Ref: CSFF090007

Lead: AJ, aj@broxtead.com

Group members: 17

Length of agreement: 5

Area of group (Hectares): 4252

Priorities

To help restore/maintain the Orwell and Stour Estuaries SPA, Ramsar and SSSI sites and Special Areas of Conservation, Freston and Cutlers Woods with Holbrook Park SSSI; Alton Water CWS, Holbrook Bay CWS, Holbrook Gardens CWS and several woodland CWS; to protect the unique landscape characteristic and increase biodiversity:

1. Maintain, restore or enlarge priority habitats:

  • Dry acid grassland
  • Lowland heathland [remnant]
  • Lowland meadows
  • Coastal & floodplain grazing marsh
  • Saltmarsh
  • Intertidal mudflats
  • Reed Riparian habitats
  • Traditional orchards
  • Deciduous woodland
  • Ancient woodland
  • Veteran/Oak Boundary Trees
  • Arable field margins
  • Wood-pasture and Parkland

2. Provide/improve habitat for the following:

  • Arable – Lapwing, Barn Owl, Corn Bunting, Turtle Dove, Tree Sparrow [Tattingstone], Grey Partridge[ Brantham, Stutton ], Reed Bunting Yellow Wagtail and Linnet.
  • Woodland – Marsh Tit, Spotted Flycatcher, Tree Creeper, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Nightingale, Lesser Redpoll .
  • Breeding Waders – Curlew, Black-tailed Godwit, Snipe, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Little Grebe.
  • Arable plant assemblage – Corn Marigold, Corn Spurrey, Small-flowered catch fly, Sticky catchfly, Pearlwort.
  • Saltmarsh plant assemblages.
  • Hazel Dormouse
  • Stag Beetle

To enhance arable/grassland habitat, increase biodiversity and provide corridors for species to move freely during climatic change:

  • Establish nectar and wild bird seed plots and upgrade grassy field corners/margins into flower rich areas
  • Create fallow plots for breeding lapwing, stone curlew / rare arable plants
  • Leave small bare areas near field edges and alongside track ways
  • Restore hedgerows
  • Improve grassland management and maintain/restore historic parkland

To improve water quality, reduce soil erosion, and preserve landscape features:

  • Control the source/ movement of pollutants (nutrient, sediment and pesticides), surface water and sediments
  • Improve soil management particularly in relation to outdoor pigs
  • Buffer wetland habitat such as coastal and floodplain grazing marsh and reedbed
  • Use green cover on arable fields
  • Improve riparian management

To help maintain the unique landscape, improve water quality, increase biodiversity, lower flood risk and offset climate change effects:

  • Actively manage woodland
  • Work together to control bracken and invasive non-native species
  • Buffer historic features
  • Maintain/restore historic parklands
  • Buffer historic features

Working with