Work begins to fell 'dangerous' woodland in Sherfield Park

Work has begun to remove the ancient semi-natural woodland at The Larches in Sherfield Park, because the trees are unstable and at risk of causing damage to property or injuring someone.

The work is being carried out by Croudace, which built Sherfield Park and was part of the company’s planning obligations for the housing development. It involves felling beech, ash and conifer trees.

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Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council will replant the area with a range of deciduous tree species and shrubs later this winter.

The council said the work will “create a very noticeable change in the appearance of the site”.

The Larches is an ancient semi-natural woodland, meaning the land has had continual tree cover since at least the 1600s, creating rich and complex habitats that have evolved to support a wide variety of unique species.

Following the Second World War, the Larches was cleared of its natural tree cover and replanted with beech and conifer in a practice known as Plantation on Ancient Woodland Sites.

Much of the current timber crop is now at the end of its life span and in places is in poor condition. The council said the plantation trees have “become increasingly unstable creating a risk to property and public safety”.

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This was worsened by Ash Die Back which is killing the mature ash on site.

The council said that without this work, there would be an “increased risk of trees falling and causing damage or possible injury”.

The work involves clearing all the planted timber and replanting with a mix of native species that will be more representative of those found in ancient woodland.

Anyone interested in supporting the Sherfield Park Ancient Woodland Restoration Project should contact wildlifeconservation@basingstoke.gov.uk.