Planning loophole fear for ancient woodlands

The Woodland Trust said 630 ancient woods had been threatened by development such as quarries and roads in the past decade, with 111 sites lost in 10 years due to weaknesses in planning policy, and 225 were still under threat.

New maps from the trust show dozens of woodlands dating back more than 400 years at risk around London, with others threatened from Cornwall to the north of England.

The final version of a major overhaul of the planning rules, which the Government insists is needed to boost economic growth but which has provoked fears among countryside campaigners of inappropriate development and urban sprawl, is expected shortly.

Before its publication, the Woodland Trust issued a last-ditch plea to ministers to close what they say is a “loophole” in the proposed planning framework, which focuses on “sustainable development”, to prevent more ancient woods being at risk.

The trust fears provisions in the new document, which says planning permission should be refused if it leads to the loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats such as ancient woodland or aged trees, are undermined by the caveat: “unless the need for, and benefits of, the development in that location clearly outweigh the loss”.

Against a backdrop of a presumption in favour of development running through the reforms, the “loophole” could lead to more woodland being lost to development, the campaigners warn.

With just 15 per cent of England’s ancient woodlands covered by protections such as being designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest and only 2.7 per cent of the country covered in ancient woods, the trust said any further loss of woodland would be too much.

It said its call for greater protection of woodlands is backed by a majority of MPs, with a recent poll for the charity of 150 MPs revealing that four-fifths (81 per cent) supported such a move.

Sue Holden, chief executive of the Woodland Trust, said: “The statement given by the Prime Minister’s spokesman this week, in which he said a relentless focus on growth must be at the forefront of any forthcoming policy decisions, is cause for concern if the environment is not given equal consideration.”