PROTESTERS have expressed anger at the felling of the ‘historically significant’ Piles Coppice Woodland.
Piles Coppice, within Brandon Reach nature reserve, is managed by Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, on behalf of the Woodland Trust.
Campaigners contacted the Observer last week expressing ‘huge disappointment’ after seeing three men with chainsaws felling trees from the woodland last month- but they claim the situation has got ‘much worse’ since then.
The Friends of Piles Coppice Wood group said these trees were the habitat of very rare birds and moths and were worth thousands of pounds in amenity value and carbon storage.
Over 30 residents staged a protest over the weekend, many holding banners calling to ‘Save Piles Coppice.’
Warwickshire Wildlife Trust said it was reintroducing traditional woodland management methods on 12 small plots equalling less than five per cent of Piles Coppice, with the aim being to enrich the wildlife and the woodland for future generations.
The trust claimed it was an effective way to ensure the woodlands were cared for in a way that allowed them to be healthy now and in the future.
The vice chair of the Coventry Tree Warden Network, Ann Wilson, claimed the felling was going ahead despite advice from top ecologists to leave the wood alone and huge public objection.
“Local conservationists have said this historically significant wood is stable and healthy and supporting very many important species – some of them extremely rare and their precious habitat is being destroyed.”
The Woodland Trust, which has placed the land into the care of Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, said while the work may initially look severe, it was designed to stimulate new growth by allowing light in and enabling the woodland and its wildlife to thrive.
A Warwickshire Wildlife Trust spokesperson said it had reached out to a local group and met with its members on many occasions to talk through the plans but had been met with complete resistance to any woodland management taking place in Piles Coppice.
They also claimed the trust was not destroying habitats but creating and providing a greater range of them to support and encourage a wider range of species – increasing biodiversity in the woodland.
