48 - Trent and Belvoir Vales : Analysis: Ecosystem Services

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Fertile and versatile soils
• Climate
• Topography
• Cereals, root crops and oil seed rape
• Some livestock grazing

State – 78 per cent of the area’s soils are Grade 3 quality (good to moderate quality agricultural land) and 14 per cent are Grade 2 (very good quality agricultural land)

In 2009 the total farm land area was 135,826 ha accounting for 76 per cent of the total area of the NCA.

In 2009, 68 per cent of farmland (52 per cent of the total NCA area) was used for growing cereals, oilseeds and other arable crops.

Grass and uncropped land accounted for 32,009 ha (24 per cent of farm land) in 2009.

In 2009 there were 45,138 cattle in the NCA 58,393 sheep and 61,776 pigs.

Changes between 2000 and 2009 include: A slight decrease in total farmed area; a slight decrease in area of cereals; an increase in area of oilseeds; a slight decrease in grass and uncropped land; decreases in livestock numbers especially pigs which more than halved

Main beneficiary – Regional

Analysis – The area has a long history of food production which relates to the quality and versatility of the soils, suitable climate and gentle topography.

Traditionally a mixed farming area there has been a steady decline in the amount of pasture with much of it converted to arable use.

Habitats and landscape features have been lost through agricultural intensification leading to a reduction in distinctiveness and reduced ecosystem functionality. This includes drainage of flood plains, conversion of pasture to arable, removal of hedgerows, loss of old farm buildings and damage to historic remains.

Intensive agriculture can have negative impacts on the viability of the natural elements that underpin food provision services such as water quality and availability, soil quality, pollination.

Increasing organic matter in soils results in better retention of nutrients, lower drought stress, better soil structure and more energy sources for soil organisms.

Organic farming benefits soil organic matter. Conversion from arable to grassland use allows organic matter to build up.

Environmental Stewardship has the potential to enhance a range of ecosystem services of benefit to agricultural production (Ecosystem Services from Environmental Stewardship that Benefit Agricultural Production, Natural England Commissioned Reports 102, Food and Environment Research Agency, 2012).

Opportunities – Encourage holistic farming practices which benefit ecosystems and maintain viable agricultural production such as organic farming and many agri- environment scheme options.

Encourage management measures that increase organic matter levels in soils such as conversion from arable to pasture, organic farming methods and the use of grass leys in arable crop rotations.

Retain existing pasture and seek opportunities to convert arable land to create more pasture especially where it will enhance landscape character and ecosystem services and protect historic remains such as alongside the rivers and in the flood plains.

Seek opportunities to adapt to alternative crops or change the use of land to alleviate losses of current agricultural production in response to climatic changes and changes in flood risk.

Seek opportunities to expand food production sustainably without negatively impacting on ecosystem services.

Seek opportunities to sustainably utilise wetland habitats for food provision such as flood plain grazing marsh for cattle grazing.

Encourage land managers to use management techniques which prevent erosion and loss of soil.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Food provision
• Sense of place/inspiration
• Sense of history
• Regulating soil quality
• Regulating water quality
• Biodiversity
• Regulating soil erosion
• History
• Biodiversity

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Conifer plantations
• Broadleaved woodland

State – Total woodland cover is 4 per cent of the area.

Woodland is generally limited to small and medium-sized broadleaved woodlands, although there are some large conifer and broadleaved plantations on the sandier soils west of Lincoln.

Main beneficiary – Local

Analysis – New woodland planting in the NCA would increase opportunities for timber provision. Planting would need to be sensitively carried out to increase biodiversity, retain rare species of flora and fauna and minimise conflict with food production

Woodland opportunity mapping guidance has been produced for the East Midlands which provides detailed guidance on woodland creation opportunities within the area.

Tree planting can benefit ecosystem services that underpin food production. For example tree planting on steep slopes, on soils vulnerable to erosion and alongside watercourses will help regulate soil quality, water quality, flow and availability.

Opportunities – Increase native woodland planting to enhance timber provision as well as enhancing landscape and biodiversity.

Seek opportunities for woodland planting within green infrastructure and relating to new development and the urban fringe.

Encourage better management of ancient woodlands and the creation of new woodlands, prioritising planting to increase, buffer and link existing patches of habitat.

Seek opportunities to incorporate tree planting within farmland areas where it will improve ecosystem services underpinning food production

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Timber provision
• Climate regulation
• Water regulation
• Biodiversity
• Water availability
• Regulating water quality
• Sense of place/inspiration
• Biomass energy
• Regulating soil erosion
• Regulating soil quality

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Rivers and watercourses
• Waterbodies
• Soils

State – The NCA does not overlay any major aquifers nor does it have any major reservoirs. Water availability principally comes from its network of watercourses especially the River Trent.

At Torksey, Trent water is transferred via a pumping station into the Fossdyke navigation from where the water is passed into the Witham to support abstractions downstream

In the Witham catchment which includes the rivers Till and Brant, There is water available for abstraction at high and medium flows, restricted water available at medium/ low flows, but no water available for abstraction at low flows. Abstractions are likely to only be possible for 61% of the year (approximately 222 days) (Witham Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy, Environment Agency, February 2013).

Within the Trent catchment the River Devon and the Trent have water available for consumptive abstraction subject to flow restriction conditions. There is no water available for consumption abstraction from the Dover Beck and the Greet (Lower Trent and Erewash Abstraction Licensing Strategy, Environment Agency, 2013).

Main beneficiary – Regional

Analysis – The majority of water licensed to be abstracted from the Trent is for use in the power stations and is mostly returned near the point of abstraction. Trent water is also used for spray irrigation of crops.

The most numerous abstraction licences in the Witham catchment are for agricultural spraying with very little water returned to the catchment.

The Trent, the Fossdyke Navigation and the extensive network of waterbodies created from flooded sand and gravel extraction sites provide a large recreational water resource used extensively for boating, fishing and experiencing wildlife.

Infiltration of water to re-charge groundwater can be improved through creation of areas of grassland and woodland, through suitably designed drainage schemes and through reductions in stocking densities.

Opportunities – Seek opportunities to increase storage of water on farms and sympathetic land management practices in agricultural areas to better enable farms to deal with potential increased temperatures and drought conditions and reducing levels of abstraction.

Seek opportunities for agricultural diversification to encourage agriculture which needs less water.

For over-abstracted catchments seek opportunities to create new habitat areas, such as flood plain grazing marsh and woodland, to increase infiltration and increase ground water stocks.

In rural and urban areas, adapt existing drainage schemes and design new sustainable drainage schemes to maximise infiltration levels and re-charge ground water.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Water availability
• Biodiversity
• Regulating water flow
• Regulating water quality
• Climate regulation
• Food provision

No information available.

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Woodlands
• Miscanthus
• Short rotation coppice (SRC)
• Soils

State – Demand for biomass fuel comes from the power stations.

Some miscanthus and short rotation coppice is grown in the area.

Woodland cover is low at only 4 per cent.

Main beneficiary – Local

Analysis – There is a high potential yield for miscanthus over the vast majority of the NCA. Good soil management practices during planting can prevent soil erosion

There is generally a medium potential yield for SRC in the NCA, with some areas of high potential yield in the north of the area.

Planting of miscanthus, SRC as well as trees in flood plains can help alleviate flood risk

Impacts of miscanthus and SRC planting on landscape features within the NCA can be found on the Natural England website.

Opportunities – Seek opportunities for incorporating growing of biomass crops with the re- instatement of active flood plains while avoiding adverse impacts on the provision of other ecosystems and ensuring that management practices to prevent soil erosion at planting time are carried out.

Improve management of woodlands to make them more productive for yielding biomass in the form of local wood fuel without impacting on the provision of other services.

Maximise opportunities for new woodland planting including planting within flood plains to assist with water flow regulation.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Biomass provision
• Climate regulation
• Regulating water flow
• Sense of place/inspiration
• Biodiversity
• Regulating soil erosion

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Soil
• Pasture and other uncultivated agricultural land
• Semi-natural habitats
• Woodlands and trees

State – There is generally a low soil carbon content of 0 to 5 per cent throughout the NCA.

Higher soil carbon content will be found under remaining semi-natural habitats, woodlands and areas of permanent pasture.

Soils in the NCA currently provide low carbon storage partly due to cultivation and drainage leading to loss of organic content.

Nitrous oxide is emitted when nitrogen- based synthetic fertilisers are added to the soil. This is a much more powerful greenhouse gas than CO2.

Main beneficiary – Local

Analysis – In the second half of the 20th century the conversion of much permanent pasture to arable cultivation has reduced the limited carbon storage capacity of the area. Some of this may be offset by the creation of wetland areas following mineral extraction and subsequent deposition of organic matter in reed beds.

Reducing drainage and tillage and establishing permanent vegetation on soils increases organic matter content and capacity to store carbon.

Land managed under organic arrangements tends to have higher soil organic carbon content.

Increased woodland and tree planting, combined with better management of woodland sites would increase carbon sequestration and storage.

Nitrous oxide emissions can be reduced by reducing nitrogen-based fertiliser applications and applying more efficiently.

Opportunities – Seek opportunities to increase tree cover, expand woodlands and semi-natural habitats such as flood plain grazing marsh to increase carbon sequestration and storage.

Seek opportunities to increase the amount of permanent pasture and other non- cultivation agricultural land uses to increase soil organic carbon content.

Encourage agricultural management measures that increase soil organic matter levels including promotion of organic farming techniques.

Seek to minimise use of nitrogen-based synthetic fertilisers to minimise nitrous oxide emissions for example by greater use of crops with lower fertiliser requirements; good in-field analysis to ensure correct application levels; adoption of relevant organic farming principles.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Climate regulation
• Biodiversity
• Regulating water flow and quality
• Biomass
• Regulating soil erosion
• Regulating soil quality
• Water availability
• Sense of place/inspiration

No information available.

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Semi-natural habitats
• Woodlands
• Pasture and other uncultivated agricultural land
• Soils
• Watercourses and waterbodies

State – For information regarding the current state of water quality within this NCA, refer to the Environment Agency (Draft river basin management plan maps).

Main beneficiary – Regional

Analysis – Too much nitrate in fresh water can cause a wide range of harmful effects to rivers, streams and lakes. Most of the nitrate pollution in fresh water in this area is likely to come from agricultural sources.

Soil compaction reduces infiltration and increases the risk of runoff, soil erosion and nutrient loss leading to pollution of watercourses. All the main soil types in this NCA are likely to suffer from compaction.

Runoff from uncultivated land including woodland and semi-natural habitats is likely to be of higher water quality than from arable land as inputs and soil exposure are generally lower. Root crops generally have high soil exposure.

Agri-environment schemes as well as organic farming techniques can have beneficial effects on water quality and ecological status of watercourses.

Actions anywhere within the River Trent and River Witham catchments have potential to impact on water quality downstream.

The use of pesticides is greatly reduced through the conversion from arable to grassland and therefore the risk to water quality is also reduced.

Opportunities – Maximise awareness of and compliance with nitrate regulations to minimise nitrate pollution.

Seek opportunities to diversify and/or adapt field management where risks to water quality are high, for example root crop fields, cultivated steep slopes, areas adjacent to watercourses, prone soil types and where soil compaction is a problem, to reduce runoff, soil erosion and therefore improve water quality.

Create grassland and other habitats adjacent to field drains, watercourses and waterbodies to intercept nitrates and other nutrients (as well as sediments in those areas prone to erosion) to improve water quality. Also resist conversion of pasture to arable, especially alongside watercourses.

Seek to minimise fertiliser and chemical inputs to minimise risk to water quality for example through:

Greater use of crops with lower fertilisers and pesticides requirements;

Good in-field analysis to ensure correct application levels;

Conversion of arable to pasture; and use of appropriate organic farming principles.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Regulating water quality
• Regulating soil erosion
• Biodiversity
• Regulating soil quality
• Food provision
• Regulating soil erosion

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Rivers and flood plains
• Wetland and flood plain habitats
• Semi-natural habitats
• Woodland and hedgerows
• Permanent pasture
• Soils

State – The River Trent has a long history of flooding. The Environment Agency flood risk map indicates a high risk of flooding along the river and in and around Lincoln.

Major embankments protect the larger towns while minor ones protect farmland from frequent flooding.

The Trent flood plain is an important resource in storing and regulating flood flows. At times of flood the volume of water increases ten-fold, spilling onto the flood plains.

Urban areas also suffer from the more general risks from surface water and sewer flooding under storm conditions.

Proposed actions under the River Witham Catchment Flood Management Plan include investigating the feasibility of creating natural storage areas along the river corridor upstream of Lincoln to manage future flood risk.

The River Trent Catchment Flood Management plan 2010 actions include looking at options for removing, abandoning or breaching sections of embankments where they provide little flood protection benefit.

Main beneficiary – Regional

Analysis – Re-naturalisation of flood plains can dissipate energy from water flow and increase the ability of areas to retain floodwaters upstream of flood risk areas.

Semi-natural flood plain habitats including flood plain grazing marsh and flood plain woodlands can reduce the flow of flood waters.

Planting of biomass crops, trees and hedgerows in flood plains can help alleviate flood risk by holding back water in peak flow events.

Woodlands, tree belts and dense hedgerows increase water infiltration and impede cross land flows, including the flow of flood waters.

Semi-natural habitats and extensively grazed permanent grasslands allow water infiltration.

Actions anywhere within the River Trent and River Witham’s catchment have potential to impact on water flow downstream.

Re-naturalisation of watercourses and reconnection with their flood plains would impact on the viability of the current type of arable farming within the flood plains.

Good soil management can improve infiltration of water and reduce flooding.

Opportunities – Seek opportunities to restore a more naturally functioning flood plain and river morphology.

Create and expand wetland and flood plain habitats to increase water storage within the flood plains to reduce flood water flows.

Seek opportunities to expand semi- natural habitats and extensively grazed permanent grassland to increase water infiltration and reduce cross land flows.

Seek opportunities to regulate water flow by enhancing the hedgerow network and tree cover of the NCA: planting of new hedgerows where they have been lost and planting of tree belts and small woodlands to intercept cross land flows and to slow flood plain flood water flow.

Use sustainable drainage techniques to reduce run-off and increase water infiltration thereby slowing down the rate which water enters the system.

Seek opportunities for growing of miscanthus and short rotation coppice with the re-instatement of active flood plains while avoiding impacts on the provision of other services.

Encourage land managers to use soil management techniques which improve water infiltration.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Regulating water flow
• Biodiversity
• Regulating water quality
• Regulating soil erosion
• Regulating soil quality
• Climate regulation
• Food provision

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Triassic and Jurassic mudstones
• Geomorphological processes
• Superficial deposits of sands, silts, gravels and clays
• Alluvium along river valleys
• Pasture and other uncultivated agricultural land
• Semi-natural habitats

State – There are 9 main soilscapes in this NCA:

• Slightly acid loamy and clayey soils with impeded drainage (covering 31 per cent of NCA);
• Slowly permeable seasonally wet slightly acid but base-rich loamy and clayey soils (25 per cent);
• Naturally wet very acid sandy and loamy soils (13 per cent);
• Loamy and clayey flood plain soils with naturally high groundwater (13 per cent);
• Lime-rich loamy and clayey soils with impeded drainage (9 per cent);
• Loamy soils with naturally high groundwater (2 per cent);
• Freely draining slightly acid loamy soils (1 per cent);
• Freely draining slightly acid but base-rich soils (1 per cent);
• Freely draining flood plain soils (1 per cent);
• All the main soil types in this NCA are likely to suffer from compaction.

Main beneficiary – Regional

Analysis – Soils 1 and 2 are easily damaged when wet through compaction. Soil 1 has wet upper layers in winter and is at risk of poaching. Timing will be important in terms of winter water logging limiting access onto land. Soil 2 suffers from winter water-logging and its soil structure is easily damaged if cultivated when wet. Excess water will move as overland flow with potential erosion and diffuse water pollution consequences. Compaction will reduce water infiltration with the same consequences. Management measures that increase organic matter levels, including the use of grass leys, can help reduce these problems. Soil type 3 can have a weak structure and topsoil compaction and cultivation pans can occur. Wetness and flood risk means soil type 4 tends to have low bearing strength and therefore is at increased risk of compaction. Soil is fundamental to agriculture and thus protection of its quality by maintaining and enhancing organic matter content, avoiding compaction and preventing loss through erosion is essential for future food production.

Where watercourses have been engineered to reduce flood risk regular deposition of silts in the flood plain ceases, reducing one of the natural processes that maintains soil quality.

Opportunities – Support the farming community to time agricultural activities on vulnerable soils carefully especially avoiding those times when the soil is very wet and easily damaged.

Encourage management measures that increase soil organic matter levels such as conversion from arable to pasture, use of organic farming techniques and the use of grass leys in arable rotations.

Work with the farming community to seek opportunities to reduce compaction of vulnerable soils through changes in land management such as reduced stocking densities at times of the year when potential soil damage is greatest.

Seek opportunities to re-connect existing flood plain pastures with river flooding and create new flood plain pastures subject to river flooding to re-establish the natural deposition processes that maintain soil quality.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Regulating soil quality
• Regulating water quality
• Climate regulation
• Regulating soil erosion
• Regulating soil quality
• Food provision

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Semi-natural vegetation cover
• Woodland and hedgerows
• Permanent pasture
• Low lying, flat and gently undulating topography
• Climate

State – Broadly the soils of this NCA divide into three types with regards to erosion characteristics.

41 per cent of the soils of the NCA are generally not subject to erosion. These include slowly permeable seasonally wet slightly acid but base-rich loamy and clayey soils (25 per cent);

loamy and clayey flood plain soils with naturally high groundwater (13 per cent); and

loamy soils with naturally high groundwater (2 per cent); and freely draining flood plain soils (1 per cent).

While all the main soil types are likely to suffer from compaction, 41 per cent are particularly prone. These include: the slightly acid loamy and clayey soils with impeded drainage (31 per cent);

the lime-rich loamy and clayey soils with impeded drainage (9 per cent); and

the freely draining slightly acid but base-rich soils (1 per cent).14 per cent of the soils of the NCA are light soils and particularly at risk of erosion These are the naturally wet very acid sandy and loamy soils (13 per cent) and the freely draining slightly acid loamy soils (1 per cent).

Main beneficiary – Regional

Analysis – The high level of agricultural land use means that soil erosion on vulnerable soils is an important issue in this NCA.

Those soils especially prone to compaction are easily compacted by machinery or livestock if accessed when wet, increasing the risks of soil erosion by surface water run-off, especially on steeper slopes.

The naturally wet very acid sandy and loamy soils can be easily eroded if heavily trafficked or after heavy rain. For both light soil types soil erosion potential is exacerbated where organic matter levels are low after continuous arable cultivation or where soils are compacted and where the land is sloping.

Managing the land to reduce soil erosion may, in the short term, be a constraint to increasing food provision levels but will, in the long term help maintain the productivity of the land.

Better management of soils to combat erosion will lead to improvements in water quality and water flow in watercourses and a likely corresponding improvement in biodiversity.

Opportunities – Work with farmers and land managers to seek changes in management practices (such as those encouraged by catchment sensitive farming including the use of cover crops), especially on areas of light, sandy soils to improve soil structure and drainage, increase levels of organic matter and reduce rates of soil loss.

Encourage a reduction in the frequency and intensity of cultivation, increase field margins and grassland habitats, use green manure crops and winter stubble.

Work with farmers and land managers to ensure stocking regimes are appropriate and reduce compaction in areas where grazing is currently high in order to reduce poaching and compaction.

Seek and realise opportunities to increase areas of permanent pasture and semi-natural habitats particularly on soils subject to erosion and on steep slopes.

Time agricultural activities and livestock movements avoiding times when the soil is very wet.

Create habitats, tree belts and hedgerows in places to intercept and reduce rates of surface water and particulate runoff.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Regulating soil erosion
• Regulating water quality
• Biodiversity
• Sense of place/inspiration
• Regulating soil quality
• Food provision

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Semi-natural habitats
• Hedgerows and field margins
• Roadside verges
• Traditional orchards

State – Existing meadows, heathland and calcareous grassland total just 394 ha, less than1 per cent of the NCA area. These provide very limited and isolated nectar sources for pollinating insects

Nectar sources will also be provided by hedgerows, field margins, traditional orchards and road verges as well as by the gardens of the settlements across the NCA.

Main beneficiary – Local

Analysis – Poor networks of pollinator habitat limit the ability for pollinators to supply this service to a significant level in this NCA.

Increases in habitat for pollinators through creation of semi-natural habitats, increases in floristically enhanced field margins, new hedgerows and improvement of existing hedgerows, traditional orchards and appropriate management of road verges will increase the delivery of this service.

A strong pollinator population supports production of a wider variety of food products and supports food production in the future.

Organic management favours pollinators such as bumble bees because they depend heavily on rotations involving legumes such as clover. Organic farms are also more likely to contain unimproved grassland, which is ideal habitat for pollinators.

Opportunities – Enhance habitat networks for pollinator species within the agricultural landscape.

Encourage take up of agri-environment schemes especially those to floristically enhance field margins and hedgerow habitats

Increase the area of habitat favoured by pollinators through creation of semi-natural habitats especially meadows, heathland and calcareous grassland.

Also through increasing field margins, planting new hedgerows, improvement of existing hedgerows, protection and management of traditional orchards and suitable management of road verges.

Encourage the principles of organic management of land to favour pollinators such as the use of rotations involving clover

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Pollination
• Biodiversity
• Regulating water quality
• Food provision
• Climate regulation
• Regulating soil erosion
• Pest regulation
• Sense of place/inspiration
• Sense of history

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Existing semi-natural habitats
• Field margins
• Roadside verges
• Hedgerows

State – The areas of semi-natural habitat are very limited and fragmented.

Hedgerow quality tends to be low – often tightly trimmed, gappy and species-poor.

The predominance of arable cropping in the area means farmland habitats for natural predators of pests are limited.

Main beneficiary – Local

Analysis – Increasing diversity in species and structure of field margins and hedgerows will increase the ability for these areas to support populations of pest regulating species such as invertebrates, birds and mammals.

Improving the network of semi-natural habitats and linkages between them through creation of new areas of habitat, hedgerow planting and appropriate management of existing habitats and hedgerows will benefit pest regulating species.

Pesticides and tillage can reduce the abundance and diversity of natural enemies of pests which require refuges free from disturbance.

Opportunities – Seek opportunities to create semi-natural habitats, species- rich hedgerows and wider field margins close to areas of agricultural production to create a network of habitats for pest regulating species.

Encourage take up of agri-environment schemes especially those to floristically enhance field margins and hedgerow habitats

Encourage land management which reduces pesticide use and cultivation such as organic farming and pasture

Seek to increase diversity of structure and composition within semi-natural habitats to support a variety of pest-regulating species.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Pest regulation
• Pollination
• Biodiversity
• Sense of place/inspiration
• Food provision

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• River corridors and flood plains
• Predominately rural character
• Extensive views
• The field patterns and hedgerows
• Ancient woodlands and semi-natural habitats
• River Trent Vale of Belvoir
• The dumbles and becks
• Network of waterbodies on former gravel extraction sites
• The red brick and pantile villages and the network of minor roads
• The historic market towns and cities of Nottingham and Lincoln.
• Landmark buildings
• Bramley apple Stilton cheese
• Ashcroft Mill – The Mill on the Floss

State – The Countryside Quality Count’s overall assessment of the area was that the character of the area has diverged from the suggested vision – caused particularly through agricultural changes and through new development. In addition boundary features, semi natural habitats, historical features and riverine environments have been neglected

Despite the importance of the rivers in this area, they are frequently hidden from view by engineered flood defences.

In places the scale of major roads dominates the landscape and overpowers the sense of place; for example the upgraded A46 in the vicinity of Bingham.

While the power stations and sugar beet factory provide a sense of place, their scale “especially the coal-fired power stations” is very dominant.

Urban sprawl on the edge of the main settlements has eroded the predominantly rural character.

Main beneficiary – Regional

Analysis – Habitats and landscape features have been lost through agricultural intensification diminishing sense of place. This includes drainage of flood plains, conversion of pasture to arable, removal of hedgerows, loss of old farm buildings and damage to historical remains.

In many places flood plains are no longer active most of the time and much riverside pasture has been ploughed up for arable use.

Conservation and restoration of historic features contribute to protection of sense of place. Improved interpretation and accessibility will improve visitor experience and the value placed on such features.

Sensitive planning and design of new development which respects local distinctiveness and character will protect sense of place and can even enhance it.

Agri-environment schemes can be used to protect, manage and enhance historic and landscape features thereby protecting sense of place.

Opportunities – Seek opportunities to retain and restore field patterns through improved management of hedgerows and planting of new hedgerows where they have been lost to restore the historical hedgerow network and traditional character.

Seek opportunities for re-creating active flood plains, riverside pasture and other flood plain habitats to help define the rivers, the flood plains and strengthen sense of place.

Raise awareness of the distinctive features and sites of interest of the NCA to raise the value that people place on them to help protect and enhance the area.

New developments and infrastructure should be sensitively planned so as not to diminish the sense of place. For example developments within settlements should reflect the historic settlement pattern, scale of buildings and use of the characteristic materials.

Manage urban expansion sensitively to avoid prominence in the landscape to preserve the rural character and fully integrate green infrastructure.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Sense of place/inspiration
• Recreation
• Sense of history
• Tranquillity
• Biodiversity
• Regulating water flow
• Pollination flow
• Pollination

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Ancient monuments and remains
• The rich archaeology along the River Trent
• Medieval settlement pattern
• Enclosure period field patterns and building materials and styles
• Historic landmarks
• Historic Nottingham, Lincoln, Newark, Southwell
• Ancient woodlands
• Traditional orchards

State – The NCA has the following historic designations: 13 registered parks and gardens covering 385 ha, 1 registered battlefields covering 269 ha, 168 scheduled monuments and 3,226 listed buildings.

Traces of the Bronze and Iron Ages as well as the Romans, remain in the landscape.

The medieval settlement pattern of small compact villages and larger market towns remains broadly intact.

Medieval ridge and furrow cultivation features can still be seen unploughed land.

At Laxton the medieval ‘open field’ system of farming has been retained to the present day.

The ancient woodlands provide rare connections to the past.

The enclosure and reorganisation of the landscape in the 18th and 19th centuries is seen in the regular shaped fields bounded by hawthorn hedgerows and the red brick and pantile building style of farmsteads and villages.

The main settlements provide a rich sense of history which includes Nottingham’s medieval St Mary’s Church and the 19th- century Lace Market factory buildings; Southwell’s medieval minster and its 19th- century workhouse; Newark’s castle, its prominent spired church and its Civil War remains.

Main beneficiary – National

Analysis – The varied historical features within the NCA are an important part of its character.

The NCA has a high number of both upstanding and buried heritage assets.

Some of the effects of the intensification of agriculture have been negative, impacting on the historic character of the NCA; such as the removal of hedgerows and other traditional farmland features.

Ploughing up of pasture with medieval ridge-and-furrow cultivation patterns permanently removes these historical features.

Loss of traditional village patterns and use of non-traditional building materials from new development has been seen to some extent across the NCA.

Major infrastructure development such as the dualing of the A46 adversely impacts on the historic human scale of the landscape.

Drainage of flood plain grazing land and conversion to arable uses puts ancient archaeological remains at risk as a result of both desiccation and direct plough damage. The principle vulnerability to most scheduled ancient monuments at risk is from ploughing.

Traditional orchards were once a distinctive feature on the edges of settlements but many have been lost to other land uses or are neglected. 60 per cent of Nottinghamshire’s remaining orchards are in poor condition (Traditional Orchard Project in England: The creation of an inventory to support the UK Habitat Action Plan, Natural England Commissioned Reports 77, A.E. Burrough, C.M. Oines, S.P. Oram and H.J. Robertson, 2010).

Opportunities – Conserve, protect and enhance the sense of history in the landscape. Also raise awareness of the history of the NCA to encourage its protection.

Reduce damage to archaeology from cultivation by encouraging farmers and land managers to adopt best practice such as, direct drilling and shallow tilling, which will also protect crop marks and ground features.

Seek opportunities to protect archaeology through reversion to permanent pasture and raising water tables to preserve features.

Seek opportunities to protect remaining pasture, especially that with medieval ridge and furrow.

Protect and enhance existing hedgerows and replant hedgerows where they have been lost to strengthen historical field patterns

Protect the historic settlement pattern and vernacular architectural character through informed planning and development control

Promote the use of traditional building materials and architecture in new developments to maintain the distinctive historical style of the area.

Protect and enhance ancient woodlands, improve their management and raise awareness of them.

Restore and replant traditional orchards.

Protect and restore traditional farm buildings

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Sense of history
• Recreation
• Sense of place/inspiration
• Tranquillity
• Biodiversity

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Relatively low population
• Predominantly rural agricultural landscape

State – The 2006 CPRE map of tranquillity provides a benchmark. It shows that levels of tranquillity are highest in those areas which are outside major settlements and away from main roads.

There are some relatively large patches of rural landscape with high tranquillity ratings in this NCA such as within the Vale of Belvoir.

The main settlements, especially Nottingham and Lincoln, have low tranquillity scores

Main beneficiary – Regional

Analysis – The main threats to tranquillity include urban expansion and road traffic.

Safeguarding areas of tranquillity is important for well being, quality of life and the rural economy.

Opportunities – Protect and enhance tranquillity through influencing land use, transport and development decisions in the NCA.

Protect tranquillity by focussing new residential development within existing settlements. Plan new developments carefully to minimise car use and seek development which is not dependent on car use.

Protect the most tranquil areas of the NCA by resisting development, including new road development, which would introduce high levels of noise, light and visual intrusion.

Promote the use of measures that reduce noise and light pollution and visual intrusion in new and existing developments.

Protect and enhance the viability of a variety of rural land uses that do not negatively impact on ecosystem services to protect character, the rural economy and tranquillity over the long term.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Tranquillity
• Sense of history
• Recreation
• Sense of place/inspiration

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Public rights of way network
• Publicly accessible land
• Waterways and network of waterbodies including canals
• Quiet lanes and minor rural road network
• Villages, their pubs and teashops

State – The NCA offers a network of rights of way totalling 1,937km at a density of 1.09km per square km.

1.4 per cent of the NCA, 2,435 ha, is classified as being publicly accessible. This includes accessible woods, common land, Local Nature Reserves and country parks.

The River Trent, its flood plain and the large number of waterbodies created from sand and gravel extraction is a major recreational resource providing a range of opportunities including boating, water sports, fishing, walking and experiencing wildlife.

There are multi-user trails along the River Trent and the Grantham Canal providing cycling and walking opportunities.

Cycling opportunities are also provided by National Cycle Network routes as well as the extensive network of minor roads.

Current initiatives promoting recreation and access in parts of the area include the Trent Vale Landscape Partnership and the Greenwood Community Forest.

Main beneficiary – Regional

Analysis – Much of the area ranks as having low levels of non-road access based on 2009 Super Output Area (SOA) data.

200 ha of riverside meadows near Sutton-on-Trent are classified as open access land. Access tends to be very restricted in rural areas where large worked fields limit access with the rights of way network providing the main non-road access means. Extension of the non-road network, especially where it can link people to woodlands and river corridors should be a priority.

Green infrastructure initiatives will be developed in association with new developments and mineral extraction

Opportunities – Seek to increase recreation opportunities within the NCA including where there are natural features and historical elements to draw interest from residents and tourists.

Seek opportunities to extend the access network, especially where it can link people to woodlands and river corridors.

Seek opportunities to maximise new green infrastructure, links to the countryside and ways to minimise car use.

Seek opportunities to promote increased access and educational visits to farms.

Seek opportunities to diversify the rural economy by promoting recreation and tourism to help sustain traditional farming practices and land uses benefitting ecosystems.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Recreation
• Sense of place/inspiration
• Sense of history

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Semi-natural habitats
• Priority habitats
• River corridors
• Hedgerows and field margins
• Agri-environment schemes
• Wetland habitats

State – Due to the intensively farmed nature of landscape, the biodiversity resource of the NCA is very limited. Semi-natural habitats are scarce and very fragmented and there are no internationally designated sites

There are 33 SSSI in the NCA totalling 685 ha (less than 1 per cent of the area). In 2011 20 per cent of were in ‘favourable’ condition; while 53 per cent were in ‘unfavourable recovering’ condition and 26 per cent were in ‘unfavourable’ condition.

There are 718 Local Sites covering 7,915 ha (4 per cent of the NCA).

1,996 ha (just over 1 per cent) is ancient semi-natural woodland or ancient re-planted woodland.

The most significant priority habitat within the NCA in terms of area is flood plain grazing marsh which covers 2,421 ha (1.4 per cent of the area) mostly located in the Trent flood plain.

Numerous new wetland habitat sites have been created on the sites of former sand and gravel extraction.

Main beneficiary – Local

Analysis – Patches of semi-natural habitat create important features in the landscape, making it more permeable for species movement than it would be otherwise, however much of this habitat resource is fragmented and disconnected.

The waterways provide important habitats and wildlife corridors; however much of their flood plain habitats have been lost to agricultural intensification and conversion to arable uses.

The farmed environment includes ditches, hedgerows, copses and field margins dispersed through the landscape providing important connections across it and providing habitats for farmland birds.

There is considerable scope to improve biodiversity by working with land managers through agri- environment schemes.

The extensive sand and gravel deposits of the area continue to be exploited providing new opportunities for wetland habitat creation and increased habitat connectivity.

Opportunities – Maximise opportunities to protect, enhance and expand semi-natural habitats across the NCA.

Strategically plan areas of habitat creation to maximise connections between existing biodiversity-rich sites to enable greater movement of species through the landscape. Maximise opportunities to expand flood plain habitats along the river corridors.

Work with landowners and farmers to ensure biodiversity features are incorporated into the farmed landscape to maximise value for biodiversity, pest regulation and pollination.

Encourage land management practices that benefit farmland birds, such as overwintering stubble for winter food sources particularly for seed eating birds such as linnet and reed bunting.

Seek opportunities to sustainably utilise wetland habitats for food provision such as flood plain grazing marsh for cattle grazing.

Seek opportunities to maximise biodiversity gains from the restoration of sand and gravel extraction sites while respecting intrinsic landscape character.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Biodiversity
• Sense of place/inspiration
• Tranquillity
• Regulating soil erosion
• Regulating soil quality
• Pest regulation
• Recreation
• Sense of history

Assets/attributes: main contributors to service –

• Topography
• Bedrock geology and the deeper Carboniferous coalfield deposits
• Superficial deposits; sand and gravel
• Exposed rock formations
• Designated geological sites
• Minerals and oil Soils
• Building materials
• Geomorphological features
• Disused quarries and pits

State – The landform expresses the link to the underlying geology and to the superficial river- borne and glacial deposits.

Jurassic and Triassic geology overlain by subsequent deposits from the action of glaciers, water and wind produce a diversity of agriculturally versatile soil types.

Quaternary sand and gravel deposits provide significant resources for the construction industry.

Gypsum, present in the Mercia Mudstone formation, is used to produce plaster and plasterboard .

There is one nationally designated geological site in the NCA; Colwick Cutting SSSI displaying a section of the Triassic Mercia Mudstone and underlying Sherwood Sandstone.

There are 21 local (non-statutory) sites including Gibbet Hill River Cliffs at Radcliffe on Trent where the river has cut into the Mercia Mudstone and exposed the Triassic rock.

The Mercia Mudstone provides clay suitable for brick making. The Jurassic Lias series has provided stone building material for villages in the south-east of the area. Blue Lias stone features in medieval church walling, dwellings barns and other walling. Marlstone ‘Ironstone’ outcrops north and west of Grantham where it features especially in churches.

Sherwood Sandstone and Lincolnshire Limestone from adjoining areas also feature as building materials.

The Trent flood plain displays meanders, relict channels and cut off meander lakes. The Lincoln Gap was created by the course of the ancient Trent.

The impermeable Mercia Mudstone traps reservoirs of oil. Duke’s Wood was the site of Britain’s first oil field.

Coal was mined within the NCA from the deeper Carboniferous coal field deposits.

Streams on the Mercia Mudstone have eroded into the bedrock and created the distinctive incised dumbles and becks geomorphological features.

Main beneficiary – Regional

Analysis – Sand and gravel extraction continues at sites north of Newark in the Trent flood plain and west of Lincoln. The remaining sand and gravel resource is very extensive – one of the largest in the country.

Extensive lengths of the river systems throughout the Vales have been artificially manipulated to such an extent that natural geomorphological processes are severely impaired. Re-naturalisation of rivers would have benefits for other ecosystem services and would provide more opportunities to witness natural geomorphological processes. However, the viability of the current type of arable farming within the flood plains would be affected.

The superficial deposits have strongly influenced the settlement pattern, land use and character of the NCA such as the establishment of early settlements on the Trent river terraces and the distribution of habitats, such as heathland associated with windblown sands.

The Mercia Mudstone continues to provide brick clay and gypsum for local factories

Geological sites provide important and accessible sections allowing the interpretation, understanding and research into the geology and geomorphology of the NCA and our understanding of past climate.

Interpretation about the history of the Nottinghamshire oil fields is found at Duke’s Wood.

Many of the Local Geological Sites in the NCA are in disused quarries and pits. This reflects both the importance of quarrying in the area and the value of these sites in understanding the geological history of the NCA.

Opportunities – Protect and improve condition and accessibility of geological and geomorphological sites that help in understanding the area’s geology.

Seek opportunities to re-naturalise sections of watercourses to provide more opportunities to understand geomorphological processes and also enhance their riverine character, wetland habitats and associated ecosystem service.

Seek opportunities to enable appropriate small-scale extraction of Marlstone and Blue Lias to provide material for repair of existing buildings for use in new development to maintain the vernacular character.

Raise awareness and understanding of the geological assets, the quarrying and mining heritage and the geological history of the NCA.

Seek opportunities to interpret geodiversity and relate geodiversity to the character and development of the NCA’s landscapes, settlement pattern, buildings and industries.

Principal services offered by opportunities –

• Geodiversity
• Sense of history
• Sense of place/inspiration
• Recreation
• Regulating soil quality
• Biodiversity