Knowle Wood is the protected area of so-called “ancient woodland” which is located to the north of Little Meadow. With the informal help of somebody who knows about trees, we were alerted a few months ago to the fact that there could be issues that needed to be dealt with.
The Knowle Wood land is owned by Berkeley Homes (Southern) Ltd (“Berkeley Homes”) and we therefore asked them to arrange for the trees to be examined in order to identify any potential risks to property at Little Meadow or matters that could cause personal injury.
We’re not sure how widely Waverley Borough Council has circulated the information, but you may have received in the post a formal Notice of a Planning Application from them. The application has been made on behalf of Berkeley Homes following an independent report from a Consultant Arboriculturist which identifies a number of risks and recommends that certain remedial action should be taken. It is our view that the work will only make a modest difference to the overall appearance of Knowle Wood and we support the application.
You can see all the documents on Waverley’s Planning Portal.
Please be in no doubt that the work for which Berkeley Homes has sought permission is to ensure the safety of people and property and it is important for everyone that it gets approved, firstly by Waverley and then by The Forestry Commission which must issue a “felling licence”. You will be able to see the latest news in the Planning Portal as the application progresses.