Planned Gorse Removal on Golf Course.

In 2019 a report was carried out by Suffolk Wildlife Trust, on behalf of Southwold Common Trust and Southwold Town Council, to recommend ways in which the Common and Marshes could be managed more effectively across the Common and marshes.

A second report was carried out by the Suffolk Wildlife Trust on behalf of Southwold Golf club in April 2024, with a view to the golf club managing the gorse areas within their licensed area on the common themselves, with a view to improving the safety of everyone that uses the common recreationally be that golfing or otherwise, while also being sympathetic to the environmental impacts of gorse management to ensure the work carried out is of benefit to the wildlife and does not have a detrimental effect.

The first phase of the planned works by the golf club will be commencing in late January\February 2025 focusing on the 8th hole of the golf course where gorse has encroached into the golf course licensed land. This work will improve the sight lines round the corner for golfers and members of the public to be able to see each other much easier, thus improving safety in this area. The gorse will be removed in an irregular manner to maintain a scalloped shape ensuring the fringe habitat for the insects and birds noted in this area remains and is enhanced.

The area between the 6th green and 7th tee is within the golf clubs lease area, and here fire breaks will be reestablished to improve safety. These will be created in a manner in line with the Suffolk Wildlife trust recommendations, with the large clump of gorse being broken up into several smaller clumps of irregular shapes we will increase the fringe habitat improving the microsystem for existing species in that area.