Calls are made to protect ancient woodland in Hadleigh

8:20am Monday 25th February 2013 in Castle Point

Councillor Norman Ladzrie is campaigning to protect Hadleigh Great Wood Councillor Norman Ladzrie is campaigning to protect Hadleigh Great Wood

SWATHES of trees have been chopped down at a prescious Hadleigh wood, leaving locals in tears.

Coppicing is being carried out at Hadleigh Great Wood by Southend Council, who own it, in an effort to manage the Site of Special Scentific Interest.

However, Norman Ladzrie, a Castle Point councillor, claims five to ten acres of trees have been cut down as a result of aggressive coppicing.

He tabled a motion at a special Castle Point council meeting on Wednesday, February 20 calling for talks with colleagues in Southend about what was being done to the wood.

Mr Ladzrie said: “I walk these woods every day with my dogs and meet many people over there. I have seen people in tears at what is happening and they constantly ask ‘what can we do about this?’

“The reason for this motion is quite simply so this council, which is the planning authority, get in conversation with Southend Council, Natural England and Essex Wildlife Trust to discuss this matter and come to some arrangement where coppicing is sympathetic with the woodland.”

He claimed tractors, brush cutters and chainsaws were being used to complete the works in “one fell swoop” rather than in stages.

However, Paul Jenkinson, Southend Council’s park’s technical officer, said the wood was re-coppiced on a 20 to 25 year cycle to encourage new woodland wildlife.

Mr Jenkinson said: “The stumps created by the coppicing will produce new shoots and re-grow. These stumps themselves can live for hundreds of years.

“Coppicing is highly beneficial to woodland wildlife. It enables flora and fauna to colonise new areas of the woodland by allowing light to reach the woodland floor.”

John Hall, CEO of the Essex Wildlife Trust, added: “Coppicing does look drastic when the trees and shrubs are actually cut at this time of year.

“The coppice quickly re-grows and this is partly what maintains the interest of these woodlands. Coppicing does need to be carefully planned and there is an approved plan at Hadleigh Great Wood.

“It does, in our experience, help to reduce the impact if coppicing is moved around the woodland compartments so that the coppiced areas are not adjacent and do not look so large.”

Comments (29)

8:43am Mon 25 Feb 13

SARFENDMAN says...

Sadly not enough copicing is done regularly and suppose it's a shock when it happens as the effect is dramatic. I suppose Norman's dog gets less choice where to **** it's leg.
Sadly not enough copicing is done regularly and suppose it's a shock when it happens as the effect is dramatic. I suppose Norman's dog gets less choice where to **** it's leg. SARFENDMAN

9:03am Mon 25 Feb 13

Nebs says...

The council must have earned a fortune from this. Wood is a valuable commodity.
The council must have earned a fortune from this. Wood is a valuable commodity. Nebs

9:38am Mon 25 Feb 13

saddo99 says...

Nebs wrote:
The council must have earned a fortune from this. Wood is a valuable commodity.
And it doesn't grow on trees!
[quote][p][bold]Nebs[/bold] wrote: The council must have earned a fortune from this. Wood is a valuable commodity.[/p][/quote]And it doesn't grow on trees! saddo99

10:04am Mon 25 Feb 13

go get em says...

Council getting ready to sell of the land for more housing !!
Council getting ready to sell of the land for more housing !! go get em

11:04am Mon 25 Feb 13

Shoebury_Cyclist says...

Typical Southend Council: if it's an open green area - sell it for development, if it's a wooded area - cut it down.
Typical Southend Council: if it's an open green area - sell it for development, if it's a wooded area - cut it down. Shoebury_Cyclist

11:20am Mon 25 Feb 13

I See It All says...

If our Norm walks there every day then why didn't he say something while it was being done?
If the area is as large as he says it must have taken some days to do.

I still await the cinema in the old pub in Hadleigh that Norm promised last year, so don't expect much out of this.
If our Norm walks there every day then why didn't he say something while it was being done? If the area is as large as he says it must have taken some days to do. I still await the cinema in the old pub in Hadleigh that Norm promised last year, so don't expect much out of this. I See It All

11:27am Mon 25 Feb 13

John T Pharro says...

The wood is owned by Southend, maintained by Southend at their cost, but Castle Point Council are the planning authority. How does that work?
The wood is owned by Southend, maintained by Southend at their cost, but Castle Point Council are the planning authority. How does that work? John T Pharro

11:46am Mon 25 Feb 13

A Dermot says...

Yawn - look through the Echo archives. Every few years some busy body moans to the Echo about coppicing in the woods. The stumps regrow and new trees form.
Yawn - look through the Echo archives. Every few years some busy body moans to the Echo about coppicing in the woods. The stumps regrow and new trees form. A Dermot

12:22pm Mon 25 Feb 13

Ian P says...

John T Pharro wrote:
The wood is owned by Southend, maintained by Southend at their cost, but Castle Point Council are the planning authority. How does that work?
Just the same way as the land in North Benfleet owned by Nottingham Council but Basildon Council are the Planning Authority.
[quote][p][bold]John T Pharro[/bold] wrote: The wood is owned by Southend, maintained by Southend at their cost, but Castle Point Council are the planning authority. How does that work?[/p][/quote]Just the same way as the land in North Benfleet owned by Nottingham Council but Basildon Council are the Planning Authority. Ian P

1:26pm Mon 25 Feb 13

John T Pharro says...

Ian P wrote:
John T Pharro wrote:
The wood is owned by Southend, maintained by Southend at their cost, but Castle Point Council are the planning authority. How does that work?
Just the same way as the land in North Benfleet owned by Nottingham Council but Basildon Council are the Planning Authority.
Thanks for that. Looks to me Castle Point have a better deal than you do. Just the mention of the word "land" conjurs up possible building. At least, having looked at the map most of Belfairs Golf course is in Southend and a bit and the wood west is in Castle Point and is a nature reserve which should afford it some protection from development. Why on earth would Nottigham Council want to own land in North Benfleet? Property like shopping centres yes because there is a return on an investment. What return is there on land other than speculation it would increase in value due to development?
[quote][p][bold]Ian P[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]John T Pharro[/bold] wrote: The wood is owned by Southend, maintained by Southend at their cost, but Castle Point Council are the planning authority. How does that work?[/p][/quote]Just the same way as the land in North Benfleet owned by Nottingham Council but Basildon Council are the Planning Authority.[/p][/quote]Thanks for that. Looks to me Castle Point have a better deal than you do. Just the mention of the word "land" conjurs up possible building. At least, having looked at the map most of Belfairs Golf course is in Southend and a bit and the wood west is in Castle Point and is a nature reserve which should afford it some protection from development. Why on earth would Nottigham Council want to own land in North Benfleet? Property like shopping centres yes because there is a return on an investment. What return is there on land other than speculation it would increase in value due to development? John T Pharro

2:05pm Mon 25 Feb 13

AndyBSG says...

It seems the people complaining and 'in tears' don't understand what coppicing is and how it's in fact beneficial and an example of actually caring for woodland correctly...
It seems the people complaining and 'in tears' don't understand what coppicing is and how it's in fact beneficial and an example of actually caring for woodland correctly... AndyBSG

3:01pm Mon 25 Feb 13

Storming1 says...

AndyBSG wrote:
It seems the people complaining and 'in tears' don't understand what coppicing is and how it's in fact beneficial and an example of actually caring for woodland correctly...
There's a difference between "Coppicing" and "Coppicing with Standards" which is what Southend is doing. (See Natrual England SSSi) "Coppicing with Standards" is an industrial form of woodland management that is used to encourage growth in Hazel, Sweet Chestnut, Hornbeam, Birch for the use in various woodland industries; Hurdles, Bodging, Fencing, Charcoal with the Standards used for timber.

All Southend does is cut down the trees and use industrial shredders to reduce the above trees into mulch. A complete waste of resources.

If you want examples of "Coppicing" go to Westwood or North Benfleet Hall woods where you can see excellent examples of "sympathetic coppicing" that encourages wildlife whilst retaining most of the hardwood standards.

Castle Point Wildlife Group, originally set up by Cllr David Blackwell, runs both these woods.
[quote][p][bold]AndyBSG[/bold] wrote: It seems the people complaining and 'in tears' don't understand what coppicing is and how it's in fact beneficial and an example of actually caring for woodland correctly...[/p][/quote]There's a difference between "Coppicing" and "Coppicing with Standards" which is what Southend is doing. (See Natrual England SSSi) "Coppicing with Standards" is an industrial form of woodland management that is used to encourage growth in Hazel, Sweet Chestnut, Hornbeam, Birch for the use in various woodland industries; Hurdles, Bodging, Fencing, Charcoal with the Standards used for timber. All Southend does is cut down the trees and use industrial shredders to reduce the above trees into mulch. A complete waste of resources. If you want examples of "Coppicing" go to Westwood or North Benfleet Hall woods where you can see excellent examples of "sympathetic coppicing" that encourages wildlife whilst retaining most of the hardwood standards. Castle Point Wildlife Group, originally set up by Cllr David Blackwell, runs both these woods. Storming1

3:04pm Mon 25 Feb 13

Storming1 says...

Link to the North Benfleet Hall Woods.

http://www.castlepoi
ntwildlifegroup.co.u
k/page_1294761.html
Link to the North Benfleet Hall Woods. http://www.castlepoi ntwildlifegroup.co.u k/page_1294761.html Storming1

4:48pm Mon 25 Feb 13

Sim0n says...

Storming1 wrote:
AndyBSG wrote:
It seems the people complaining and 'in tears' don't understand what coppicing is and how it's in fact beneficial and an example of actually caring for woodland correctly...
There's a difference between "Coppicing" and "Coppicing with Standards" which is what Southend is doing. (See Natrual England SSSi) "Coppicing with Standards" is an industrial form of woodland management that is used to encourage growth in Hazel, Sweet Chestnut, Hornbeam, Birch for the use in various woodland industries; Hurdles, Bodging, Fencing, Charcoal with the Standards used for timber.

All Southend does is cut down the trees and use industrial shredders to reduce the above trees into mulch. A complete waste of resources.

If you want examples of "Coppicing" go to Westwood or North Benfleet Hall woods where you can see excellent examples of "sympathetic coppicing" that encourages wildlife whilst retaining most of the hardwood standards.

Castle Point Wildlife Group, originally set up by Cllr David Blackwell, runs both these woods.
Coppicing is not done for the benefit of Wildlife it is originally done to produce a certain type of timber for manufacture of wooden structures or production of Charcoal. Now it is done to supply wood burners in peoples homes which is fine if the coppicing is done in a controlled manor and is thinned out again in a few years to stop a density of branches that will stop all light reaching the floor of the woods. The issue Norman is making is and was accepted by SOS Council that the contractor was to keen while under taking its work, in my opinion they had a contract and a time scale but did not want to keep moving his equipment so they forgot any management plans .

Regarding the comment above about being previously coppiced you are mistaken look at the stumps, I walk these woods and these where mature single trunk trees .
[quote][p][bold]Storming1[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]AndyBSG[/bold] wrote: It seems the people complaining and 'in tears' don't understand what coppicing is and how it's in fact beneficial and an example of actually caring for woodland correctly...[/p][/quote]There's a difference between "Coppicing" and "Coppicing with Standards" which is what Southend is doing. (See Natrual England SSSi) "Coppicing with Standards" is an industrial form of woodland management that is used to encourage growth in Hazel, Sweet Chestnut, Hornbeam, Birch for the use in various woodland industries; Hurdles, Bodging, Fencing, Charcoal with the Standards used for timber. All Southend does is cut down the trees and use industrial shredders to reduce the above trees into mulch. A complete waste of resources. If you want examples of "Coppicing" go to Westwood or North Benfleet Hall woods where you can see excellent examples of "sympathetic coppicing" that encourages wildlife whilst retaining most of the hardwood standards. Castle Point Wildlife Group, originally set up by Cllr David Blackwell, runs both these woods.[/p][/quote]Coppicing is not done for the benefit of Wildlife it is originally done to produce a certain type of timber for manufacture of wooden structures or production of Charcoal. Now it is done to supply wood burners in peoples homes which is fine if the coppicing is done in a controlled manor and is thinned out again in a few years to stop a density of branches that will stop all light reaching the floor of the woods. The issue Norman is making is and was accepted by SOS Council that the contractor was to keen while under taking its work, in my opinion they had a contract and a time scale but did not want to keep moving his equipment so they forgot any management plans . Regarding the comment above about being previously coppiced you are mistaken look at the stumps, I walk these woods and these where mature single trunk trees . Sim0n

5:37pm Mon 25 Feb 13

Nebs says...

Sim0n wrote:
Storming1 wrote:
AndyBSG wrote:
It seems the people complaining and 'in tears' don't understand what coppicing is and how it's in fact beneficial and an example of actually caring for woodland correctly...
There's a difference between "Coppicing" and "Coppicing with Standards" which is what Southend is doing. (See Natrual England SSSi) "Coppicing with Standards" is an industrial form of woodland management that is used to encourage growth in Hazel, Sweet Chestnut, Hornbeam, Birch for the use in various woodland industries; Hurdles, Bodging, Fencing, Charcoal with the Standards used for timber.

All Southend does is cut down the trees and use industrial shredders to reduce the above trees into mulch. A complete waste of resources.

If you want examples of "Coppicing" go to Westwood or North Benfleet Hall woods where you can see excellent examples of "sympathetic coppicing" that encourages wildlife whilst retaining most of the hardwood standards.

Castle Point Wildlife Group, originally set up by Cllr David Blackwell, runs both these woods.
Coppicing is not done for the benefit of Wildlife it is originally done to produce a certain type of timber for manufacture of wooden structures or production of Charcoal. Now it is done to supply wood burners in peoples homes which is fine if the coppicing is done in a controlled manor and is thinned out again in a few years to stop a density of branches that will stop all light reaching the floor of the woods. The issue Norman is making is and was accepted by SOS Council that the contractor was to keen while under taking its work, in my opinion they had a contract and a time scale but did not want to keep moving his equipment so they forgot any management plans .

Regarding the comment above about being previously coppiced you are mistaken look at the stumps, I walk these woods and these where mature single trunk trees .
I wonder how much the contractor paid for the rights to fell and remove all those trees.
[quote][p][bold]Sim0n[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]Storming1[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]AndyBSG[/bold] wrote: It seems the people complaining and 'in tears' don't understand what coppicing is and how it's in fact beneficial and an example of actually caring for woodland correctly...[/p][/quote]There's a difference between "Coppicing" and "Coppicing with Standards" which is what Southend is doing. (See Natrual England SSSi) "Coppicing with Standards" is an industrial form of woodland management that is used to encourage growth in Hazel, Sweet Chestnut, Hornbeam, Birch for the use in various woodland industries; Hurdles, Bodging, Fencing, Charcoal with the Standards used for timber. All Southend does is cut down the trees and use industrial shredders to reduce the above trees into mulch. A complete waste of resources. If you want examples of "Coppicing" go to Westwood or North Benfleet Hall woods where you can see excellent examples of "sympathetic coppicing" that encourages wildlife whilst retaining most of the hardwood standards. Castle Point Wildlife Group, originally set up by Cllr David Blackwell, runs both these woods.[/p][/quote]Coppicing is not done for the benefit of Wildlife it is originally done to produce a certain type of timber for manufacture of wooden structures or production of Charcoal. Now it is done to supply wood burners in peoples homes which is fine if the coppicing is done in a controlled manor and is thinned out again in a few years to stop a density of branches that will stop all light reaching the floor of the woods. The issue Norman is making is and was accepted by SOS Council that the contractor was to keen while under taking its work, in my opinion they had a contract and a time scale but did not want to keep moving his equipment so they forgot any management plans . Regarding the comment above about being previously coppiced you are mistaken look at the stumps, I walk these woods and these where mature single trunk trees .[/p][/quote]I wonder how much the contractor paid for the rights to fell and remove all those trees. Nebs

6:04pm Mon 25 Feb 13

I hate the police says...

How sad. Get a life.
How sad. Get a life. I hate the police

6:30pm Mon 25 Feb 13

everyoneh850 says...

Mr Ladzrie said: “I walk these woods every day with my dogs and meet many people over there. I have seen people in tears at what is happening

Come off it how can people cry over some trees being chopped down? If this is true then these people must be emotional wrecks. Dred to think how upset they get over the rain forest being chopped down. Must be bawling their eyes out if they ever watch the news bless their cotton socks.
Mr Ladzrie said: “I walk these woods every day with my dogs and meet many people over there. I have seen people in tears at what is happening Come off it how can people cry over some trees being chopped down? If this is true then these people must be emotional wrecks. Dred to think how upset they get over the rain forest being chopped down. Must be bawling their eyes out if they ever watch the news bless their cotton socks. everyoneh850

7:15pm Mon 25 Feb 13

Cosmo Spring says...

less trees to hide your dog's dung behind.....
less trees to hide your dog's dung behind..... Cosmo Spring

8:34pm Mon 25 Feb 13

Soouthchurch59 says...

I can't see the wood through (sic) the trees....
I can't see the wood through (sic) the trees.... Soouthchurch59

9:21pm Mon 25 Feb 13

Carnabackable says...

Good for the wood burner
Good for the wood burner Carnabackable

11:04pm Mon 25 Feb 13

Letmetryagain says...

As said, somebody is on a nice earner.

That is not coppicing, that is vandalism of the highest order.
As said, somebody is on a nice earner. That is not coppicing, that is vandalism of the highest order. Letmetryagain

8:20am Tue 26 Feb 13

Sim0n says...

I See It All wrote:
If our Norm walks there every day then why didn't he say something while it was being done?
If the area is as large as he says it must have taken some days to do.

I still await the cinema in the old pub in Hadleigh that Norm promised last year, so don't expect much out of this.
No promises have been made for Hadleigh.
[quote][p][bold]I See It All[/bold] wrote: If our Norm walks there every day then why didn't he say something while it was being done? If the area is as large as he says it must have taken some days to do. I still await the cinema in the old pub in Hadleigh that Norm promised last year, so don't expect much out of this.[/p][/quote]No promises have been made for Hadleigh. Sim0n

8:31am Tue 26 Feb 13

Sim0n says...

Letmetryagain wrote:
As said, somebody is on a nice earner.

That is not coppicing, that is vandalism of the highest order.
Letmetryagain - I have to agree, coppicing has its place, but not in a Public Woodland to that extent currently underway in Hadleigh Great Wood, and by a company who are not being monitored. It seems to me that coppicing is being used as a means of cheaply managing trees within a woodland, by chopping to a stump then remove and sell the wood and then not revisit for 15 to 20 years, while we then lose a single trunk tree and have in its place get 5 to 10 small trunks instead which is not conclusive to a nice woodland.
[quote][p][bold]Letmetryagain[/bold] wrote: As said, somebody is on a nice earner. That is not coppicing, that is vandalism of the highest order.[/p][/quote]Letmetryagain - I have to agree, coppicing has its place, but not in a Public Woodland to that extent currently underway in Hadleigh Great Wood, and by a company who are not being monitored. It seems to me that coppicing is being used as a means of cheaply managing trees within a woodland, by chopping to a stump then remove and sell the wood and then not revisit for 15 to 20 years, while we then lose a single trunk tree and have in its place get 5 to 10 small trunks instead which is not conclusive to a nice woodland. Sim0n

9:36am Tue 26 Feb 13

HadleighBoy says...

I am a bit confused I have lived in Hadleigh all my life and this is no suprise to me. Coppicing has always been done. In Westwood and the Great Wood and Blefairs nature reserve. Why is this different I can remember great swathes of Westwood laid bare but it grows back. It is an ancient method of woodland management. what is the problem?
I am a bit confused I have lived in Hadleigh all my life and this is no suprise to me. Coppicing has always been done. In Westwood and the Great Wood and Blefairs nature reserve. Why is this different I can remember great swathes of Westwood laid bare but it grows back. It is an ancient method of woodland management. what is the problem? HadleighBoy

12:03pm Tue 26 Feb 13

Cosmo Spring says...

HadleighBoy wrote:
I am a bit confused I have lived in Hadleigh all my life and this is no suprise to me. Coppicing has always been done. In Westwood and the Great Wood and Blefairs nature reserve. Why is this different I can remember great swathes of Westwood laid bare but it grows back. It is an ancient method of woodland management. what is the problem?
dog emptiers like to have something to moan about to justify their existence
[quote][p][bold]HadleighBoy[/bold] wrote: I am a bit confused I have lived in Hadleigh all my life and this is no suprise to me. Coppicing has always been done. In Westwood and the Great Wood and Blefairs nature reserve. Why is this different I can remember great swathes of Westwood laid bare but it grows back. It is an ancient method of woodland management. what is the problem?[/p][/quote]dog emptiers like to have something to moan about to justify their existence Cosmo Spring

1:32pm Tue 26 Feb 13

southchurchroad says...

Coppicing always looks drastic in winter- as someone who regularly walks around said woods and others, it happens this drastically every few years, and you barely notice it happened at all by summer.

When it gets done, it gets planned and executed by experts- Mr Ladzrie is clearly just attention seeking for whatever reason, and if he was a long term regular he would have seen the same thing happen multiple times.
Coppicing always looks drastic in winter- as someone who regularly walks around said woods and others, it happens this drastically every few years, and you barely notice it happened at all by summer. When it gets done, it gets planned and executed by experts- Mr Ladzrie is clearly just attention seeking for whatever reason, and if he was a long term regular he would have seen the same thing happen multiple times. southchurchroad

3:06pm Tue 26 Feb 13

Carnabackable says...

Too many townie idiots, without a clue of what's good for this woodland, stick to your **** block paved driveways, and let us country folk get on with some forestry preservation.
Too many townie idiots, without a clue of what's good for this woodland, stick to your **** block paved driveways, and let us country folk get on with some forestry preservation. Carnabackable

9:36pm Tue 26 Feb 13

Diannah says...

The word 'coppicing' is still the same. The difference is that today, a chainsaw is used rather than the traditional axe. Therefore, more clearance in a short space of time. QED.
The word 'coppicing' is still the same. The difference is that today, a chainsaw is used rather than the traditional axe. Therefore, more clearance in a short space of time. QED. Diannah

9:42pm Tue 26 Feb 13

Whatthe* says...

Carnabackable wrote:
Too many townie idiots, without a clue of what's good for this woodland, stick to your **** block paved driveways, and let us country folk get on with some forestry preservation.
Deforestation you mean
[quote][p][bold]Carnabackable[/bold] wrote: Too many townie idiots, without a clue of what's good for this woodland, stick to your **** block paved driveways, and let us country folk get on with some forestry preservation.[/p][/quote]Deforestation you mean Whatthe*

Comments are closed on this article.

click2find

About cookies

We want you to enjoy your visit to our website. That's why we use cookies to enhance your experience. By staying on our website you agree to our use of cookies. Find out more about the cookies we use.

I agree