NORTON HEATH: Your favourite trees are being cut down

FURIOUS villagers say their ancient woodland is being destroyed by a conservation group that is chopping down healthy oak trees.

Residents living next to Norton Heath Common claim more than 60 trees in the tiny wood, which is less than five acres, have been torn down.

Rosemary Ellis, 58, (pictured, front) a resident of Norton Lane, has lived in the area all her life and said: "I'm absolutely furious.

"I can't believe they have come and cut down all the oak trees. They are absolutely tearing it to pieces. You can see right through the woodland. They have annihilated it.

"They have just gone in there and started cutting everything down and some of those oak trees must be 80 years old. I remember them being there since I was a youngster."

The trees have been chopped down by Countrycare, Epping Forest District Council's countryside management service, which has received the support of the Forestry Commission and Natural England to turn the site back into heathland.

Countrycare says it is thinning out the trees to allow in more light and encourage a variety of plants and wildlife. The organisation says it is removing trees from the centre of the site, leaving a screen of mature oaks around the edge.

But Essex county councillor, Gerard McEwen, who represents Ongar, said: "To the local residents this is more like a chainsaw massacre and they are extremely angry that public money should be used in this way.

He added: "We value Countrycare's work in conservation but it is madness to be cutting down mature oak trees which have been part of our local scene for up to 50 years."

David Little, 68, from Norton Lane, said: "It's senseless destruction of good trees. They are taking down perfectly healthy oak trees and leaving rotten silver birches. It's our little woods but I don't even want to go up there any more because it makes me so angry."

District councillor Maggie McEwen, who lives in Norton Heath and represents the area, said: "Countrycare feel it should be returned to heathland but most local people aren't happy. They say it has evolved over time into a wood and should stay like that. I'm inclined to agree."

High Ongar Parish Council has now asked Countrycare not to carry out any further work on the site until there have been further talks with local residents.

But the district council's head of civil engineering and maintenance, Cllr Richard Bassett, defended the decision to cut down the trees.

He said: "What we think of as natural landscape, such as Epping Forest, actually reflects thousands of years of intervention and management.

"People can be nervous about removing trees but management of the woodland is essential to the long-term health of the area."