Ancient Woodland has been saved as the Forestry Commission Scotland withdrew an outline planning application for its controversial eco-village development at Kilnhill, Nairn.
The Woodland Trust Scotland, part of the UK’s leading conservation charity, had objected to the planning application and was set to attend the planning hearing to urge officials to reject the application.
Kilnhill is listed on the Ancient Woodland Inventory and is recognised as long established. Recent ecological surveys have shown the woodland has a range of valued plant species, including many ancient woodland indicator plants such as wood sorrel and chickweed wintergreen. Any development on this site would lead to the irreplaceable loss of ancient woodland.
The proposed development is in direct contravention of several pieces of national legislation, strategy and policy, including the Scottish Forest Strategy. This document, written by the Forestry Commission Scotland, sets out a vision for Scottish forestry. One of its seven key themes is biodiversity; it states that targeted action needs to be taken to reverse biodiversity decline, including particular action to ensure that "the protection of woodlands of high biodiversity value is a principal consideration in the development control process.”
The proposed development at Kilnhill would have destroyed ancient woodland of high biodiversity value, contravening Forestry Commissions Scotland’s aims.
The Woodland Trust Scotland finds eco-homes in a woodland context an interesting concept and, in principle, a good idea. It complements the Trust’s aim of increasing the connection between woods and people. However, this concept should not be explored at the expense of woodland biodiversity – as demonstrated at Kilnhill.
Andrew Fairbairn, Woodland Trust Scotland’s policy and communications manager said: “The Woodland Trust Scotland is aghast that the Forestry Commission Scotland considered this development. It directly contravenes the Scottish Forestry Strategy as well as seven other pieces of legislation, strategy and policy. If it had gone ahead it would have lead to hundreds of years of evolution going up in smoke. We are pleased the Forestry Commission has reconsidered and subsequently withdrawn its plans.
“The Trust will continue to campaign for the protection of ancient woodland,” he said.