1 Traditional orchards: threats and opportunities within the planning system for Herefordshire and Worcestershire

Traditional orchards are a valued aesthetic part of the landscape and their importance to local communities has long been recognised. The ecological significance of orchards have been recognised more recently through surveys of rare, declining invertebrates and with associated habitats such as species rich grasslands and hedgerows. Many pressures have contributed to the decline of orchards throughout the UK including exceptional weather events, unfavourable economics as a result of agricultural policy changes and land development leading to their removal. Many regional and national initiatives are underway to find economic alternatives to ensure viability and management strategies for their conservation. There is now a critical need to provide advice to land-owners on the management and funding opportunities to secure the future of our dwindling stock of old orchards. The Herefordshire and Worcestershire Orchard Biodiversity Project has sought to identify and document those orchards most at threat within the two counties in order to ensure they have a future. The project is ongoing in its development and, as well as documenting orchard biodiversity, the survey was designed to accommodate