Consultation into new south Shropshire woodland extended after residents list concerns

Last week, the MP for South Shropshire, Stuart Anderson, called on Forestry England to extend the consultation into a new woodland near Church Stretton after residents raised concerns.

Mr Anderson said he was concerned the original August 11 deadline was "too soon" for residents to read and fully respond to the plans.

The new woodland at Picklescott near Church Stretton will be a ‘Coronation Wood’, one of several created around the country to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III.

Forestry England’s forest management director in the west of England, Kevin Stannard, said the site is being designed to mitigate the challenges of the changing climate.

It will be planted with a mixture of broadleaf and conifer tree species, and managed by Forestry England to provide sustainably-grown timber and improve habitats for wildlife.

But the MP said "many residents" had raised concerns with him about the plans, including about the lack of an appropriate road system to cater for traffic, the impact on views of the Shropshire Hills as well as the risk of increased sheep worrying.

In a letter to the chief executive of Forestry England, Mr Anderson asked for the deadline for the consultation to be extended.

Now, the organisation has confirmed that the consultation has been extended by a week and will close to the public on August 18.

Mr Anderson welcomed the move, and said he would be arranging to meet with the chief executive on-site to ensure the views of residents and farmers were "heard at the highest level within Forestry England".

He said: "Many residents have raised with me their concerns about Forestry England's plans to convert farmland at Picklescott into new woodland.

"Given the significance of this proposal, it is important that as many residents as possible get to have their say on the plans that they have put forward.

"Given that the consultation had only been open for a week, I was concerned that the August 11 deadline for feedback would be too soon for residents to fully engage with the consultation.

"Having written to the chief executive of Forestry England, I am pleased that they have now agreed to extend the consultation period by one week until August 18."