WEST BERKSHIRE COUNCIL NEW TREE PRESERVATION ORDERS

Good morning,

I thought some of you may be interested in this?  West Berkshire Council has served a Tree Preservation Order on trees on Land at Sandleford Park (Tree Preservation Order 201/21/1016).  This covers the multiple areas of Ancient Woodland within Sandleford in an attempt to protect it from Development.  They have asked for any letters of support or objection by 28 October 2020.  If you would like to email you can send it to trees@westberks.gov.uk 

Remember to include the name and Tree Preservation Order in your email: Land at Sandleford Park, Newtown Road, Newtown, Newbury TPO 201/21/2016

The Council will carefully consider all comments and objections before deciding whether to confirm the order.  In my view, this Tree Preservation Order can only be a good thing as it will ensure the Tree Preservation Order is considered when Planning Applications are received.  The more letters of support received the better!  

The importance of ancient woodland is recognised in the National Planning Policy Framework which has been updated recently in an attempt to prevent Ancient Woodland's direct destruction.  Woodland is considered "ancient" if the land it occupies has been continuously wooded since 1600AD.  It has been documented by the UK Biodiversity Steering Group (1995) that broadleaved woodland supports almost twice as many species of conservation concern as any other habitat eg, more than twice as many as chalk grassland and almost three times as many as lowland heathland.  Ancient Woodland has interactions between plants, fungi, animals, soils, climate and people which have developed over hundreds of years and are functionally irreplaceable and cannot be re-created (Defra 2007)

A few impacts on Ancient Woodland:

• Breaking up or destroying connections between woodlands and ancient or veteran trees.
• Reducing the amount of semi-natural habitats next to ancient woodland.
• Increasing disturbance to wildlife from additional traffic and visitors
• Changing the landscape character of the area
• Changing the water table or drainage of woodland or individual trees.

I've attached a map showing the proposed sections to be covered under the Tree Preservation Order.

Kind regards,

Julie