4f4c4942-4343-5764-6473-313231363736 English NRW_DS121668 Natural Resources Wales (NRW) Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales enquiries@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en 2026-09-30T13:40:38.299Z NRW 1.0 wel utf8 British National Grid (EPSG::27700) WINS Natural Flood Management: Opportunities for Catchment Woodland Planting WINS Natural Flood Management: Opportunities for Catchment Woodland Planting Rheolaeth Naturiol o Lifogydd: Cyfleoedd ar gyfer Plannu Coetir Dalgylch SCCAN Natural Flood Management: Opportunities for Catchment Woodland Planting 2018-04-01 NRW_DS121676 http://naturalresources.wales/ This dataset was created for the Welsh Information for Nature-based Solutions (WINS) project (previously known as SCCAN) to identify opportunities for land management interventions that enhance ecosystem service delivery across a range of key policy areas. An accompanying User Guide is available to support the use of these datasets, and a full list of source datasets and data limitations can be found in the project technical report. This dataset identifies opportunity areas for catchment woodland planting to deliver natural flood management (NFM) benefits. The most effective use of these opportunity areas is likely to involve planting deep-rooting tree species, particularly broadleaved species, to maximise NFM benefits. This dataset was created for the Welsh Information for Nature-based Solutions (WINS) project (previously known as SCCAN) to identify opportunities for land management interventions that enhance ecosystem service delivery across a range of key policy areas. An accompanying User Guide is available to support the use of these datasets, and a full list of source datasets and data limitations can be found in the project technical report. This dataset identifies opportunity areas for catchment woodland planting to deliver natural flood management (NFM) benefits. The most effective use of these opportunity areas is likely to involve planting deep-rooting tree species, particularly broadleaved species, to maximise NFM benefits. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales enquiries@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en Natural Resources Wales (NRW) Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales enquiries@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en Natural Resources Wales (NRW) Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales enquiries@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en Natural Resources Wales (NRW) Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales enquiries@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en Land use GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0 2008-06-01 geonetwork.thesaurus.external.theme.httpinspireeceuropaeutheme-theme SoNaRR Area Statement NRW Thesaurus 2026-08-27 geonetwork.thesaurus.local.theme.converted_nrw-keywords Sustainable Management of Natural Resources (SMNR) Ecosystem Services (SMNR) NRW SMNR Keywords 2024-06-26 geonetwork.thesaurus.local.theme.converted_nrw-smnr-keywords There are no access restrictions on this data. NRW may release, publish or disseminate it freely. no limitations © CNC/NRW All rights Reserved. © 2021 Cranfield University. All rights reserved. Contains Ordnance Survey Data. Ordnance Survey Licence number AC0000849444. Crown Copyright and Database Right. Data may be re-used under the terms of the Open Government Licence providing it is done so, acknowledging both the source and copyright of the owners. It is the recipient's responsibility to ensure the data is fit for the intended purpose. Contains Natural Resources Wales information © Natural Resources Wales and Database Right. All rights Reserved. Contains Cranfield University information © 2021 Cranfield University. All rights reserved. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown Copyright and Database Rights. Ordnance Survey Licence number AC0000849444. Open Government Licence 10 English planningCadastre society farming biota geoscientificInformation climatologyMeteorologyAtmosphere environment elevation imageryBaseMapsEarthCover inlandWaters SeaVoX Vertical Co-ordinate Coverages 2021-01-06 Wales (WLS) -5.777741 -2.608865 51.240829 53.513067 2017-09-01 2018-04-01 Data gaps and limitations: National Phase 1 dataset is likely out of date in many places. Data on land drainage have been modelled, and is likely to over-estimate and under-estimate land drainage in different locations. Use of 500m coastal buffer to prevent coastal areas being mapped as opportunity space is a rough approximation of a complex problem. Some locations within this 500m buffer may in fact be suitable for woodland planting for mediating downslope flood risk. The extent of potential Fridd habitat has been modelled using the Phase 1 habitat data. It is likely to over-estimate and under-estimate the Ffridd cover in different locations. Geographic Information System ESRI Feature Class Commission Regulation (EU) No 1089/2010 of 23 November 2010 implementing Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards interoperability of spatial data sets and services 2010-12-08 This dataset has not been assessed for conformance to the referenced INSPIRE regulation. false Suitability for woodland planting was identified using Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) data, including its component attributes, together with current land cover data. This initial assessment identified areas where woodland establishment is biophysically feasible. The location of artificially drained land was modelled to identify areas where the benefits of natural flood management (NFM) measures may take longer to be realised compared with land that is not extensively under-drained. Within the remaining opportunity area, a range of sensitivities was identified. These are locations where woodland planting may be feasible but where special considerations apply, such as species selection within acid-sensitive catchments or the potential presence of high-biodiversity-value Ffridd habitat. Additional constraints were then applied to remove areas considered unsuitable for woodland planting. These included biophysical, legislative and conservation constraints. Areas where woodland planting is unlikely to deliver significant NFM benefits, such as land within 500 m of the coastline and areas with soils that are not slowly permeable, were also excluded. The combined constraints for catchment woodland planting are presented in a separate dataset. This dataset was produced for NRW by Environment Systems Ltd. Suitability for woodland planting was identified using Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) data, including its component attributes, together with current land cover data. This initial assessment identified areas where woodland establishment is biophysically feasible. The location of artificially drained land was modelled to identify areas where the benefits of natural flood management (NFM) measures may take longer to be realised compared with land that is not extensively under-drained. Within the remaining opportunity area, a range of sensitivities was identified. These are locations where woodland planting may be feasible but where special considerations apply, such as species selection within acid-sensitive catchments or the potential presence of high-biodiversity-value Ffridd habitat. Additional constraints were then applied to remove areas considered unsuitable for woodland planting. These included biophysical, legislative and conservation constraints. Areas where woodland planting is unlikely to deliver significant NFM benefits, such as land within 500 m of the coastline and areas with soils that are not slowly permeable, were also excluded. The combined constraints for catchment woodland planting are presented in a separate dataset. This dataset was produced for NRW by Environment Systems Ltd.