This document outlines plans for a new Forest Design Plan for Chiddingfold Forest in South England. The forest covers 840 hectares and is 90% designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. It was historically ancient woodland but much was converted to conifer plantations after World War II. Recent restoration efforts have focused on restoring ancient and native woodlands. The new Forest Design Plan will set a 30-year vision and include layers showing habitats, species, and age diversity to guide future management and restoration of the forest's biodiversity.

1. A Sustainable Vision for Chiddingfold
Forest – Preparing a new Forest Design
Plan
Jay Doyle
District Ecologist
South England Forest District
May 2014

2. Location

3. Overview
• A Key Forest complex at the Northern edge of
the West Weald Landscape
• Forestry Commission England (FCE) manage
840 hectares (ha) of Chiddingfold Forest
• 500 ha or 90% of the SSSI by area managed
by FCE
• Ancient woodland the dominant habitat
• Land acquired between 1922 and 1958
(majority of acquisitions during 1920’s)
• Significant conversion to coniferous plantation
post-WWII

4. Overview
• During 1999/2000 the entire Ancient
Woodland resource on the PFE surveyed
• Ancient & Native Woodland Restoration
commenced from 2000 onwards
• National Policy launched in Chiddingfold Forest
in 2005 – ‘Keepers of Time’
• Chiddingfold Forest is certified as been
sustainably managed by the UK Woodland
Assurance Standard (UKWAWS)

5. Key Policy Drivers
• UK Woodland Assurance Standard (UKWAS)
www.ukwas.org.uk
• UK Forestry Standard
www.forestry.gov.uk/ukfs
• Ancient Woodland Restoration - ‘Keepers of
Time’
• FC-BC Joint Strategy for the Public Forest
Estate – Chiddingfold a Priority Site
• Biodiversity 2020
• Woodland Policy Enabling Programme (WPEP)

6. Landscape context

7. SSSI Notification
• Largest more or less continuous area of
oakwoods on the Weald Clay
• Diverse range of floristic communities
• Gill woodland corridors
• Extensive ride network
• Diverse insect community – both open and
closed habitat assemblages
• Regionally scarce bryophytes and lichens
• Diverse community of breeding birds

8. Tenure

9. SSSI Extent

10. Ancient woodland extent

11. ASNW - PAWS

12. Semi-natural class

13. Tree species proportions 1999
Chid_Species_1999
Norway spruce
6%
Western hemlock
7%
Mixed conifer
4%
Corsican pine
20%
Scots pine
3%
Oak
36%
Mixed broadleaves
24%

14. Tree species proportions 2014
Species Composition (-open)
Oak
44%
MB
24%
NS
2%
WH
4%
MC
4%
CP
20%
SP
2%

15. Timber age class
Broadleaf
4% 2%
6%
20%
3% 1% 1% 2%
27%
4%
1% 3% 1% 3%
0%
10%
20%
30%
1 - 10 11 - 20 21 - 30 31 - 40 41 - 50 51 - 60 61 - 70 71 - 80 81 - 90 91 - 100 101 -
110
111 -
120
121 -
130
131 -
140
Age Class
Percentageof
TotalArea
Conifer
0% 2% 6% 2%
23%
46%
0% 1% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
1 - 10 11 - 20 21 - 30 31 - 40 41 - 50 51 - 60 61 - 70 71 - 80 81 - 90 91 - 100 101 -
110
111 -
120
121 -
130
131 -
140
Age Class
Percentageof
TotalArea
Broadleaf/Conifer Area
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
1 - 10 11 - 20 21 - 30 31 - 40 41 - 50 51 - 60 61 - 70 71 - 80 81 - 90 91 -
100
101 -
110
111 -
120
121 -
130
131 -
140
Age Class
Percentageof
TotalArea
Broadleaf
Conifer

16. FDP’s Explained
• A Forest Design Plan (FDP) is a strategic
document setting out a broad vision for a
Forest Block
• FDP’s set a 30-year vision
• Reviewed at the 5-year interval
• Re-written every 10 years
• Developed through consultation
• Written from a landscape scale perspective

17. 1999-2006 FDP
• Location Map
• Design Concept layer
• Survey layer – SSSI boundary, key species
locations, footpaths etc
• Existing Species layer
• Felling layer
• Replanting proposals

18. New FDP Layers
• Location map
• Aerial photo
• SSSI condition layer
• Ancient woodland semi-natural scoring (1-4)
• Indicative Species Diversity (no. tree species)
• Indicative Age Diversity (20 year cohorts)
• Long Term Vision
• Habitat restoration and felling
• Predicted Timeline for Intended Future
Habitats

19. Native woodland regeneration

20. Natural regeneration

21. High forest restructuring

22. Corridor enhancement
Butterfly Conservation

23. Gill woodland

24. Forest wetland habitat

25. Ephemeral habitat

26. Deer management

27. Invasive species

28. Partnership working

29. Informing Planning & Management

30. Opportunities
• Continued progress with ancient & native
woodland restoration
• Restructuring of the broadleaf woodland
component
• Gill woodland restoration
• Enhance & maintain woodland rides
• Increasing the dead and decaying wood
component
• Deepening of partnership working & volunteer
input
• Improved interpretation & expansion of
sensitive recreation & educational activities

31. Opportunities
• Enhanced ecological recording & monitoring
opportunities
• Better use of ecological data to inform
planning and management
• Species Recovery Projects
• Ecosystem service provision & Natural Capital
• Expansion of the SSSI to cover the wider
ancient woodland resource

32. Things to consider?
• Alternatives To Clearfell (ATC)
• Balancing stakeholder aspirations to achieve a
shared vision
• Sustaining uneconomic activities – derelict
coppice management
• Balancing protected species legislation with
dynamic habitat management

33. Things to consider?
• Climate change – potential for increased
impact on woodland infrastructure
• Tree health – pathogens & pests
• Species resilience
• Invasive species – horizon scanning required
• Deer management – landscape scale solutions
the way forward
• A global timber market

34. Questions?
Jay Doyle
District Ecologist
South England Forest District
01483 326270
Jay.doyle@forestry.gsi.gov.uk