125 - South Downs : Detailed Statements of Environmental Opportunity

This section expands on the Headline Statements of Environmental Opportunity and provides further detail on each of the Statements of Environmental Opportunity.

SEO 1

SEO 1: Plan for an expansion of species-rich chalk grassland and other semi-natural habitats, and manage and enhance other existing chalk habitats for wildlife connectivity, reinforcement of the distinctive landscape character, and improvement to water resource management.

For example by:

• Identifying real improvements to the conservation and management of the chalk grassland at the heart of the downland habitats to enhance ecological connectivity for wildlife.
• Restoring, expanding and re-linking remnant areas of lowland calcareous grassland on the steep scarp and dry valley slopes.
• Connecting historic ancient chalk grassland sites to improve their durability and permeability, benefiting the species plants and invertebrates.
• Conserving and extending species-rich wood scrub grassland habitats and controlling scrub invasion.
• Significantly restoring, creating and re-linking the fragmented chalk grassland habitats of the chalk ridge to provide opportunities for ecological connectivity for wildlife.
• Achieving favourable condition and restoration of rare chalk heath associated with localised acid loess soil.
• Identifying appropriate management actions to protect and enhance the assemblage of habitats derived from the underlying chalk, including coastal habitats, chalk streams, dry valleys and beechwoods, and the range of wildlife that they support.
• Protecting and enhancing rivers and other wetland environments, in particular rare chalk streams, as well as allowing for the natural mangemement of river and stream corridors in accordance with the Water Framework Directive.
• Exploring opportunities for habitat enhancement in the stretches of river valley while not interfering with the active coastal processes that sustain the distinctive chalk cliffs on the eastern coastline; and where cliff recession or other coastal change occurs, maintaining and re-routing coastal recreational access.
• Exploring opportunities to restore natural marshland areas and to enhance the overall ecological quality of grazing marsh climate.
• Identifying key areas of vulnerability for the assemblage of habitats and identifying actions for adapting to changes in route.
• Broadening the South Downs Way National Trail as a semi-natural corridor and improving the natural qualities of theEnsuring that sites are in favourable management through extensive grazing and scrub management, linked to the promotion of the South Downs sheep.
• Creating extensive interlinked areas of lowland calcareous grassland on the chalk plateau and dip slope through closely targeted reversion of arable land, while seeking opportunities to improve groundwater quality and aquifer recharge, aid biodiversity adaptation to changes in climate and conserve historic landscape character.
• Conserving and expanding the historic network of species-rich grassland and heathland, meadows, woodland and hedgerows to make biodiversity stepping stones and corridors, enhance historic landscape value and facilitate their key function to reduce surface water flows and soil biodiversity.
• Exploring opportunities to record and map existing areas of biodiversity value to facilitate the creation of cohesive habitat networks.

SEO 2

SEO 2: Manage, expand where appropriate and enhance the downland farmed landscape, the arable mixed farmed landscape of the dip slope and the broadleaved woodland cover, conserving wildlife habitats, contributing to food provision, maintaining a distinct yet evolving landscape pattern, improving water quality and providing local sources of renewable fuels.

For example by:

• Restoring, where appropriate, historic hedgerow boundaries to enclose fields on the western downs and on slopes within river valleys (especially where they will help to impede cross-land water flows, encourage water infiltration and improve water quality), maintaining the characteristic irregular field pattern and the winding line of hedgerow trees that typically mark the outer boundary of the flood plain within valleys.
• Promoting a range of sustainable land management incentives, including creating areas of conservation headlands and winter stubbles supporting threatened arable wildflowers and farmland birds (such as the turtle dove) on the cereal-dominated dip slope, in support of the South Downs Farmland Bird Initiative.
• Creating conservation headlands and field margins throughout the arable-dominated dip slope to support rare arable wildflowers and farmland birds.
• Planning and negotiating with farmers, land managers and communities to resolve the lack of connectivity for access between the currently fragmented patches of land designated as open access areas.
• Working with farmers, land managers and communities to integrate sustainable grazing management of permanent chalk grassland and temporary grass leys into the farming system, while seeking opportunities to help improve groundwater quality and aquifer recharge, aid biodiversity adaptation to changes in climate and conserve historic landscape character.
• Working with farmers, land managers and communities to shape the way in which land is managed in the future, innovating and diversifying as appropriate to maintain farming systems and enhance the highly valued cultural landscape.
• Understanding and promoting the services provided by the specific management of ecosystems by land managers and seeking financial mechanisms to maintain these practices appropriately.
• Managing access in a way that balances the desire of people to enjoy and experience the geological, biological and cultural assets of the NCA while preventing damage to them.
• Promoting sustainable woodland management and local markets for woodland products such as wood fuel biomass and timber. Managing the area’s diverse range of woodlands, veteran trees and wood pasture and parklands to enhance landscape character and safeguard their biodiversity value while seeking opportunities to enhance access.
• Exploring opportunities to plant woods and new areas of wood pasture, to expand existing sites and to create short-rotation coppice to enhance timber and biomass provision, increase carbon storage, regulate water flow and quality and reduce habitat fragmentation.

SEO 3

SEO 3: Conserve and promote the South Downs’ rich historic environment, its unique geodiversity and national and local geological sites for the contribution they make to cultural heritage, biodiversity and landscape. Maintain and enhance quality of access, including via the South Downs Way National Trail, providing interpretation to enhance educational and recreational opportunities.

For example by:

• Reverting areas of arable land to grassland, where appropriate, and reducing scrub to conserve records for reference and interpretation, ensuring that the opportunity for future generations to study monuments is not compromised. These include Neolithic causewayed enclosures (such as St Roche’s Hill hill fort, known as the Trundle), prominent bronze- age round barrows and iron-age hill forts, and medieval lynchets on steeper pasture slopes.
• Maintaining, conserving and enhancing the area’s distinctive historic architecture and traditional buildings which have details such as knapped flint, cobbles, brick quoins and timber framing, and which use locally produced bricks and have roofs of tile, slate or thatch.
• Using an understanding of the area’s traditional and historic architecture, and its distinct patterns of settlement, to inform appropriate conservation of historic buildings and to plan for and inspire any environmentally beneficial new development which makes a positive contribution to local character.
• Maintaining and restoring the diverse stock of farm buildings, encouraging their continued agricultural use and managing proposals for re-use to ensure that their heritage interest is retained.
• Maintaining the exposed chalk of old quarries, chalk combes and dry valley exposures and any appropriate bare patches in the chalk grassland.
• Managing and restoring the extensive parkland landscapes that characterise the central downs.
• Restoring natural coastal processes and the coastal habitats and transitions between them, including saline lagoons, vegetated shingle, estuarine habitats (for example, Cuckmere), saltmarsh and chalk and greensand reefs, for biodiversity, coastal flood management, adaptation to sea-level rise and opportunities for natural regeneration as reflected in the Beachy Head to Selsey Bill Shoreline Management Plan.
• Continuing to provide high-quality interpretation and engagement activities to local people and visitors to the South Downs coast to highlight its importance on an international and local scale.
• Providing ongoing, high-quality access to the coast, via the South Downs Way National Trail, and ensuring that inland links to the public rights of way network are maintained and enhanced where appropriate.
• Managing the coastal strip and hinterland to ensure that new and existing developments do not have a negative impact upon the setting of the coast or pose a future threat to continued unimpeded natural processes.
• Exploring opportunities for the sympathetic restoration of disused cement works that will be in sympathy with landscape character, visual amenity, biodiversity and geological interests.

SEO 4

SEO 4: Manage, enhance and integrate recreational opportunities and public enjoyment with conservation of the natural and historic environment, a productive landscape and tranquillity, reflecting the ambitions of the South Downs National Park.

For example by:

• Maintaining and enhancing the extensive rights of way network and open access land throughout the area, improving links to the South Downs Way National Trail and along the Heritage Coast, and from the main urban areas lying just outside the National Park, into the South Downs.
• Developing new permissive access to historical sites, open access land and other areas of interest as part of a cohesive network of inspiring access provision.
•  Seeking opportunities to increase and improve the area of accessible natural green space in places that are currently failing Accessible Natural Greenspace Standards.
•  Promoting sustainable tourism initiatives that target a broad range of visitors and, where practical, reduce car dependency, accommodating high visitor numbers while conserving the landscape, its biodiversity and tranquillity.
• Ensuring that the South Downs National Park planning policies are adhered to and implemented.
• Exploring partnership initiatives to disseminate clear environmental education messages to inform and to help people understand how and why recreation and public enjoyment have to be integrated with conservation of the natural and historic environment, using key sites and areas as examples of best practice.
• Promoting sustainable transport, green tourism and natural health initiatives.

Additional opportunity 1

Additional opportunity 1: Plan for the creation of a green infrastructure framework outside the South Downs National Park that could provide a setting for the major urban areas along the south coast while protecting the tranquillity and openness of the adjacent downs that fall within the National Park itself.

For example by:

• Maintaining the distinctive character of the open downland dip slope as a setting, ensuring that new development and its associated infrastructure (including light, noise and air pollution) do not undermine the special qualities of the National Park and maintain tranquillity.
• Integrating the view of new and existing development from open downland by localised woodland planting on lower slopes that can also provide a local source of wood fuel and a local recreational resource as part of comprehensive green infrastructure planning.
• Linking with other areas of open natural green space that provide further recreational opportunities and help to manage pressures from the National Park.
• Promoting the use of open space areas for nature conservation and local food growing.
• Exploring opportunities that allow urban communities to become more sustainable and more permeable to wildlife, for example through green corridors and sustainable urban drainage systems.
• Promoting the added benefit of sustainable urban drainage systems in assisting groundwater recharge, reducing urban surface water flooding and pollution and increasing wildlife niches in urban areas.

Additional opportunity 2

Additional opportunity 2: Support farming systems to enhance agricultural viability through the promotion and extension of the ‘South Downs brand’ to add value and further enhance the sense of place of the area.

For example by:

• Working with farming communities to increase food production in the South Downs while minimising any adverse impacts on the natural environment; supporting a variety of farming systems, including mixed farming systems where viable.
• Identifying opportunities to work with local business providers to promote the responsible use of the ‘South Downs brand’ and promote the benefits of locally produced food and drink.