Hainault Forest - Romford
Long term intentions
Hainault Forest will be managed to enhance the biodiversity of the site whilst ensuring the cultural heritage is respected and recreational and amenity use is encouraged. Overall the long term vision for Hainault Forest and Havering Park Farm is for it to be maintained as a pollarded wood pasture landscape with new pollards actively managed and veteran stored pollards left to develop naturally with minimal intervention. The former open character of the Forest will be restored to a maximum of 45% of the area. Livestock, mainly cattle, will become a common sight across much of the Forest with some parts of the Forest possibly maintained as livestock free.
There will be increased pressure for better provision of access opportunities from the expanding and developing local communities. In response there will be a well developed network of surfaced and unsurfaced paths and informal amenity facilities appropriate for visitors of a range of abilities and that helps them to feel confident to explore the forest on foot, horseback and bicycle. Visits to the Forest will be a regular feature in the education program of local primary schools.
Particular long term intentions focussed on within this plan are:
Veteran Trees
1. Retention of all existing pollarded/veteran trees to as old an age as is practically possible. Any interventions limited to tree-safety works which comprise the minimal arboricultural works required to achieve any safety object.
2. Increase in the number of new maintained pollarded trees, especially in areas with few existing pollards. Regular pollarding of the newly established pollards on an approximately ten year rotation
3. Sustained monitoring programme of pollarded trees to assess effectiveness and response to the work. Proposed use of a volunteer to take ownership of the process and to coordinate the pollard maintenance programme.
4. Comprehensive quantitative and qualitative assessment of the Veteran tree resource. Stratified sample survey of the Hainault Forest to assess overall resource with one of two transects taken to show cross-sectional profile of the forest structure and composition at a particular time.
5. Veteran Tree Resource in the land surrounding Hainault Forest surveyed as part of the Ancient Tree Hunt and local initiatives such as with Epping Forest Country Care.
Woodpasture
1. Restoration of a wood pasture system of management across as much of the Forest as is reasonably practical. In the first instance a pilot process implemented to assess the practicality and local acceptability of grazing within the forest. Further development of grazing within the forest will be dependent on the outcome of the pilot process consultations
2. Maintenance of up to three existing woodland ponds in Hainault Forest in an open water condition. Remaining woodland ponds to be left undisturbed. New pond creation may be undertaken on the Park Farm Havering land partly for habitat diversification and partly for water provision for the cattle
3. Restoration and maintenance of the heathland community on the west of the Forest. This will be a priority area if practical following a pilot study for establishing grazing.
4. Acquisition of further land which either abuts Hainault Forest or strengthens access and biodiversity linking opportunities with nearby significant natural areas.
Public Access
1. Provision of sustainable high quality informal and formal education and recreation opportunities for physically inactive adults, the general public and schoolchildren
2. Increased community involvement in the care and management of the Country Park.
Prioritizing Aspirations
As a Site of Special Scientific Interest, Public Open Space and Country Park significant expectations are made upon Hainault Forest by a diversity of stakeholders. Changes in management policy will be consulted on with key stakeholders and the public consulted and given the chance to comment in writing, email or in person through open days. The priority of focus in the management of the Forest will be the key conservation needs identified for the site under Key Features, namely conservation of the Veteran Tree resource and the restoration of the woodpasture character of the site. In approaching the policy changes the emphasis will be on achieving as full an understanding of specific concerns underpinning stakeholders views and working to achieve deliverable compromises.
