About:

The Laughton Forest Plan (FP) comprises the block of woodland known as Laughton Forest near the village of Laughton which lies between the towns of Scunthorpe and Gainsborough on the A159 in West Lincolnshire.

Of the 909 hectares covered by the plan, only a little over 100 ha are freehold where there is some provision for public access. The remaining 800 ha is leasehold, managed by the Forestry Commission on a long term lease which does not allow for public access. 

The woodland is predominantly conifer species, mainly pine. The majority of the area is secondary plantation, on land which was previously used for agriculture. The woodland contains a 10 hectare Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and this area has a specific management plan which is addressed in the full FP.

Objectives:

The main objectives for Laughton Forest Plan are:

Economic

• Continue a structured and sustained programme of timber production through clearfells and thinnings to include infrastructure requirements (roads and main drains).
• Select suitable species and appropriate silvicultural techniques to regenerate (either naturally or through planting) commercially productive but more structurally and species diverse and resilient crops.

Environmental

• Maintain the current extent and ecological value of the non-designated priority habitats and make appropriate provision to achieve the aims of the SSSI Management Plan.
• Identify existing locations of trees of special interest and demonstrate appropriate management to both maintain the current resource and to recruit future veteran replacements.
• Identify appropriate areas to increase deadwood habitat and propose management to maintain a sustainable resource.

Social

• Diversify species composition and structure, and plan sympathetically designed and appropriately scaled interventions to improve and maintain the visual integration of the forest into the wider landscape.
• Consider public access in the design of the Tuetoes area.

What we’ll do:

Planned operations within the 10 year period of the plan are summarised below:

• Felling of 109ha of conifers.
• Restocking* of 124ha of conifers.

*Restocking refers to that area that may be under planted if conditions are suitable, as well as that area which has recently been clearfelled.

The species composition will also change from 61% conifers, 21% broadleaves and 18% open in 2016 to 66% conifers, 22.5% broadleaves and 11.5% open in 2066.

All of our forests and woodlands in this Forest District are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). All Forestry England forests and woods are independently certified as sustainably managed, to continue to benefit future generations.