Largest single threat to England’s ancient woodland goes to public inquiry

Area the size of 30 football pitches could be destroyed

PRECIOUS: Oaken Wood near Maidstone is home to many important species of wildlife

August 2011: A controversial plan to extend a Kent quarry has been called in for public inquiry.
The application to extend the quarry into Oaken Wood near Maidstone would, if passed, see the destruction of an area about the size of 30 football pitches of irreplaceable ancient woodland.

Oaken Wood is home to wildlife species so rare they are designated nationally scarce or endangered and the scale of the plans would make it the largest case of destruction to ancient woodland England in recent times - yet the developer, Gallagher Ltd, was originally given the go-ahead by Kent County Council.

Time the Government lived up to its promises
But now, under pressure from conservation groups and local campaigners, Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (CLG), has called in the application for public inquiry.

Nikki Williams, head of campaigning at the Woodland Trust, said: ‘This is the moment for Government to make good on Caroline Spelman's promises earlier in the year to bring in better protection for of ancient woodland in the UK.

‘More than 5,500 people wrote directly to Mr Pickles demanding this call in, so if the "Big Society" is to mean anything, Mr Pickles needs to listen to their concerns.

‘Once ancient woodland is gone, it has gone for ever. You can't recreate it with new planting or by translocating soils - as Gallagher's tried to suggest in their mitigation. We now have a second chance to turn back from the brink over Oaken Wood, but frankly this application should never have got this far. It breaks government planning guidance and an independent planning consultant threw out the argument that it is needed to meet local demand.'

Will fragment and isolate vital habitats
The Woodland Trust, Kent Wildlife Trust and local action groups have lobbied for a public inquiry over the case, which is also in contravention of Planning Policy Statements 1 and 9 which both contain a strong presumption against development in areas of ancient woodland, unless the development would provide overriding benefits.

The Woodland Trust has claimed the quarrying operations will have a huge indirect impact beyond the core area of 33ha on the neighbouring woodland. Currently Oaken Wood is part of a continuous habitat covering 120ha, closely linked to another 48ha of woodland, and much of its value for wildlife lies in this connectivity.

Independent research commissioned by the trust has shown that by fragmenting and isolating habitats, species are unable to move between them and might avoid the woodland near the quarry altogether.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/woodland-destruction.html#cr

The Theft of British Woodland

Press Release

The theft of British Woodland... Campaign to prevent the sale of the nation’s woodland through tax reform

A thousand year-old crime is being repeated today... and Sir Winston Churchill had the solution.

Today – Wednesday 2nd February, the British parliament will vote to perpetrate a crime against the nation that has been happening for a thousand years.

Wildwood Trust is joining the hundreds of thousands of people calling for the Coalition government not to sell our nation’s woodland.

Since our Norman Conquerors first landed on the Kent coast, the people of Britain have seen their land stolen from them. First the Barons, then the landed gentry stole the birth right of every Englishman, Scot and Welshman. British taxpayers have been paying for this land grab every year since.

The Coalition Government is continuing this crime, a crime we are committing against our children, stealing their birthright to enjoy the British countryside and its wildlife.

The sale of British woodlands sees public assets ‘privatised’, then rented back to us at huge rents.

We are condemning future generation to pay a rent for accessing the few remaining bits of woodland and be taxed more heavily to protect its wildlife.

Private ‘investors’ can buy the land, and then claim huge tax breaks, Government grants and assistance at the expense of taxpayers.

Already the taxpayer is forced to pay a hundreds of millions of pounds every year subsidy to the wealthiest landowners in the country and this scheme will further entrench the grip of private landowners on the nation’s assets.

The State should have no authority to sell land that citizens then have to effectively rent back. We have seen this happen to 100’s billions of pounds worth of public assets over the last 30 years.

Britain has seen its wild woodland’s systematically devastated, with over 50% of our ancient woodlands lost since the Second World War. The UK is one of Europe’s most poorly wooded counties, with only 15% of our land enjoying tree cover against a European average of over 40%.

Wildwood Trust’s Chief Executive has been working with leading economist, Fred Harrison, to come up with an economic plan that will not only restore wild woodlands but help revitalize the Britain’s economy. The coming months will see Mr Harrison publish a book out of the collaboration and a ground breaking documentary.

Wildwood Trust’s Chief Executive Peter Smith said:

“Land is the most crucial element to the protection of wildlife in this country. And it is the policy of Wildwood Trust to reverse the sale of the public’s land into private hands.

The privatisation of land over the last 1000 years has been a disaster for British wildlife. Further privatisations will continue this appalling history of loss. This country needs to create a network of commonly owned land that can remain wild.”

“Wildwood’s vison for the creation of national woodlands is inspired by the work pioneered by the country’s greatest statesmen, namely David Lloyd George and Sir Winston Churchill. This can be achieved at no cost to the taxpayer by a small change to our taxation system.”

This tax reform was championed by the world’s greatest economists such as Adam Smith, David Ricardo, Henry George and Milton Freedman. A solution that is supported by Business Secretary Vince Cable, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and members of all political persuasions, both right and left, who understand the role of land values in our economic system.

That solution could abolish income tax and VAT and help the UK revitalise its economy. The solution would be to levy a tax equal to the rental value of all land. In essence all landowners would have to pay an annual rent to the Government for the exclusive possession of that land.

This would be a replacement for other taxes, so that 95% of the British public would be much better off, freeing up the talented and hardworking people to keep more from their efforts. It would create jobs for the unemployed and put an end to property speculators and house price boom and busts.

Tax dodgers and large landowners would be very much worse off and many would be forced to sell their land to others who could make better use of it. Wildlife would recover, and landowners who put their land into a charitable trust with the objective of sustaining its wildlife would be exempt from the land value tax.

Wildwood Trust is calling on the Government to protect wildlife and stop the sale of one of the nation’s greatest assets.

******* End *********
For more information conact:
Peter Smith, Chief Executive of Wildwood Trust
Fred Harrison, Research Director of the Land Research Trust. Fred can be contacted through Wildwood Trust.

Tel: 01227 712111
Mobile: 07986 828229

The Theft of British Woodland

Press Release

The theft of British Woodland... Campaign to prevent the sale of the nation’s woodland through tax reform

A thousand year-old crime is being repeated today... and Sir Winston Churchill had the solution.

Today – Wednesday 2nd February, the British parliament will vote to perpetrate a crime against the nation that has been happening for a thousand years.

Wildwood Trust is joining the hundreds of thousands of people calling for the Coalition government not to sell our nation’s woodland.

Since our Norman Conquerors first landed on the Kent coast, the people of Britain have seen their land stolen from them. First the Barons, then the landed gentry stole the birth right of every Englishman, Scot and Welshman. British taxpayers have been paying for this land grab every year since.

The Coalition Government is continuing this crime, a crime we are committing against our children, stealing their birthright to enjoy the British countryside and its wildlife.

The sale of British woodlands sees public assets ‘privatised’, then rented back to us at huge rents.

We are condemning future generation to pay a rent for accessing the few remaining bits of woodland and be taxed more heavily to protect its wildlife.

Private ‘investors’ can buy the land, and then claim huge tax breaks, Government grants and assistance at the expense of taxpayers.

Already the taxpayer is forced to pay a hundreds of millions of pounds every year subsidy to the wealthiest landowners in the country and this scheme will further entrench the grip of private landowners on the nation’s assets.

The State should have no authority to sell land that citizens then have to effectively rent back. We have seen this happen to 100’s billions of pounds worth of public assets over the last 30 years.

Britain has seen its wild woodland’s systematically devastated, with over 50% of our ancient woodlands lost since the Second World War. The UK is one of Europe’s most poorly wooded counties, with only 15% of our land enjoying tree cover against a European average of over 40%.

Wildwood Trust’s Chief Executive has been working with leading economist, Fred Harrison, to come up with an economic plan that will not only restore wild woodlands but help revitalize the Britain’s economy. The coming months will see Mr Harrison publish a book out of the collaboration and a ground breaking documentary.

Wildwood Trust’s Chief Executive Peter Smith said:

“Land is the most crucial element to the protection of wildlife in this country. And it is the policy of Wildwood Trust to reverse the sale of the public’s land into private hands.

The privatisation of land over the last 1000 years has been a disaster for British wildlife. Further privatisations will continue this appalling history of loss. This country needs to create a network of commonly owned land that can remain wild.”

“Wildwood’s vison for the creation of national woodlands is inspired by the work pioneered by the country’s greatest statesmen, namely David Lloyd George and Sir Winston Churchill. This can be achieved at no cost to the taxpayer by a small change to our taxation system.”

This tax reform was championed by the world’s greatest economists such as Adam Smith, David Ricardo, Henry George and Milton Freedman. A solution that is supported by Business Secretary Vince Cable, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and members of all political persuasions, both right and left, who understand the role of land values in our economic system.

That solution could abolish income tax and VAT and help the UK revitalise its economy. The solution would be to levy a tax equal to the rental value of all land. In essence all landowners would have to pay an annual rent to the Government for the exclusive possession of that land.

This would be a replacement for other taxes, so that 95% of the British public would be much better off, freeing up the talented and hardworking people to keep more from their efforts. It would create jobs for the unemployed and put an end to property speculators and house price boom and busts.

Tax dodgers and large landowners would be very much worse off and many would be forced to sell their land to others who could make better use of it. Wildlife would recover, and landowners who put their land into a charitable trust with the objective of sustaining its wildlife would be exempt from the land value tax.

Wildwood Trust is calling on the Government to protect wildlife and stop the sale of one of the nation’s greatest assets.

******* End *********
For more information conact:
Peter Smith, Chief Executive of Wildwood Trust
Fred Harrison, Research Director of the Land Research Trust. Fred can be contacted through Wildwood Trust.

Tel: 01227 712111
Mobile: 07986 828229

Project to protect 7,000-year-old haven for wildlife is completed

CONSERVATIONISTS have completed a three-year project to protect a precious patch of 7,000-year-old woodland in Lincolnshire.


Since 2007, £175,000 worth of work has been carried out on Goltho Wood, north east of Lincoln, by the Woodland Trust.

And, after planting 30,000 native tree saplings as a buffer around the ancient limewood, and creating 20 hectares of wildflower rich grassland, ponds, wet woodland and marshland, the scheme has finished and wildlife-lovers can visit the site, near Wragby.

Liz McLelland, of the Woodland Trust, said: "Goltho Wood is one of the trust's standout sites in Lincolnshire and the benefits of the work, generously funded by SITA Trust can already be clearly seen.

"We'd love people across Lincolnshire to visit and see the fruits of our labour.


"The 30,000 new trees will create habitat corridors between the existing ancient woodland and provide homes for everything from Pipistrelle bats and herons to dormice and white admiral butterflies."

Surveys have already shown that many bird species, such as teal, lapwing and geese are overwintering on water meadows created at the wood, and there has been evidence of otters colonising in the vicinity of dams that have been created to periodically flood adjacent meadows.

The work has also involved hundreds of local residents helping to plant the thousands of native trees, with volunteers taking part in research and even holding talks for local groups.

Jools Granville of the ethical funding organisation the SITA Trust said: "It is always very inspiring to be involved in a project that helps to ignite people's passion for the natural world.

"Funding of £175,000 has enabled years of very hard work by The Woodland Trust and countless members of the general public to make Goltho Wood a place where the diverse wonders of nature can be enjoyed for generations to come."

For more information about the work and to find out how to visit www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/ wood/wragby

http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/news/7-000-year-old-haven-precious-wildlife/article-2965242-detail/article.html

Project to protect 7,000-year-old haven for wildlife is completed

CONSERVATIONISTS have completed a three-year project to protect a precious patch of 7,000-year-old woodland in Lincolnshire.


Since 2007, £175,000 worth of work has been carried out on Goltho Wood, north east of Lincoln, by the Woodland Trust.

And, after planting 30,000 native tree saplings as a buffer around the ancient limewood, and creating 20 hectares of wildflower rich grassland, ponds, wet woodland and marshland, the scheme has finished and wildlife-lovers can visit the site, near Wragby.

Liz McLelland, of the Woodland Trust, said: "Goltho Wood is one of the trust's standout sites in Lincolnshire and the benefits of the work, generously funded by SITA Trust can already be clearly seen.

"We'd love people across Lincolnshire to visit and see the fruits of our labour.


"The 30,000 new trees will create habitat corridors between the existing ancient woodland and provide homes for everything from Pipistrelle bats and herons to dormice and white admiral butterflies."

Surveys have already shown that many bird species, such as teal, lapwing and geese are overwintering on water meadows created at the wood, and there has been evidence of otters colonising in the vicinity of dams that have been created to periodically flood adjacent meadows.

The work has also involved hundreds of local residents helping to plant the thousands of native trees, with volunteers taking part in research and even holding talks for local groups.

Jools Granville of the ethical funding organisation the SITA Trust said: "It is always very inspiring to be involved in a project that helps to ignite people's passion for the natural world.

"Funding of £175,000 has enabled years of very hard work by The Woodland Trust and countless members of the general public to make Goltho Wood a place where the diverse wonders of nature can be enjoyed for generations to come."

For more information about the work and to find out how to visit www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/ wood/wragby

http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/news/7-000-year-old-haven-precious-wildlife/article-2965242-detail/article.html