Coppicing

Coppicing is a traditional woodland management practice that involves cutting suitable trees such as hornbeam and sweet chestnut to allow them to sprout again. The cut timber is used for fencing posts and step risers and other countryside and woodland works.  Once the timber has been cut, it grows back over a period of years and can be re cut after 10 to 15 years, depending on the size of timber required.

Not only is this a sustainable management technique in itself, always allowing the trees to regenerate, the glades that are created provide an additional woodland habitat for invertebrates such as butterflies, and birds. One of the few areas in the Borough where we are able to coppice trees is Churchwood Local Nature Reserve. This is because it has the right mixture of trees and it is relatively easy to get the timber off site. The coppiced wood is then used in Churchwood and other areas around the Borough for fencing, steps and woodland path edges.

Managing coppice areas is a sustainable way of providing additional habitat, reusing and recycling timber in other areas of the Borough, thereby helping close the recycling cycle.