- Investigate and implement the most appropriate management solutions for preserving the historical, cultural and ecological aspects across all the Nettlebed and District Commons.
- Consult with local residents and users of Kingwood Common regarding the long term sustainable management of the common; particularly focusing on the management of open glades.
- Source appropriate funding and resources to carry out management works.
- Encourage increased usage of the commons
Detailed information about common land and the Nettlebed and District Commons can be found in the ‘About Nettlebed Commons’ section. A brief introduction can be found below.
1. What are the Nettlebed and District commons?
There are eight separate commons (Nettlebed Common, Lower Common Wood, Oxlands Bottom, Highmoor Common Wood, Highmoor Common, Witheridge Hill Common, Peppard Common and Kingwood Common) covering a total area of 227 hectares (560 acres).
2. Who owns the commons?
There are three separate landowners. The vast majority is owned by the Nettlebed Estate, whilst ownership of Witheridge Hill Common is split between two individuals.
3. What are commoners’ rights?
Commoners’ rights vary according to the individual property they are allocated to, but include rights to graze, collect wood for fire and bracken for animal bedding.
4. Who has commoners’ rights?
Certain properties around the Nettlebed and District commons have registered commoners’ rights. These rights were registered under the 1965 Commons Registration Act.
5. What is special about the commons?
Each of the commons represents an important part of local history, for example clay extraction for the brick industry in Nettlebed took place on common land. These clay pits have now formed a fantastic network of woodland ponds. They are also havens for wildlife and contain rare species including the hazel dormouse, great crested newt and white admiral butterfly.
Please follow these links below and find out more about the wildlife, ponds, woodland and heathland on our Commons.
June 2011
The application made by the Commons Conservators to erect fencing to enable seasonal grazing on Kingwood Common has been refused.
The decision notice can be accessed via the following link:
Decision Notice COM 165 Kingwood Common
We, the applicants understand that some people have concerns about the proposals to graze and fence on Kingwood Common. However, we have also received a large amount of support for the project, which has gone largely unnoticed in recent publicity. The information that has been added to the website will hopefully answer many of the questions that we have been asked.
We are also aware that we are never going to gain unanimous support for this proposal, but we hope that by making some amendments to the proposal that some concerns may have been allayed. However, there is a strong case for using cattle grazing to manage the open glades on Kingwood Common; there are numerous examples of successful grazing schemes on this habitat elsewhere in the country (nearby examples include Pamber Forest, Headley Heath and Burnham Beeches). It is on this basis that we believe that this proposal justifies being sent to the Planning Inspectorate for consideration.
There has been local media coverage which has often portrayed an unbalanced view of the grazing proposal. Whilst we understand that there are some people that have very real concerns, in the absence of any real alternative solution, we feel that we need to proceed with the grazing and fencing proposal.
We are proposing that any fencing and grazing proposal is time limited for ten years to allow time to monitor the success of the grazing. At the end of the ten year period, a review will be made regarding the success of the scheme, and a decision taken as to whether or not it should continue. There will be a period of public consultation involved in this stage.
Grazing Project -
Options for future management of open glades on Kingwood Common
Options for enclosing grazing animals on Kingwood Common
Map of proposed fence line and suggested access points
Summary Follow-
Kingwood Commons Grazing Project Summary Document December 2009 Planning Inspectorate application process
Response to Objections Document -
BBOWT position statement January
11th 2011
The Kingwood Common Project 2008/2011
Links
More information about common land and conservation can be found by using the links below:
Chilterns Conservation Board (www.chilternsaonb.org)
Oxfordshire Nature Conservation Forum (www.oncf.org.uk)
Open Spaces Society (www.oss.org.uk)
Documents concerning the application are available to view by following these links:
Conservators response to the decision by the Planning Inspector
An application to Defra by Nettlebed and District Commons Conservators to fence a part of Kingwood Common to allow seasonal grazing may have been refused, but we have said all along that we would accept the Inspector's decision. The Nettlebed and District Commons (Preservation) Act which has served us well for over one hundred years did not legislate for conditions that prevail in the 21st Century and sadly and somewhat predictably has been the principal reason for the failure of this application. Much had been made by objectors over the quality of the consultation process and we have been pleased to note that the Inspector felt that this appeared to have been open and transparent to those who might have wished to take an interest at the time.
We are very disappointed with the outcome after many years of hard work by the Conservators, Berks Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust, Chilterns Conservation Board, Oxfordshire Nature Conservation Forum, SODC and other wildlife ecologists who put forward a very strong case. We are, of course, grateful for the support from the owners of the commons and for all our the efforts of our supporters. Importantly our proposed scheme was little different from the many other successful grazing schemes encouraged by Defra throughout the UK.
However we still have a challenge finding the best means of conserving the lowland heathland on Kingwood which it is important to preserve. To do nothing has never been an option and will soon lead to further encroachment of scrub on this beautiful common.
We would hope to encourage more home owners who campaigned for the public inquiry,
to be more pro-
The Commons Conservators will continue to strive for a solution for a successful management scheme to preserve the lowland heathland on Kingwood Common and will welcome any genuinely sustainable proposals.