Woodland

The Worcestershire Habitat Inventory (WHI) records 16,800 ha of woodland outside of urban areas (excluding wet woodland). This is about 9.5% of the county by area, just slightly below the England average of 10%.

The county also has 5336ha of ancient semi-natural woodland (ASNW), which are woods that have been continuously wooded since at least 1600 and may be remnants of the ancient wildwood. These account for 3% of the county area, slightly higher than the UK figure of 2%.

With the exception of the Wyre Forest, Worcestershire now has only small patches of ancient woodland and most of these have had a history of coppice management. It means ancient and veteran trees are not often found.

Worcester 6 contains two parcels of ancient woodland and these form a key part of the site’s ‘green spine’.

These woodlands are protected from the effects of development and there is a commitment to implement a positive woodland management plan, to ensure each woodland retains its outstanding biodiversity value.

New tree and shrub planting and veteranisation of select mature trees will enhance each woodland’s value for biodiversity, while newly planted hedgerows and tree-planting in buffer zones will help to re-link these two ancient woodland sites, making them more resilient and of greater value for wildlife.