Category Archives: Uncategorized
Woods are worth repeating yourself for
Less than a week to go to have your forestry conversation! Remember the controversy earlier in the year around the Government’s plans to sell off the public forest estate? Widespread public outrage and several national and local campaigns saw them swiftly … Continue reading
Woodland Trust Campaigners Silenced!!
Its a rare day in the Woodland Trust campaigning office when silence falls across our small, but perfectly formed team. Whilst trailing through page upon page of the High Speed 2 consultation document, we stumbled across this ‘mitigation’ proposal for the destruction of … Continue reading
Oaken Wood: S.O.S
Permission has been given to a quarry company to destroy ancient woodland. Is it all over for Oaken Wood? Tuesday was a sad day for the Woods under Threat team. After more than 12 months of advocacy and lobbying work … Continue reading
A sign of things to come?
I picked up on a local wood coming onto the market recently via John Cleggs, the specialist woodland estate agents. Brassetts Wood, 20 hectares of almost certainly ancient woodland in East Sussex, was until very recently a Forestry Commission (FC) wood, part of … Continue reading
Trees, Health and Happiness
Happiness may not grow on trees – but they have a strong contribution to make in the current lively debate. There has been a good deal of coverage recently of the Government’s plans to measure national happiness and well-being alongside … Continue reading
Is ‘larger than local’ strategic planning still relevant?
The beneficial aspects of Regional Spatial Strategies – including integrating environmental protection – must be retained and not swept away in any new planning framework, recommends a Commons Select Committee as it publishes its Second Report on Abolition of Regional Spatial … Continue reading
To regulate or not to regulate?
Is our once vibrant forestry industry being suffocated by red tape? It’s no surprise that the Forest Regulation Task Force, set up last year by the Forestry Minister, Jim Paice, was welcomed. This elite panel comprises of forestry experts – including … Continue reading
Real growth is green growth
Green growth is the stated objective of the Government which still says it seeks to be ‘the greenest ever’. The forthcoming Natural Environment White paper should reinforce the point that a healthy natural environment is the foundation of a healthy … Continue reading
Long and winding road: the final episode
This is it, the moment has finally arrived. The Weymouth Relief Road has at long last opened, the campaign fought to protect our precious ancient woodland from being lost to a new road now a distant, but bitter, memory. The desperate desire … Continue reading
Heart-warming news for woodland
Long and eagerly awaited, the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) finally brings renewable heat production in Britain onto more of a level playing field with renewable electricity, which has been incentivised for some time through the Renewables Obligation. It’s a little … Continue reading
