ALMOST 1,400 people have taken the trouble to send in letters objecting to 47 acres of ancient woodland being dug up to extend the Brickworth quarry at Whiteparish.

I am one of them.

Do I believe we will make any difference? Not really.

I suspect that, as so often under the Wiltshire planning regime, we’ll have to live with the results of bad decisions made several years ago.

Many of the protesters only found out about the plan because of a Woodland Trust campaign.

This admirable charity foresees “one of the largest cases of loss to ancient woodland” that it has ever come across, with a heavy impact on the environment and on wildlife.

On its website it gave its supporters ideas on how to word their letters, stressing all the key points about this “irreplaceable natural resource”.

Such as the presence of dormice and great crested newts, slow worms, grass snakes, lizards and numerous rare or endangered invertebrates.

Along with 32 bird species, seven of them designated Species of Principal Importance, including the nightjar and cuckoo.

And 12 species of bat, including four that are nationally scarce.

All on the very fringe of the New Forest National Park.

Any pocket of habitat that is not actually grubbed up is likely to be quickly deserted because of the noise, lights, heavy machinery and human presence associated with sand extraction.

The Trust states unequivocally: “There are no possible mitigation measures available that would make the proposals acceptable.”

It dismisses claims that soil from the ancient woodland can be ‘translocated’ to areas designated for replacement trees, saying it will be impossible to recreate what was lost.

Natural England confirms: “You can’t move an ancient woodland ecosystem because it isn’t possible to replicate the same conditions at another site.”

According to the National Planning Policy Framework, sites such as this, known as Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites, or PAWS, should not be developed unless the benefits “clearly outweigh the loss”.

Whiteparish Preservation Group isn’t happy, and neither are the parish council or the neighbouring national park.

Which makes one wonder how on earth it came to be included in Wiltshire’s minerals strategy.

As a Journal reporter, I drew attention to the danger back in July 2010, when the strategy was out for public consultation.

No one picked up on it at the time.

Now they have, but is it too late?

I’m 99 per cent sure that the application will be granted, not least because it will be decided by the county’s strategic planning committee rather than by local members.

I fear they’ll argue that the principle of development has already been accepted, and they won’t want the cost of fighting an appeal.

I expect they’ll then footle about imposing conditions that will lead to some new trees being planted, in the mistaken assumption (if they care at all) that this will compensate for what’s been lost.

It’s about quality, not quantity.

And speaking of quality, our councillors need to ensure much greater public involvement and site-specific expertise in forward planning.

As with Old Sarum airfield, the Britford Lane meadow and the Lime Kiln Way wildlife site, it should never have come to this.

anneriddle36@gmail.com