A guide to Forestry Commission’s Sensitivitysensitivity Mapsmaps for Woodlandwoodland Creationcreation

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TheWe Forestryhave Commission has developed a series of sensitivity maps,maps based on nationally available and consistent datasets,spatial todata. indicate where there are likely to be fewer sensitivities to woodland creation.

These maps will help to indicate to landowners whether there is likely to be potential to establish new woodland on theirland land,parcels andor where there may be sensitivities that would precludeprevent tree planting or woodland creation.

TheWhere the maps doshow not indicate that, where there is a low sensitivity to new woodland beingcreation, created,this does not guarantee that plantingwe will beapprove agreedplanting. byHowever, the Forestrylow Commission,sensitivity theareas regulatordo fornot woodlandhave andany forestryclear projectsconstraints into England.address However,on the lowbasis sensitivityof areasnational havedatasets, fewest identified constraints to address, and it should be easier to agree creating new woodland here than in other areas.

Likewise, creation of new woodland, particularly of native woodland, may be appropriate outside ‘low sensitivity’ areas,areas. butWe will determine the appropriateness of proposals in these areasareas. willWhere againrelevant, bewe determinedwill byrespond the Forestry Commission, including through responding to the views of Natural England, Environment Agency, Historic England, the Locallocal Authorityauthority and other stakeholders, where relevant.stakeholders.

The Sensitivitysensitivity Mapsmaps exclude all land that is unsuitable for planting, includingfor example land mapped as urban areas, existing (andwoodland, assumed)assumed woodlandwoodland, andor habitats that are considered too wet, or too rocky,rocky andor too salty to support the growth of trees. This is achieved throughby restricting the Sensitivitysensitivity Mapsmaps to the following land covers, based on the most recent update of Landcover Map (2020):(UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, 2021):

• acid grassland
• arable and horticulture
• calcareous grassland
• heather
• heather grassland
• improved grassland
• neutral grassland

The

Variants spatial datasets and individual layers of thosethe datasetsfull thatsensitivity definemap land as unsuitable and low,low medium, or high sensitivity formap woodland creation in the Full Sensitivity Map version 3.0 are set out at Annex A. The national Full Sensitivity Map v3.0 and the associated Low Sensitivity Map are presented at Annex B.

4.0

TheWe lineagehave ofalso datadeveloped inputs3 used to create the Full Sensitivity Map v3.0 and all variants are presented in Annex C. Data inputs, footnotes and acknowledgements are presented in Annex D. Overview maps for England, showing each variant, are presented in Annex E.

Variants of the Lowfull andsensitivity Fullmap Sensitivity Maps

Three variants of the Full Sensitivity Map v3.0 and associated Lowlow Sensitivitysensitivity Mapmap, v3.0 have also been developed, which assign low sensitivity status to either one or both of two2 datasets that are treated as medium sensitivity in the Fullfull Sensitivitysensitivity Mapmap, at Annex B, as set out below:

England Woodlandwoodland Creationcreation Lowlow Sensitivitysensitivity Mapmap v3.0version -4.0 variant 1

• agricultural land Classclass 3a: changed to low sensitivity
• protected landscapes (National Parks,Parks theand BroadsNational andLandscapes): AONBs):changed to low sensitivity

England Woodlandwoodland Creationcreation Lowlow Sensitivitysensitivity Mapmap v3.0version -4.0 variant 2

• agricultural land Classclass 3a: remaining medium sensitivity
• protected landscapeslandscapes: (Nationalchanged Parks,to the Broads and AONBs): low sensitivity

England Woodlandwoodland Creationcreation Lowlow Sensitivitysensitivity Mapmap v3.0version -4.0 variant 3

• agricultural land Class 3a: changed to low Sensitivitysensitivity
• protected landscapeslandscapes: (Nationalremaining Parks, the Broads and AONBs): medium sensitivity

The variants of the Fullfull and Lowlow Sensitivitysensitivity Mapsmaps have been developed because, in the case of agricultural land quality, the decision to plant on the best and most versatile land is largely an economic decision made by the landowner;landowner. variantsVariants 1 and 3 reveal underlying sensitivities of ALC3a land. For Protectedprotected Landscapeslandscapes, where woodland creation may be desirable, particularly of native woodland, variants 1 and 2 reveal sensitivities to woodland creation other than Protectedprotected Landscapelandscape status.

Relationship with the Low-Risklow-risk Mapmap for woodland creation

The Lowlow Sensitivitysensitivity Mapmap v3.0v4.0 is a development of the Low-Risklow-risk Mapmap for woodland creation, as defined in the Environmental Impact (Forestry) Regulations (2017), with the main differences set out below:

• all areas of peat included in Natural England’s England peat map are excluded from the Lowlow Sensitivitysensitivity Mapmap (and its variants), with deep peat classified as high sensitivity and shallow peat and other soils with peaty pockets classified as medium sensitivity

• areas of land included in the Waderwader Zonalzonal Mapsmaps for curlew and golden plover as strata 2 to 5 are excluded from the Lowlow Sensitivitysensitivity Mapmap (and its variants), with strata 4 and 5 treated as high sensitivity and strata 2 and 3 as medium sensitivity

• areas of land included in the wood pasture and Parkland Priority Habitat layer are excluded from the low sensitivity map (and its variants)

• areas of land included in the historic environment ridge and furrow layer are excluded from the low sensitivity map (and its variants).

• amended buffers are, in some cases, applied to Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs),(SSSIs), Special Protection Areas (SPAs), Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and RAMSARRamsar sites.sites: Detailsdetails of the buffer that applies to each are set out in Annexthe Asection Summary of the types of Woodland Creation sensitivity maps

• some layers have also been updated, including the Priority Habitat Inventory

The Low-Risklow-risk Mapmap for woodland creation will continue to be used for meeting the requirements of the 2017 EIA (Forestry) regulations in terms of determining where notification may apply, rather than EIA screening;screening. however,However, the Fullfull and Lowthe Sensitivity3 Mapslow sensitivity maps represent a more current view of sensitivities to woodland creation.

National breakdown of land sensitivity for woodland creation

National statistics of land sensitivity for the Fullfull and Lowlow Sensitivitysensitivity Mapsmaps are given in Table 11, below, including for the three3 variants.

Table 1. National breakdown of land sensitivity for the England Woodlandwoodland Creationcreation Fullfull Sensitivitysensitivity Mapmap v3.0,v4.0, the Lowlow Sensitivitysensitivity Mapmap v3.0v4.0 (restricted to blocks more than 2 hectares in area) derived from it, and the three3 variants.

MapSensitivity variantmap	Variant description	Sensitivity	Area (ha)of England (hectares)
	Full Sensitivitysensitivity Mapmap v3.0v4.0	None	Unsuitable	3,294,8683,314,664
		Low	3,073,9982,854,532
		Medium	3,727,1863,780,625
		High	2,950,3203,096,414
	Low Sensitivitysensitivity Mapmap v3.0v4.0	Restricted to blocksland greaterparcels more than 2 hahectares in size	Low	3,045,4562,846,793
	Full Sensitivitysensitivity Mapmap v3.0v4.0, variant 1	ALC 3a3a: andlow Protectedsensitivity protected Landscapes: low sensitivity	Unsuitable	3,294,8683,314,664
		Low	4,665,0834,353,194
		Medium	2,136,1012,281,964
		High 3,096,414	2,950,320
	Full Sensitivitysensitivity Mapmap v3.0v4.0, variant 2	Protected ALC Landscapes:3a: medium sensitivity protected landscapes: low sensitivity	Unsuitable	3,294,8683,314,664
		Low	3,723,9503,314,664
		Medium	3,077,2343,172,817
		High	2,950,3203,096,414
	Full Sensitivitysensitivity Mapmap v3.0v4.0, variant 3	ALC 3a: low sensitivity protected Landscapes: medium sensitivity	Unsuitable	3,294,8683,314,664
		Low	3,885,3603,620,947
		Medium	2,915,8243,014,211
		High	2,950,3203,096,414

Summary of the types of woodland creation sensitivity maps

ViewThe Annexdatasets informationnow available are:

England woodland creation full sensitivity map v4.0

This dataset is the product of geospatial analysis to identify areas that may have sensitivities that need to be considered when creating new woodland in England. It identifies places regarded as either:

• low sensitivity
• medium sensitivity
• high sensitivity
• unsuitable (for woodland creation)

The full sensitivity map covers all of England to the attachedhigh-water document.mark with the entire country assigned to one of the four categories set out above.

England woodland creation low sensitivity map v4.0

This dataset is based on a subset of the ‘England woodland creation full sensitivity map v4.0’ dataset, for England, showing only land regarded as low sensitivity (as in the full sensitivity map), but with the additional criteria that these areas are greater than 2 hectares in extent.

Three variants of the low sensitivity map are also presented:

• England woodland creation low sensitivity map v4.0 - variant 1

• England woodland creation low sensitivity map v4.0 - variant 2

• England woodland creation low sensitivity map v4.0 - variant 3

The low sensitivity map covers all of England to the high-water mark and shows where the land is assigned as low sensitivity according to the respective criteria for the specific map as fully detailed below.

Woodland Creation Opportunity Area

Any land that falls under the following land classifications in the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) Land Cover Map 2020 (25 m raster):

Type	Land classification identifier
Acid grassland	7
Arable and horticulture	3
Calcareous grassland	6
Heather	9
Heather grassland	10
Improved grassland	4
Neutral grassland	5

The following non-woodland components of the National Forest Inventory are also included:

• agriculture land
• bare ground
• grassland
• low density tree cover
• other vegetation
• shrub

FurtherHow informationland is classified unsuitable or low, medium, high sensitivity

Extent: England
Format: Raster grid, polygon format also available
Grid resolution: 25 metres by 25 metres

Land that is low sensitivity for woodland creation

Land with a low sensitivity for woodland creation is defined in this map layer as land with any one or more of the following designations:

It is not:

• unsuitable
• high sensitivity for woodland creation
• medium sensitivity for woodland creation

It is within land from the following land cover categories of the Land Cover Map (2021) (LCM) published by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH):

• acid grassland
• arable and horticulture
• calcareous grassland
• heather
• heather grassland
• improved grassland
• neutral grassland

The spatialfollowing non-woodland Interpreted Forest Types (IFTs) from Forest Research’s National Forest Inventory (NFI) woodland map (2020) are also included:

• agriculture land
• bare ground
• grassland
• low density tree cover
• other vegetation
• shrub

Land that is medium sensitivity for woodland creation

Land with a medium sensitivity for new planting of woodland is defined in this map layer as land with any one or more of the following designations:

It is not:

• unsuitable
• high sensitivity for woodland creation

It is in map layers defined as:

• acid vulnerable catchments: catchments are assessed for acid vulnerability using the Water Framework Directive classification of water quality, published by the Environment Agency. We define acid vulnerability from the results for pH (one element of the Physico-Chemical Quality test) and both fish and invertebrates, which are elements of the biological quality test (i.e. all areas defined as ‘FAIL’, or ‘FAIL_BIO’ in the 2019 data)

• Agricultural Land Class (ALC): In areas ALC 1, or ALC 2 or ALC 3a
• National Landscapes, previously known as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs)
• Birdlife International Important Bird Areas (IBAs)
• Countryside Stewardship (CS): a) Land parcels with CS scheme agreements with end dates later than 31 December 2021; plus b) Land parcels in all Higher-tier agreements
• Countryside Right of Way (CROW) Act 2000 - S4 Conclusive Registered Common Land
• Environmental Stewardship Higher Level Agreements
• Local Nature Reserves (LNRs)
• National Parks (NPs)
• Natural England peat map: on land with either shallow peaty soils = medium sensitivity and other soils with peaty pockets = medium sensitivity
• Priority Habitat Inventory: in places that are any one or more of the following: fragmented heath, grass moorland, good quality semi-improved grassland
• Wader Zonal Map for golden plover and curlew breeding wading bird species (a combined layer showing highest sensitivity for either species): In either strata 2 or strata 3 areas (i.e. medium sensitivity)
• ridge and furrow: ridge and furrow with no buffer applied: detection areas only

Land that is high sensitivity for woodland creation

Land with a high sensitivity for new planting of woodland is defined in this map layer as land within any one or more of the following designations:

It is not unsuitable. It is within:

• National Nature Reserves
• Natural England peat map: in areas of deep peaty soils
• Priority Habitat Inventory: within other than fragmented heath, grass moorland, and good quality semi-improved grassland
• Ramsar sites: in, or within a 700 mile buffer
• registered battlefields: in, or within a 200 mile buffer
• registered parks and gardens: in, or within a 200 mile buffer
• scheduled monuments: in, or within a 200 mile buffer
• Special Protection Areas (SPAs): in, or within a 2,000 mile buffer
• Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs): if the land is above the moorland line, then in, or within a 1,000 mile buffer
• Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs): if the land is below the moorland line, then in, or within a 250 mile buffer
• Special Areas of Conservation (SACs): if the land is above the moorland line, then in, or within a 700 mile buffer
• Special Areas of Conservation (SACs): if the land is below the moorland line, then in, or within a 250 mile buffer
• Wader Zonal Map for golden plover and curlew breeding wading bird species (a combined layer showing highest sensitivity for either species): in either strata 4 or strata 5 areas (i.e. high sensitivity)
• World Heritage Site: in, or within a 200 mile buffer
• wood pasture and parkland priority habitat: all categories

Land that is unsuitable for woodland creation

Land that is unsuitable for new planting of woodland is defined in this map layer as land with any one or more of the following designations:

Land Cover Map (2021) (LCM) from the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH): In places defined as:

Type	Land classification identifier
Bog	11
Coniferous woodland	2
Deciduous woodland	1
Fen	8
Freshwater	14
Inland rock	12
Littoral rock	17
Littoral sediment	18
Saltmarsh	19
Saltwater	13
Suburban	21
Supralittoral rock	15
Supralittoral sediment	16
Urban	20

National Forest Inventory (NFI) woodland map (2020) from Forest Research. The following Interpreted Forest Types (IFTs):

• assumed woodland
• broadleaved
• conifer
• coppice
• coppice with standards
• failed
• felled
• ground prep
• mixed mainly broadleaved
• mixed mainly conifer
• open water
• quarry
• river
• road
• uncertain
• urban
• windblown
• young trees

All areas of England not thus defined as ‘unsuitable’ have gone on to be identified as either low sensitivity, medium sensitivity, or high sensitivity.

The England woodland creation low sensitivity map v4.0

Extent: England
Format: Raster grid, polygon format also available
Grid resolution: 25 m by 25 m

This is a separate geospatial map layer based on a subset of the England woodland creation full sensitivity map v4.0.

It shows land parcels that fulfil both of the following criteria:

• low sensitivity for woodland creation in the England woodland creation full sensitivity map v4.0
• of an extent of 2 hectares or more

The England woodland creation low sensitivity map v4.0: further 3 variants

Extent: England
Format: Raster grid, polygon format also available
Grid resolution: 25 m by 25 m
Of an extent of 2 hectares or more 

These are 3, further, separate geospatial map layers based on the England woodland creation low sensitivity map v4.0:

England woodland creation low sensitivity map v4.0 - variant 1

This is the England woodland creation low sensitivity map v4.0 plus areas of land that have different sensitivities assigned compared to the core England woodland creation low sensitivity map v4.0:

• Agricultural Land Classification 3a assigned as low sensitivity
• National Landscapes assigned as low sensitivity
• National Parks assigned as low sensitivity

England woodland creation low sensitivity map v4.0 - variant 2

This is the England woodland creation low sensitivity map v4.0 plus areas of land that have different sensitivities assigned compared to the core England woodland creation low sensitivity map v4.0:

• National Landscapes assigned as low sensitivity
• National Parks assigned as low sensitivity

England woodland creation low sensitivity map v4.0 - variant 3

This is the England woodland creation low sensitivity map v4.0 plus areas of land that have different sensitivities assigned compared to the core England woodland creation low sensitivity map v4.0: Agricultural Land Classification 3a assigned as low sensitivity.

Spatial datasets used in sensitivity mapping

Dataset	Date
Acid vulnerable catchments	19 September 2023
Agricultural Land Classification (ALC)	12 March 2019
Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs)	15 May 2020
Birdlife International Important Bird Areas	February 2020
Countryside Stewardship (CS)	25 September 2023
CROW Act 2000 - S4 Conclusive Registered Common Land	24 October 2017
Environmental Stewardship Higher Level Scheme Agreements	3 October 2023
UKCEH Land Cover Map (2021) (LCM)	4 May 2023
Local Nature Reserves (LNRs)	15 February 2022
National Forest Inventory (NFI) woodland map (2020)	28 July 2022
National Nature Reserves	15 March 2022
National Parks (NPs)	15 February 2019
Natural England Peat Map	22 July 2021
Priority Habitat Inventory	26 July 2023
Ramsar sites	15 September 2020
Registered Battlefields	20 August 2021
Registered parks and gardens	4 January 2022
Scheduled monuments	24 February 2022
Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs)	15 March 2022
Special Areas of Conservation (SAC)	7 December 2021
Special Protection Areas (SPAs)	7 December 2021
Wader Zonal Map	18 December 2021
World Heritage Sites	20 August 2021
Wood Pasture and Parkland Priority Habitat	21 October 2020
Ridge and furrow	14 August 2023

UKCEH Land Cover Map

UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology’s Land Cover Maps are parcel-based thematic classifications of satellite image data covering the UK. They are used in a wide range of applications by government departments and agencies, county councils, charities and environmental management bodies.

Further details of the land cover map used for the woodland creation sensitivity maps can be downloadedfound in: Morton RD; Marston CG; O’Neil AW and Rowland CS (2021). Land Cover Map 2020 (land parcels, GB) NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre.

Natural England peat map

Find peaty soils location data for more information on this data layer and licensing. By using this data you are accepting the terms of use of a 3rd party supplier. You will be provided with the relevant terms of use. BGS, Cranfield University and OS must be acknowledged in any reports or documents produced as a result of using the peat layer.

Provisional Agricultural Land Classification

Agricultural Land Classification data that have been further refined using the ‘Likelihood of Best and Most Versatile’ (BMV) layer to split class 3 land into 3a and 3b.  For BMV Licence information contact data.services@naturalengland.org.uk. © Natural England copyright [2019], reproduced with the permission of Natural England. © Crown Copyright and database right. Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000851168. Derived from 1:50 000 scale BGS Digital Data under Licence 2006/072 British Geological Survey. © NERC. National Soils map . © Cranfield University (NSRI) . © Crown Copyright and database rights

The Acid Vulnerable Catchments layer

Waterbodies that have failed for pH (low pH - acidic) and/or biology due to acidification are treated as failing and their catchments are flagged by failing in the Forestrycolumn Commission‘RBMP_c3’. OpenThe mapping will be updated for each cycle of the River Basin Management Plans. The ‘At Risk’ category has been removed as there is enough evidence to determine if the catchment is vulnerable (failing) or not.

Important Bird Areas (IBA)

Data websitereproduced with the permission of RSPB. © Crown Copyright. Ordnance Survey licence number 100021787 (2022).

Ridge and Furrow

This dataset is subject to restrictions. It can only be used internally by Forest Services and for inclusion in sensitivity and opportunity mapping where the data is aggregated with other large-scale datasets.

The Acid Vulnerable Catchments layer

Waterbodies that have failed for pH (low pH - acidic) and/or biology due to acidification are treated as failing and their catchments are flagged by failing in the column ‘RBMP_c3’. The mapping will be updated for each cycle of the River Basin Management Plans. The ‘At Risk’ category has been removed as there is enough evidence to determine if the catchment is vulnerable (failing) or not.

National overview of the full sensitivity map version 4.0

Map 1: England woodland creation full sensitivity map version 4.0

Map 2: England woodland creation full sensitivity map version 4.0 variant 1

Map 3: England woodland creation full sensitivity map version 4.0 variant 2

Map 4: England woodland creation full sensitivity map version 4.0 variant 3

Map 5: England woodland creation low sensitivity map version 4.0

Map 6: England woodland creation low sensitivity map version 4.0 variant 1

Map 7: England woodland creation low sensitivity map version 4.0 variant 2

Map 8: England woodland creation low sensitivity map version 4.0 variant 3

Further information

For further information on any of these woodland creation sensitivity map geospatial data layers you can contact evidence@forestrycommission.gov.uk.

You can read the previous guide to Forestry Commission’s sensitivity maps for woodland creation (PDF, 3.18 MB, 21 pages) (Version 3.0).