreation, but they are in poor condition. The council has produced a plan to protect the woodland for the long term benefit of the city and is inviting the public to comment.
Find out more about the Stanmer Park woodland management plan and make comments.
Public information sessions will be held on Thursday February 1 and Saturday 3 February 2018 at Stanmer Tea Rooms from 9am to midday.
The draft Woodland Management Plan has been produced by an independent forestry consultant on behalf of the council’s parks projects team.
Before submitting plans to the Forestry Commission, we are seeking the views of interested parties, including park users and residents. The council is hoping to submit the plan for approval by March 2018.
The draft plan sets out how the woodland can be managed over the next 10 years to
- Maintain and preserve open access.
- Build resilience against Ash Dieback and other diseases and ensure existing woodland cover is maintained.
- Increase biodiversity and protect nationally and locally rare flora and fauna.
- Produce semi commercial timber extraction of coppice products, wood fuel and timber.
The plan is also supporting the Stanmer Restoration Project HLF application by:
- Protecting historical, archaeological, and environmental elements on the estate.
- Providing related activities such as rural skills, forest schools and wood based produce.
- Increasing the city’s offer for volunteering work such as coppicing, pollarding, scrub clearing and general woodland management practices.
Managing the woodland is an important part of the Stanmer Park Restoration project, a joint initiative between Brighton & Hove City Council, Plumpton College and South Downs National Park Authority and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) .
The plan can also be viewed in full on request at Hollingdean Depot Learning and Resource Centre (please contact the parks projects team 01273 294737 to arrange) and will be available at the Stanmer Tea rooms sessions.
The consultation closes on 12 February 2018.