Parkland and Wood Pasture Conservation. There is a need for conservation of the significant sites and veteran trees in Barnsley.

Factors causing loss or decline of parkland habitat

• Conversion of parkland habitat to other land uses such as arable fields, secondary woodland, amenity use, or for development
• Lack of younger generations of trees leads to breaks in continuity of deadwood habitat and loss of specialised dependent species.
• Neglect, and loss of expertise of traditional tree management skills (eg pollarding) leads to trees collapsing or being felled.
• Loss of veteran trees through disease, drought and storm damage, and competition for resources with surrounding younger trees.
• Removal of veteran trees and deadwood through perceptions of safety, tree hygiene and tidiness; for firewood, or through vandalism.
• Damage from soil compaction and changes to ground-water levels.
• Isolation and fragmentation of the remaining veteran trees and parkland sites in the landscape.

Legal protection

Inclusion in Historic England’s Register of Historic Parks and Gardens is a material consideration for planning applications as is the presence of Veteran Trees.

National Planning Policy NPPF Para 175c, states that development resulting in the loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats (such as Ancient or Veteran Trees) should be refused, unless there are wholly exceptional reasons and a suitable compensation strategy exists.

Natural England has Standing Advice on protecting Veteran Trees from development in parkland or wherever they are.

Work on trees with Tree Preservation Orders or within Conservation Areas are subject to consultation with the local planning authority.

Local Wildlife Site status is a material consideration in planning applications.

Individual trees may also have some protection if they contain bat roosts or hole-nesting birds.

Good management practice

• Conserve and protect veteran trees using the best practice methods identified by Natural England, Woodland Trust, et al (see links).
• Conserve aged and veteran trees even if ‘untidy’ or ‘fallen over’. Interpretation notices will help people understand.
• If safety work is to be considered, take into account the level of public access near the tree and only remove those part of the tree required to adequately protect the public at that place.
• Retain dead wood of all ages, both standing and fallen. Retain fallen/felled wood close to where it falls, if safe to do so.
• If the wildlife that depend on veteran trees is to survive into the future, trees must be planted/protected to take their place. This may involve creating new woodpasture.
• Manage grassland appropriately, including appropriate seasonal mowing and/or grazing.; maintain areas of grassland with diverse flowering plants and some scrub. Avoid scrub encroachment; .
• Undertake good management practice for other habitat types present in parks and parkland as per pages in this BAP.

Parkland/Wood Pasture Conservation

See also guidance and requirements for Environmental Land Management and Countryside Stewardship Schemes.

Parkland and Woodpasture

Buglife: Woodpasture and parklands

PTES: Woodpasture and parkland

Ancient Tree Forum: treescapes

Historic England: Conservation Plans

Veteran Trees

Natural England:
Standing Advice on Ancient Woodland and Veteran Trees
Veteran Trees: good management

Forestry Comm: Veteran trees

Woodland Trust: Ancient trees

Ancient Tree Inventory

Ancient Tree Forum

Information and guidance