Creating and Managing Sites More Effectively

This project is looking at opportunities to create and manage environmental sites more effectively, looking at new ways of working and increasing the biodiversity of the area.

This project is closely linked with Surveying the Dearne with the community engagement and findings from there used as a starting point for practical improvements to sites. Improvements will be made directly resulting from the community engagement and new ways of managing sites will be trialled, reviewed and disseminated.

As with the Surveying the Dearne Project the sites to be focused on fall into three broad categories:

Former colliery, industrial and associated sites
Roadside verges
Woodlands

The Project

Specific sites have been prioritised through the development process, others will be developed through the surveying process. The project will:

Involve the local communities in the development and management of sites – including “Friends of” Groups, community volunteering and community management.
Implement a range of simple practical improvements – benches, gates, access, etc. to increase usage.
Improve and establish woodlands and local nature sites to improve their biodiversity.
Carry out a range of environmental improvements (both through volunteers and contractors)
Co-ordinate the development of best practice in site management, trialling and assessing new ways of working in the process developing clear management plans for key sites.

Former colliery, industrial and associated sites

The DVLP will work with the owners or those responsible for key sites in surveying the sites, engaging with the local community and identifying practical improvements to the sites. This will increase community usage but will also be used to develop community participation through practical volunteering, community consultation and site based activities. There will also be a focus on looking at new ways of managing greenspaces.

Roadside Verges

The surveying of roadside verges will be used as a starting point, from which planting and management plans of key roadside verges across the Dearne Valley will be developed. This will improve the biodiversity and assist with the longer term management and maintenance. This is an extension of the successful pilot work carried out in 2012 and 2013 by Rotherham Council. Standard management plans will be developed across the Dearne, that can be adopted and adapted for specific and special sites.

Woodlands

There will be two key strands in relation to woodlands.

Creation, Enhancement and Interpretation. The project will work with partners to identify sites for new planting which will include areas of rare wet woodland, a national habitat priority.
There are approximately 11 Ancient Woodland Sites which have been planted with non-native trees – and known as PAWS. These woods are considered “threatened” and restoration work is required to bring them back toward a semi-natural woodland habitat.