The Highwood Management Conference met to discuss the Countryside Service's annual report, the Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Berkshire, and the terms of reference for the Highwood Management Conference. The conference was also scheduled to consider an update on Bulmershe Park.

Local Nature Recovery Strategy

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) for Berkshire.

Local Nature Recovery Strategies are spatial strategies established under the Environment Act 2021 aimed at recovering nature across England. Each LNRS would create a baseline map for areas of particular importance for biodiversity and priorities for nature recovery. The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead is leading on the development of the Berkshire LNRS with support from the other five unitary authorities, including Wokingham Borough Council.

At the previous meeting on 21 October 2024, Nick Bather from the Friends of Bulmershe Open Space briefed the committee on the potential for improvements in the Bulmershe Green Corridor¹.

The Friends of Bulmershe Open Space had identified a number of sites which formed a green corridor through the Bulmershe area, including:

• Reading Road Allotments owned by Reading Borough Council.
• Bulmershe Park owned by Earley and Woodley Town Councils.
• Bulmershe Field informal open space linked to Bulmershe Park owned by Wokingham Borough Council.
• School Playing Fields and unmanaged margins.
• Residential Gardens rear of Pitts Lane/Church Road.
• Highwood Local Nature Reserve owned by Wokingham Borough Council.
• Bulmershe Allotments owned by Reading Borough Council.
• Redundant Bulmershe Allotment Land owned by Reading Borough Council.
• Southlake and Margins.
• Reading University Playing Fields and Margins owned by Reading University.

It was suggested that Wokingham Borough Council, Earley and Woodley Town Councils should consider any opportunities, linked to the Berkshire LNRS, to promote the Bulmershe corridor (including Highwood) in order to raise awareness and maximise any funding opportunities, e.g. Biodiversity Net Gain² and environmental grants.

Countryside Service Rangers Report

The committee was scheduled to consider the annual Countryside Service report.

The report covered the following management tasks:

• Scrub removal and soil scraping from Heathland Compartment (7).
• Rhododendron removal from compartment 6 and replanting.
• Southlake Reservoir 10 year inspection and implementation of flood survey works.
• Southlake Reservoir 10 year inspection and implementation of dam vegetation 10 year plan.

General rangering³ work included:

• Cutting back footpaths and strimming.
• Removing 8 incidents of fly tipping garden waste.
• Litter picking.
• Countryside Service staff spent 12 days carrying out health and safety tree work on the site.
• A tree surgeon spent 1 day making safe dangerous trees on Highwood site and 1 more day on Southlake.
• Responding to 2 incidents of illegal camping on site.
• Removal of water soldiers and cleaning of lily pond at Southlake.

The Friends group has continued to support The Countryside Service, by walking every day helping to patrol the site, litterpicking, reporting of problems and directing the Countryside Service on site to location of jobs. 158 volunteer workdays (excluding Friends visits) have been carried out this year; including volunteers from CROW (Conserve Reading on Wednesdays), Thames Valley Conservation Volunteers, BTCV and Dinton Wednesday conservation volunteers

Planned actions for the coming winter include:

• Clearing the compound/culvert area on Southlake for Southlake angling club.
• Rhododendron/ Laurel control in compartments 6 and 8 and underplanting with native trees.
• Scrub removal from Heathland Glade.
• Reed bed establishment on Southlake to continue.
• Implement first phase of works proposed in Reservoir report to include consultation with local residents and members.
• Still waiting for the handover of Bulmershe pond area which is due to handed over to the authority in the near future.

Terms of Reference

The Highwood Management Conference was scheduled to consider its terms of reference.

The terms of reference detail the legal duties, responsibilities and other agreements in relation to Highwood and Bulmershe Park under the Agreement dated 30th July 1965 made between Berkshire County Council (BCC), Wokingham Borough Council (WBC), Woodley Town Council (Woodley TC) and Earley Town Council (Earley TC).

Wokingham Borough Council is the freehold owner of both Highwood and Bulmershe Park. Both parcels of land are held for the provision of public open space in pursuance of the powers in the Open Spaces Act 1906.

Wokingham Borough Council is responsible for managing, maintaining and developing Highwood to secure its use by the public for the purposes of air exercise or recreation. Woodley Town Council is responsible for managing, maintaining and developing Bulmershe Park to secure its use by the public for the purposes of air exercise or recreation and the costs thereof shall be borne by Woodley Town Council and Earley Town Council in equal shares or in such other proportions as may from time to time be agreed.

Wokingham Borough Council cannot sell, lease, or otherwise dispose of Bulmershe Park without the consent of Earley Town Council and Woodley Town Council.

The remit of the Conference is to consider matters affecting the open spaces (Highwood and Bulmershe Park), and to advise Wokingham Borough Council and Woodley Town Council as to the measures to be taken to secure the most effective use of the open spaces by the public.

Wokingham Borough Council, Earley Town Council and Woodley Town Council are each entitled to 2 members to attend the Conference. The Conference should meet annually in October and at such other times as may be required. Meetings are to be convened by the Clerk to Wokingham Borough Council. The Conference shall appoint a Chair who shall have a casting vote.