Campaign to save Poppy Wood fences finds support

THE campaign to preserve the fencing at Poppy Wood has gathered momentum since the issue was raised last month at a Melbourne Parish Council meeting

A facebook campaign “Save Poppy Wood Fencing” has already attracted over 180 members and Melbourne resident Mike King, who formed the group Friends of Poppy Wood, explained what they were trying to achieve

He said that the initial rumours from wardens that the fences surrounding the wood were going to be removed were recently confirmed in a letter from Forestry England As representative of the Friends he believes that “the planned removal of the fencing is a misguided consequence of a national aim of Forestry England to improve the connectivity of woodlands”

He hailed the woodland as a great success as it was used by both dog and non-dog walkers to take exercise and improve wellbeing

He felt that if the fences were removed and dog walkers could not safely exercise dogs there, many simply would not use it

He challenged the assertion made by Forestry England that it was a working woodland; it was, as set out in the National Forest webpages, primarily a secure area for various activities including walking, dogs and exercise

A local dog walker at Poppy Wood told Village Voice that the fences were generally in a good state of repair, but she thought dog owners would pay to sponsor fence posts She said that certain breeds of dog, no matter how well behaved, could not be relied upon to return when called, so without the security of the fence she would not walk her dogs there

A spokesperson for Forestry England provided the following statement: “Poppy Wood is a working woodland producing sustainable timber for the UK market, providing access for local people and is home to a rich and diverse range of plants and animals The deer fence was erected in 2007 to protect the young trees from deer browsing It has reached the end of its lifespan; some of the posts are beginning to rot and it is starting to become a hazard

“Our plan is to remove the fence in stages, removing the worst areas of fencing first We have considered the cost of repairing the fence but, as it is no longer required to protect the trees, we do not believe this would be a good use of public resources

“We understand the concerns about how the potential change may impact on visitors’ use and enjoyment However, the fence was not erected to contain dogs and, whilst this may have been a benefit for dog walkers, it is not normal practice in the woodlands that we care for

“Dog walkers are one of the largest user groups of Forestry England woodlands that, across England, attract 230 million visits a year Dog walkers are welcome to exercise their dogs off the lead as long as they can keep them under control

“Dogs that are out of control can be harmful to wildlife and cause concern to other visitors We would strongly recommend that if an individual is unable to control their dog, they keep their dog on a lead ”

Mike has been in touch with local MP Heather Wheeler and is hoping to be able to arrange a meeting with her and a representative of Forestry England to discuss the issue and hopefully either reverse the decision or work out a compromise solution