Representation by The Woodland Trust (The Woodland Trust)
- Date submitted
- 20 June 2023
- Submitted by
- Non-statutory organisations
Thank you for the opportunity to register as an interested party for the proposed scheme. The Woodland Trust strongly opposes the proposed scheme due to its direct impact on T343, an ancient ash tree that is set to be translocated for the project. We request that T343 is kept in its original location during construction and adequately protected according to the standing advice of Natural England and the Forestry Commission. This advice specifies that for ancient or veteran trees, the buffer zone should be at least 15 times larger than the tree's diameter, or should be five metres from the edge of the tree’s canopy if that area is larger than when calculated to 15 times the diameter. This ensures a minimum root protection area. If other impacts are expected to extend beyond this distance, a larger buffer zone will be necessary. We also have concerns about the potential impacts on several ancient woodlands, including Winchill Wood, due to changes in nitrogen deposition. Ancient woodland ecosystems and their soils hold significant importance due to their long history of ecological and cultural continuity. These habitats are irreplaceable and highly sensitive to environmental changes. Therefore, any substantial increase in nitrogen levels would further degrade the ancient woodland habitat, compromising its ecological integrity and suitability for local wildlife populations. To address this issue, the applicants should aim to reduce the process contribution of nitrogen to less than one per cent for all surrounding ancient woodlands. This measure is essential to safeguard the health and viability of these valuable ecosystems. We hope our comments are of use to you.