The council is consulting on the establishment of extensive woodlands at three sites in the borough:
- Edgebury Grazing Lands, Slades Drive, Chislehurst, BR7 6JY
- Kemnal Road, Imperial Way, Chislehurst, BR7 6JR
- World’s End Lane, Chelsfield, BR6 6AS
Additional locational and contextual information about these sites.
The council has worked with Forestry Agents Maydencroft to develop concept plans for woodland establishment at these sites. The site descriptions provided explain the vision behind these plans.
Edgebury Grazing Lands, Chislehurst
The woodland planting will create open spaces, in the form of rides or woodland paths and glades, open areas, within the woodland, that will receive greater volumes of sunlight. Views of the city skyline would be able to be seen from within the woodland.
The open spaces will be managed on a yearly cycle to create a woodland of varying age, which is more valuable to the ecosystem, with rides that run east to west being a priority as they receive the most sunlight throughout the day. This management technique will encourage biodiversity and priority species such as the White Admiral to settle in the habitat. These 'paths' will be grassy rides with shrubs either side, with no need for artificial substances to be laid. Pond creation and log piles will add to its ecological functionality as a woodland and a hydraulically important site.
The planted tree species, selected within this section or compartment will mirror any existing species found within the grazing lands. In the field to the east, the species planted will consist of hornbeam, oak, silver birch, poplar, sycamore and sweet chestnut, with the possibility of some experimental conifers (such as western red cedar) due to the isolated nature of this woodland planting.
Current scrub will be retained within the planting, with damage to existing anthills limited during planting and ground preparation. The rides will be bordered with woody shrubs to create a transition from open space to high canopy woodland, with species such as hawthorn, holly, spindle, field maple, honeysuckle and elder planted. These shrubs will provide good habitat and food sources for woodland fauna. This mix of species has been selected to provide climate resilience in the future, with trees selected from a wide variety of seed sources from across the UK/Europe to increase the genetic diversity and resilience of the woodland. If elm is planted, species resilient to Dutch Elm's Disease will be selected, such as lobal elm. A minimum of 1600 trees will be planted per hectare, with a 2.5m spacing between trees. However, greater densities will most likely be planted to reduce the chance for vegetation to out compete the trees. Information signs will be placed around the site, focused on eventual entry points accessible to the public. Along the entry to the school, shrubs with low canopy heights will be planted, maintaining the light levels to the entrance and maintaining safety of the road at all times.
The western compartment has more of a wood pasture feel to it, with some large veteran oak trees present. These will be planted around in order to allow them to develop and mature without further competition. To reduce the threat of shading to surrounding properties to the west, shrubs with low canopy heights will be planted along property boundaries to maintain existing light levels. This area may also be made accessible to the school, to use for educational purposes.
Trees will be protected by biodegradable or recyclable tubes to remove any grazing pressure from other mammals. When the woodland has been established, gates will remain in-situ with public access allowed. School access gates will be clearly signposted and locked at all times, unless access is required by the school.
Kemnal Road, Chislehurst
The Kemnal site woodland creation is inside a shallow valley that will offer the public new opportunities to experience a dynamic woodland space through the creation of more than 300m meandering permissive footpath ride. It will act as a detour to the existing Public Right of Way (PROW) following the eastern and northern boundary, with the opportunity to experience Bromley's own chalk Wyncham Stream that runs through the sites centre. The proposed creation at this site expands on the Kemnal Woodlands, which is already a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) and is adjacent to the east, which features ponds, streams and veteran trees. The SINC is a designated ancient woodland but is mostly private access.
Open spaces will be managed on a yearly cycle to create a woodland environment of varying ages which is more valuable to the ecosystem, with rides or paths that run east to west being a priority as they receive the most sunlight throughout the day. These 'paths' will be grassy rides with shrubs either side, with no need for artificial surfaces to be laid. A bridge is proposed to be built over the stream, supporting eventual public access, to cross with ease. Potential shrub clearing regimes will be implemented along the chalk stream to increase the light penetration to the banks of the stream, drying out the soil and allowing woodland flora to stabilise the banks and reduce the potential for soil erosion.
The species selected within this specific area will mirror the structure and diversity of the surrounding woodland. With the stream running through the centre of the planting area and the soils being seasonally wet in areas, a water tolerant species mix will be selected to boost the existing riparian zone (within 5 to 8m of the stream). This riparian species mix will include species such as alder, willow, aspen and poplar. Further away from the stream, species that fit the soil type such as hornbeam, oak, silver birch, sycamore, elm, sweet chestnut and wild service tree will be planted.
Existing stands of oak and blackthorn will be incorporated into the design. The rides will be bordered with woody shrubs to create a transition from open space to high canopy woodland, with species such as hawthorn, holly, spindle and elder planted. These shrubs will provide good habitat and food sources for woodland fauna. This mix of species has been selected to provide climate resilience in the future, with trees selected from a wide variety of seed sources from across the UK/Europe to increase the genetic diversity and resilience of the woodland. If elm is planted, species resilient to Dutch Elm's Disease will be selected for, such as lobal elm. A minimum of 1600 trees will be planted per hectare, with a 2.5m spacing between trees. However, greater densities will most likely be planted to reduce the chance for vegetation to out compete the trees.
Proposed information signs are to be placed around the site, focused on the eventual entry points which would provide access to the public.
Some oak within the existing oak stand to the north of the site will be selected for a halo thinning. This means a couple of surrounding trees will be removed in order to reduce the competition faced by the selected tree, allowing it to grow unimpeded and veteranise. This will happen over time as eventually, the tree moves into the next phase of its life cycle, maturing in age and spreading its canopy while creating valuable habitat for mammals, birds, fungi and invertebrates.
Trees will be protected by biodegradable or recyclable tubes to remove any grazing pressure from other mammals.
World’s End Lane, Chelsfield
The species selected within this selected planting area will mirror the structure and diversity of the surrounding woodland. We are looking to extend the area of hazel coppice within the woodland and bring it back into management to support species such as the hazel dormouse. Other species planted will most likely include a high canopy of oak and beech with an understory of hawthorn and coppiced hazel, hornbeam, wild service tree and field maple. The rides or paths will be bordered with woody shrubs to create a transition from open space to high canopy woodland, with species such as hawthorn, holly, hazel, elder and honeysuckle planted. These shrubs will provide good habitat and food sources for woodland fauna. This mix of species has been selected to provide climate resilience in the future, with trees selected from a wide variety of seed sources to increase the genetic diversity and resilience of the woodland. Due to the spread of ash dieback disease in the local area, ash will not be planted in order to reduce the spread of this disease. A minimum of 1600 trees will be planted per hectare, with a 2.5m spacing between trees. However, greater densities will most likely be planted to reduce the chance for vegetation to outcompete the trees.
The earth will only be broken when required, with all trees planted by hand to reduce levels of ground disturbance and aiming to retain anthills present throughout the site. Natural regeneration of seed from surrounding trees will also be encouraged, creating a natural transition from grassland to woodland which is greatest benefit to biodiversity.
With a local deer population present, there is the possibility that this site might be fenced (using 1.6m deer fencing) to allow the planted trees to establish without any grazing pressure. Trees will be protected by biodegradable or recyclable tubes. Currently, there are no plans for this site to become publicly accessible. Despite this, there is the future potential for volunteer groups to get involved with the coppice management of the woodland, providing a sustainable timber source for firewood and the sites gives a good opportunity for hazel dormouse monitoring.