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In 1984 Litcham Common was declared a Local Nature Reserve under the terms of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. A management committee was appointed to oversee and implement a management plan; the committee currently comprises representatives of Lexham Hall estate (the freeholder), Norfolk County Council, and four residents of Litcham (one of whom is the volunteer warden of the common). Litcham Parish Council has been invited to nominate a representative to join the committee.
The twenty-one year management agreement for Litcham Common which was signed in 1984 between Lexham Hall estate and Norfolk County Council came up for renewal in February 2005, and both parties agreed that this should be renewed.
Litcham Common is particularly important as an example of lowland heathland, a habitat which has declined significantly across the country as a whole in the last sixty years. The objectives of the management plan include maintaining and increasing the areas of open heathland and reducing the areas of scrub (particularly birch) and bracken. However, many of the established trees will be kept so that there is a balance of wildlife habitats. The importance of the common to local people is also recognised with the provision of the car park and benches, and the maintenance of footpaths.
The following work has been carried out on the common over the past year:-
Due to concerns about poor visibility from the car park onto the Dunham road, the vegetation in the areas around the car park has been mown. Similarly, the main paths through the common have been mown and cleared of overhanging vegetation.
The heath restoration programme is now in its fifth year of a Countryside Stewardship Scheme Agreement, from which funding is received. Thinning and clearance of trees has been carried out over the winter in an area to the east of the road. In addition, contractors have cleared trees from an ancient archaeological site, in order to preserve this. The Litcham Common Conservation Group has cleared scrub, particularly birch and gorse, from several other areas.
Funding is received through the Woodland Grant Scheme which is presently in year five of a five year agreement. Over the winter the Conservation Group carried out limited thinning and cutting of trees on the wetter western side of the common in order to create an irregular boundary where the woodland meets the heathland; this should be of benefit to the wildlife.
Several areas of grassland have been mown, with the cut vegetation raked off by the Conservation Group, in order to provide a variety of habitats for the benefit of wildlife.
One issue which arose during the year was the nuisance caused by people camping on the common for extended periods and having fires, and in particular the amount of rubbish which was left behind. Reluctantly the Management Committee has decided that in future it will enforce the bylaw which bans unauthorised camping and fires. This is a great shame as the Committee is keen for as many people as possible to use the Common, as long as this is done in a responsible way.
Looking to the future, the intention is that management work will be carried on more or less as now, but with the reintroduction of grazing by sheep, cattle or ponies at some point, which is the ideal way of maintaining the heathland habitat. Originally it was hoped to fence the perimeter of the entire Common and have cattle grids installed at either end of the road where this cuts through. This would have enabled livestock to freely graze the entire site. However, Norfolk County Council no longer support this option due to the volume and type of traffic now using the road. As an alternative, the Committee now favours erecting fencing so that there are three separate secure grazing areas, one to the west of the road and two to the east. It is worth stressing that there would be no loss of public access. When formal plans are produced these will be subject to full statutory consultation, but the Committee would welcome any comments or questions in the meantime, whether from the Parish Council or individuals.

Tim Angell