Sirs,
The excellent response by Neil Goodwin and the report in this week’s Wiltshire Gazette and Herald on the awful plans put forward by the Forestry Commission to limit visitors access to Savernake Forest provoke further comments.
Having walked in Savernake Forest for the past 70 years and indeed, having just returned from my almost daily walk in the Forest with my small terrier, meeting one or two friends and chatting about this and that, I see the Forest as a crucial resource for the community of Marlborough and more widely in Wiltshire.
The argument put forward by the Forestry Commission that the Grand Avenue is used as a “rat run” is simply ridiculous given the state of the road and the potholes which dramatically reduce the speed at which one can drive, and probably should not be repaired for that very reason, despite the impact on our car tyres.
The idea of developing a visitor hub on Postern Hill with 300-350 parking spaces for which one would be paying a fee makes one feel that this is all about making money and does not take into account the awful impact that this would have on traffic to that area. The Forestry Commission complains about antisocial behaviour in the Forest which I personally have very rarely witnessed. The building of a huge carpark with toilets, play and cafe facilities and access to the forest limited to the area around the carpark is surely much more likely to induce antisocial behaviour.
And what about the impact on the Forest which we all treasure so much if large numbers of people were limited to an area within walking distance of the carpark rather than, as at present, having the choice to walk in relative isolation or with family and friends, along glorious footpaths at either end of the Grand Avenue or at Eight Walks, the Arboretum and beyond and enjoying the beauty of the landscape and the different varieties of trees particularly in the springtime and autumn when the leaves are of such gloriously attractive colours.
As an elderly retired doctor I know that many local people who I meet in the Forest and with whom I chat, agree with me that our regular walks in this wonderful resource are particularly good for both our physical and mental health, particularly at this time with all the restrictions there have been on our lives, induced by the coronavirus pandemic. To be all crowded into a very limited area will be a totally different and frankly unattractive proposition.
I would suggest that the Forestry Commission could do more to encourage people to use the Forest wisely by placing an appropriate poster in key positions in the Forest giving details of their work and advising people on how to treat the forest appropriately and asking for and giving details of how to make donations for the work they do.
It is great that the owner of the Forest the Earl of Cardigan has expressed his opposition to the Forestry Commission’s proposed plan. I trust his view will prevail!
Yours,
Nick Maurice
Marlborough
Christchurch Methodist Church building to close
