I am writing to inform you that I consider one of your woodland projects to be highly inappropriate and ill considered. I strongly protest about this project in the most strong terms. I would like this letter to be considered by someone of higher authority than Alistair Nash the leader of this project. The project is the fencing of large areas of Lyndhurst Woods , Glusburn BD20. The work is being done right now , and action needs to be taken now. I and many others believe the project to be a waste of money and resources. A site meeting should be held to involve other voices in these decisions.
I have stood at the entrance to the woods for 3 hours and spoken to 50-60 people who use the woods ; a large volume of people use these woods, and all of them could see no reason that such a blight on the landscape should stand. Words and phrases which were regularly used were - totally inappropriate - ridiculous- absolutely appalling- terrible eyesore- stupid- mad-hideous- naive. One or two have seen a grain of hope in the project but even they said the fence was an ugly appendage, that it was a hammer to crack a nut, which would probably very quickly get torn down and abused; such is the volume of people who legitimately used the woods as a recreation resource.
I know that the land is the Woodland Trusts and needs no planning permission BUT it would have been civil and courteous to have contacted and had consultation with the local community. As far as I am aware no approach was made to the community at large. The woods are a very thin pencil of land, not acres and acres where a fence can be ignored, all views and aesthetics will be totally spoiled and lost. The wild garlic etc grow in abundance and there are many places where flowers can grow unhindered. The fence is TOO imposing for the size and nature of the area. The aesthetic and structure of the woods is likely to be totally lost, and the straight lines of the fence the dominating structure; ugly and hideous. The fence ruins the view of the landscape. The project manager has applied no imagination as to the make up and look of the fence, and many ways no intuitive reasoning ref the practicalities of the fence and environment. Already with the winters rain and high water table the pathway will be a slippery dangerous quagmire by Monday (with the beck 3 feet away) if it rains.
The fence in general appears to be intended to enclose 50-75% of the woods and make the locals walk on very limited routes around the edge. The reason : to allow flowers etc to grow. Lyndhurst Woods is not and never has been a 'blue bell' wood....it is a Wild Garlic and Clementine wood. The limited pathways ; channelling everyone on narrow stretches of ground, will without doubt create the most dreadful quagmires - dangerous in some cases. The river sometimes violently floods exactly where the fence is being put.
Within reason intelligently and creatively placed fencing could have enhance the woods . A landscaper could have enclosed areas that might have added to the landscape. Instead we have an ad hoc fence in straight lines enclosing far too much of areas which already florish with flowers in the Spring and do not need enclosing. It is a cattle fence - applied without imagination which can only be a blot on the beautiful natural landscape . Far too much of the wood is being enclosed....far too much of the natural beauty of the woods is being taken away and the local community is treated like cattle.
People (as many as 200-300-500 minimum a day) go into that wood for some freedom and natural things, to get away from straight lines and conformity to see natural shapes....they go there for many reasons....they all love it the way it is, even with its limitations. This project will not work in practise. You are wasting your money. You are spoiling our woods.
I have rung 3 times over 2 days and been told someone will get in touch....they have not. This of course is a fait accompli; because the project just goes on unhindered....and chance of a site meeting to discuss it , or a postponement becomes remote or non existent. Someone in authority should look into this very quickly.
I assure you I am not a lone voice....everyone is essentially against the actions being taken in Glusburn Woods. The project probably has 2 weeks to run - the fencing has only just started. Yes lets have flowers but do not steal our recreation and spoil our views and enjoyment of these woods.
I have stood at the entrance to the woods for 3 hours and spoken to 50-60 people who use the woods ; a large volume of people use these woods, and all of them could see no reason that such a blight on the landscape should stand. Words and phrases which were regularly used were - totally inappropriate - ridiculous- absolutely appalling- terrible eyesore- stupid- mad-hideous- naive. One or two have seen a grain of hope in the project but even they said the fence was an ugly appendage, that it was a hammer to crack a nut, which would probably very quickly get torn down and abused; such is the volume of people who legitimately used the woods as a recreation resource.
I know that the land is the Woodland Trusts and needs no planning permission BUT it would have been civil and courteous to have contacted and had consultation with the local community. As far as I am aware no approach was made to the community at large. The woods are a very thin pencil of land, not acres and acres where a fence can be ignored, all views and aesthetics will be totally spoiled and lost. The wild garlic etc grow in abundance and there are many places where flowers can grow unhindered. The fence is TOO imposing for the size and nature of the area. The aesthetic and structure of the woods is likely to be totally lost, and the straight lines of the fence the dominating structure; ugly and hideous. The fence ruins the view of the landscape. The project manager has applied no imagination as to the make up and look of the fence, and many ways no intuitive reasoning ref the practicalities of the fence and environment. Already with the winters rain and high water table the pathway will be a slippery dangerous quagmire by Monday (with the beck 3 feet away) if it rains.
The fence in general appears to be intended to enclose 50-75% of the woods and make the locals walk on very limited routes around the edge. The reason : to allow flowers etc to grow. Lyndhurst Woods is not and never has been a 'blue bell' wood....it is a Wild Garlic and Clementine wood. The limited pathways ; channelling everyone on narrow stretches of ground, will without doubt create the most dreadful quagmires - dangerous in some cases. The river sometimes violently floods exactly where the fence is being put.
Within reason intelligently and creatively placed fencing could have enhance the woods . A landscaper could have enclosed areas that might have added to the landscape. Instead we have an ad hoc fence in straight lines enclosing far too much of areas which already florish with flowers in the Spring and do not need enclosing. It is a cattle fence - applied without imagination which can only be a blot on the beautiful natural landscape . Far too much of the wood is being enclosed....far too much of the natural beauty of the woods is being taken away and the local community is treated like cattle.
People (as many as 200-300-500 minimum a day) go into that wood for some freedom and natural things, to get away from straight lines and conformity to see natural shapes....they go there for many reasons....they all love it the way it is, even with its limitations. This project will not work in practise. You are wasting your money. You are spoiling our woods.
I have rung 3 times over 2 days and been told someone will get in touch....they have not. This of course is a fait accompli; because the project just goes on unhindered....and chance of a site meeting to discuss it , or a postponement becomes remote or non existent. Someone in authority should look into this very quickly.
I assure you I am not a lone voice....everyone is essentially against the actions being taken in Glusburn Woods. The project probably has 2 weeks to run - the fencing has only just started. Yes lets have flowers but do not steal our recreation and spoil our views and enjoyment of these woods.
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