Charity defends decision to axe trees at ancient woodland in Binley Woods

Concerned residents launched a group called Friends of Piles Coppice Wood and 2,000 people signed a petition against the felling.

Paul Salisbury, chairman of Binley Woods Parish Council, said: “The wood was mentioned in The Domesday Book and is the home to many declining species of birds, moths and plants.

"Parts of the woodland floor has had its heart ripped out, with vehicles churning it up to look like something from the Battle of the Somme in WWI.”

But Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, the charity behind the work, says it is vital to help wildlife and protect the wood's long-term future

A spokesmn for the Trust, said: “Piles Coppice is a mature woodland located in part of Brandon Reach Nature Reserve. It was actively managed as a coppice up to about 70 years ago.

“Today we continue with the reintroduction of active woodland management at Piles Coppice adhering to plans approved by the Forestry Commission and in accordance with UK Forestry standards.

"This management is vital at Piles Coppice as it has reverted to an even-aged structure with trees of a similar age and height creating a dark and closed canopy. This is not optimal for wildlife nor the long-term health of the woodland. Woodlands in this state can only support a limited number of plant and animal species.

"By actively managing Piles Coppice through selective tree felling, coppicing, and creating open spaces to let in sunlight, we will create a mix of light and shade, wetter and drier areas and ensure a varied structure to the woodland which will support a much greater range of woodland species.

“Considering the reasoning stated above, the Trust have thinned out a very small number of oak trees to allow more space for the remaining, better formed oaks to mature and to allow these trees to become the veteran oaks of the future.”

They said if the work wasn’t carried out, the trees would grow tall and spindly as they attempt to reach the light of the overcrowded woodland canopy, eventually snapping and falling.

They added: “Our work ensures the woodland can support mature and veteran oaks, for the benefit of future generations of both wildlife and people.

“We are protecting and enriching the woodlands for the future, by allowing space for the next generation of trees to replace those that exist now, and by making the woodland more resistant to diseases and pests that target individual tree species.

“We would like to reassure the local community, who care deeply about the woodland, that we too care about the woodland and the wildlife who call it home. That is why we are doing this work, to protect the health of Piles Coppice into the future. That means thinking beyond our own lifetimes, which are a fleeting moment when we consider the life of a woodland spans centuries.

"If we don’t manage Piles Coppice, we will be failing not only the future of the wildlife around us but future generations who will care as much about it then as we do now.

"We don’t have time to wait.”