Forest and woodland management
This section provides information on forest and woodland management in the Borough.
The Parks and Countryside Service are responsible for the management of 558.5 hectares (1,380 acres) of Council owned woodland and the trees situated in the Boroughs 55 Parks and open spaces.
These sites include a diverse mixture of habitats including
- ancient semi natural woodland
- plantation forestry
- amenity shelterbelts
- self seeded scrub land.
In addition, the Boroughs open spaces are planted with many thousands of specimen trees. Apart from the amenity and landscape value these woodlands and trees provide, such areas form an important habitat for many species of flora and fauna, which are rare or unique to Surrey.
The Parks and open spaces are predominantly managed under a 2-year rolling inspection programme which identifies health and safety issues such as dead or dangerous trees. Planting to replace lost trees is encouraged as a means to ensure sustainable tree cover for future generations.
Priory Park boasts an impressive range of trees including a number of ‘Champion trees’ as recorded in the National Tree Register. There is also a very rare Cut Leaved Oak specimen in the children’s play area.
In woodland areas management practices such as coppicing and thinning are steadily being introduced.
This will help to ensure their long-term retention and bring neglected areas back under appropriate management. With the help of grants from the Forestry Commission and Countryside Stewardship Scheme, it is hoped that most of the council’s woodlands will be brought back into productive management in the long term.
Recent examples of woodland management can seen at Banstead Woods and Fellands Copse.
Reigate & Banstead Borough Council
Town Hall
Castlefield Road
Reigate
RH2 0SH
01737 276000
Reigate and Banstead Borough Council is not responsible for the content of external sites.
