Last July, Derby City Council’s planning committee unanimously voted to refuse planning permission for up to 150 homes on land next to Chaddesden Wood in Oakwood.
Since I was elected I have been pleased to support Friends of Chaddesden Wood who ran a campaign to protect the Chaddesden Wood, the only ancient woodland in Derby.
However, the site may not be totally free of the risk of potential development in the future. It is unsuitable for development, as this would undermine the rich biodiversity and environmental benefits the wood supports.
That’s why I asked forestry experts in this week’s Environmental Audit Committee if the protections in the National Planning Policy Framework were sufficient to protect ancient woodlands.
You can watch below what Nick Phillips, Principal Policy Advocate for Forestry at Woodland Trust, thinks the current issues are in the planning system.