ANYONE who cares about Latchmore Brook in Fordingbridge are being urged to attend a public exhibition on Tuesday.

Concerns have been raised that many restoration projects carried out by the Forestry Commission have been ill-prepared and destructive to wildlife, particularly during the bird nesting season.

At the Verderers Court resident Elizabeth Potter referred to the work at Broomy and said: "What on earth has been the point of it all? Gone is the stream and its

banks and its natural winding beauty and instead there is a dead infilled

stone path which is not ridable. Where can the fish swim?

"Dreadful damage has been done and much habitat seriously compromised."

Outrage at "the destruction" of Ogdens, sparked a campaign by worried residents who launched friendsoflatchmore.org and fought for an Environmental Impact Assessment to be carried out.

The assessment of the Latchmore wetland restoration is currently being finalised by independent environmental planning consultants LUC and will be submitted to the New Forest National Park Authority later this year.

Latchmore Brook was artificially deepened and widened in the mid-19th and early 20th century, to improve grazing and extend the area where trees could grow inside the Inclosures.

However, Natural England claimed this action affected the wetland ecology, who identified the area as being in an ‘unfavourable condition’.

The Forestry Commission claims the proposed works will protect the Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for future generations.

Bruce Rothnie, deputy surveyor at the Forestry Commission, said: "Natural England has identified that the Latchmore Brook in particular is under threat as a result of past drainage work.

"It’s our moral and legal responsibility to maintain and restore habitats such as this by reinstating the natural processes wherever possible. We can prevent further damage and create an ecosystem that is more robust, and also help to protect the Forest’s unique biodiversity."

The Latchmore Brook Wetland Restoration is being funded by the New Forest Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) Scheme and may include a variety of restoration works, such as infilling the straightened drains and re-directing the natural water flows back into the original meandering stream channels.

The Forestry Commission along with LUC will be hosting the public exhibition at Hyde Church Community Centre between 4pm and 8.30pm.