Conserving Herefordshire’s Common Land...
Community Commons is a project run by the Trust that aims to work with local landowners, commoners and stakeholders and increase their awareness of wildlife on commons and their involvement in its conservation.
A generous grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund underpins the project, with additional funding obtained from the Trust, English Nature and the Herefordshire Council.
Why the interest in the Commons?
Herefordshire’s commons support a significant portion of
the County’s most important wildlife. There are twelve commons that are a part of the project:
- Cefn Hill
- Vagar Hill
- Climbing Jack
- Ewyas Harold
- Garway Hill
- Yatton Hill
- Merbach Hill
- Brimfield
- Wyson
- Badley Wood
- Herrock Hill
- Hergest Ridge
These commons have been selected because of their significant wildlife and habitat values, and because of the potential threats to these values. They have also been selected because of historic community support for the project and the potential to significantly improve their wildlife value.
» Download community commons map pdf (792KB).
What does the project involve?
An initial 18-month planning phase, which began in January this year, aims to help local communities produce action plans for the 12 Herefordshire commons. These action plans will primarily tackle wildlife conservation issues. Where possible the project will try to incorporate other issues but only where these are relevant to the successful long-term management of wildlife.
Over the coming months two full-time Community Commons Project staff will be working alongside stakeholders of each common to help give everyone the opportunity to participate in the development of the individual action plans. The involvement of individuals is voluntary, but is crucial to the success of the project.
A further three-years of funding will then be available to help local communities implement their action plans. This phase of the project could for example pay for a machinery ring to harvest bracken and training for the local community to use this equipment. Wildlife interpretation, remedying access difficulties, or reinstating sufficient grazing levels on the commons are other possible actions that may come out of the project.
» For more information contact Tim Breakwell at the Trust's Lugwardine office. Phone 01432 853205.
Project update
Click the links below to see the latest news from the Community Commons project:
Funders
The Community Commons project is joint funded by English Nature, Herefordshire Council, Heritage Lottery Fund and Herefordshire Nature Trust.
