Council sorry after wrong trees cut down in forest

A council has apologised and an investigation is under way after trees in a historic woodland in Nottinghamshire were cut down in error by contractors.

Newark and Sherwood District Council is running a project to thin and fell old pines in Intake Wood near Clipstone - in the Sherwood Forest area - and replace them with native species, but said its contractor felled some of the wrong trees.

Some local residents said the area had been "devastated".

Labour council leader Paul Peacock said the authority contacted the Forestry Commission once they learned trees in "the wrong zone" had been felled, adding an investigation was continuing.

The council said it was replacing Corsican pine trees in Intake Wood and "transitioning to broadleaf woodland typical of the ancient Sherwood Forest landscape".

The pine trees were planted about 80 years ago after World War Two to increase timber security.

Peacock said the Forestry Commission gave the council the licence to carry out felling work over concerns trees could be a safety risk in high winds.

But contractor Foxstone Forestry subsequently felled some trees in the wrong zone, prompting the firm to alert the Forestry Commission.

Peacock said the council was working to rebuild trust with residents and wanted to help them set up a friends group for the woods.

The authority has arranged a public meeting on Friday to discuss the next stages with residents.

"It's actually a tragedy, and we take responsibility for that, because it's our land and our scheme," he said.

"Moving forward, we want to involve the community. We're going to replant that area, and we'll replant it with native trees."

John Flowers, who is part of the Save Intake Wood group, lives "minutes" away from the woodland, and said his concerns were raised when he noticed trees cut down.

"We've got several footpaths that are actually closed and we can't use them, and that [happened] over six months ago now," he said.

"We weren't expecting anything as devastating as this."

Responding to the council's plans to replant, he added: "Whatever happens here now, it will never be seen in my lifetime."

Alan Sands said he first learned about the council's plans in October last year when he spotted notices that had been put up.

He said he had used the woods as a place of comfort during chemotherapy treatment.

He said he and other residents near the woods were "devastated" by the fellings and "also have great concerns about the next phases of the project", which they worried was being done too quickly.

"We're quite keen to engage with the council - we obviously want to make sure that the work they want to do is justified, and to have some transparency," he said.

"It means a lot to me, because we moved to this area in 2011 [and] one of the factors was the surroundings.

"I'm a dog walker, and I walk this wood most days, it's an important part of my life."

James Gamble, a Reform UK Nottinghamshire County Councillor for Sherwood Forest who also has a postgraduate degree in biodiversity conservation, said he backed residents who had "a special relationship" with the area, and called for transparency.

He said: "We know they felled the wrong trees, [but] how do we know they've given the correct duty of care to identify active nesting sites and protect them?"

The Forestry Commission said it was aware of the felling and was conducting a review to assess whether there had been any breaches of the Forestry Act.

Contractor Foxstone Forestry said: "Trees were felled by the machine operator by accident, the Forestry Commission were contacted straight away by both the operator and myself.

"The Forestry Commission agreed that there was no malicious intent with the works that had gone ahead but an investigation would need to be conducted.

"The site is part of an overall plan to reduce the conifer stock and replace with hardwood which is part of a regeneration scheme to improve the biodiversity within Intake Wood, a scheme to improve habitat for birds and bugs."

They added that nest checks were completed daily.

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