COVENTRY South MP Zarah Sultana has presented a petition in Parliament calling for the protection of an ancient woodland to the south east of Coventry.
Local eco-warriors have raised deep concerns that Warwickshire Wildlife Trust’s new sustainable woodland management plans for Piles Coppice Wood, including the felling of trees for firewood and creation of wider ‘rides’ or paths, could “destroy rare wildlife” and interfere with the site’s “phenomenal biodiversity”.
Ms Sultana noted that just under 1,500 people had signed an online petition calling on Warwickshire Wildlife Trust to “stop intervention in this Warwickshire gem”.
She said: “Our natural environment is one of our most precious treasures. We have a responsibility to protect, preserve, and pass it on to future generations to enjoy. I share Coventry residents’ concerns about these plans and urge Warwickshire Wildlife Trust to reconsider.”
The petition presented by Ms Sultana says Piles Coppice Wood, off the A46, near Binley Woods, is “a valuable remnant of ancient woodland that is home to rare and beautiful wildlife and vegetation” and called on the Government to “to preserve this ancient woodland and protect our natural environment.”
Conservationist and Tree Warden Ann Wilson from Stoke, Coventry, who posted the petition on change.org says the woods are part of the ancient Forest of Arden, mentioned in the Domesday Book and praised by woodland expect Oliver Rackham.
Despite being located next to a busy dual carriageway, she said the woods are “surviving healthily” and have not been managed or touched for around 100 years.
Piles Coppice is covered by an important Tree Preservation Order and has some of “the best displays of anemones and bluebells in Warwickshire”, 27 different types of trees including rare mature Small-leaved Limes, 137 different species of moths, over 100 plants and “incredible” birdsong.
Tree wardens have carried out nature surveys over the past 18 months and discovered extremely rare wildlife including Red Data Book moths, Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers and a fungus which was previously only recorded in Hampshire.
Ann said: “We never wanted this fight, we just wanted to tell Warwickshire Wildlife Trust what an incredibly special, beautiful place Piles Coppice is and asked if they’d like us to help with tree surveys. It will break my heart if this goes ahead. There’s so much diversity, especially the moths living in the tree canopies, and even an Iron Age enclosure.
“The Trust has not consulted the public over its management plans, but we believe it has since received more than 50 letters of complaint and nearly 1,500 people support the petition. Piles Coppice has a Tree Preservation Order protecting the whole wood and the Trust would need planning permission.”
Warwickshire Wildlife Trust (WWT) took over the management of Piles Coppice and Brandon Reach from the Woodland Trust in 2018. So close to Christmas, no one is available for a detailed comment but the Trust said Zarah Sultana contacted WWT in connection with Piles Coppice in August.
Ms Sultana and Mark Pawsey, MP for Rugby, were invited on a site visit in September. The Trust added: “Zarah has not been in touch since and has not taken up our offer of a site visit.”
Ed Green, chief executive of WWT issued the following response to the Coventry MP:
“Both WWT and the Woodland Trust have agreed an approach sensitive to the special features of the woodland which will preserve it well into the future, for many decades to come, as a resilient and robust woodland capable of change and adaption.
“It is not an approach which seeks to preserve the woodland exactly as it is today because not taking an active approach will reduce the ability of the woodland at Piles Coppice to respond to the many challenges facing all UK woodlands and trees. The
draft plans in limited circulation at this stage are our explanation of how we propose achieving this objective.
“Our firm intention is and always will be to act positively in the long term interest of Piles Coppice as an important local site for biodiversity and the appreciation of nature by visitors there.”
