WILLOWS UPDATE

Dear Residents of Castle Hedingham,

We would like to begin by offering our sincere apologies for the recent disruption caused by the maintenance work taking place in the willow woods on the Hedingham estate, alongside the Village Memorial Hall.

We know that the noise of chainsaws and, in particular, the smoke from bonfires has been difficult to live with, and we are truly sorry for the impact this has had.

The woodland area provided timber for heating until the 1960s and was then abandoned with the introduction of alternative sources of heating fuel. Working closely with Natural England, we recently agreed a 10-year woodland management plan, dividing this wood into 5 areas, to be clear felled and replanted with cricket bat willows, allowing regeneration of common willow trees in between. This latest stage was compartment 4, with one left, for either 2026 or 2027. The extracted timber is then used for the biomass boiler, heating the Castle and Mansion House, reducing use of fossil fuels by 98%.

Due to the wet landscape, regeneration is extremely quick, and Natural England have advised us that allowing light to the ground level is far more beneficial for the ecology than the closed canopy that had developed. Without this active management, overcrowding and disease can spread quickly, with the risk of pests and infections moving into neighbouring woodlands.

The good news is that our specialist contractors have now finished most of the extraction, with only some clearance and small fires still needed to ready the site for planting. Chipping the brush on that scale was not feasible, hence the bonfires. Despite their best intentions only to light the fires when the wind was blowing away from houses, regretfully, on 10th September, the wind changed direction so we stopped adding to the fires immediately.

We also recognise that we did not communicate clearly enough with the village about this work before it began. For that, we apologise unreservedly. Going forward, we will ensure that we work with the parish council well in advance of any future woodland works, so that residents are kept fully up to date.

We are confident these works will create a healthier, more vibrant and sustainable woodland.

Thank you for your patience and understanding, and once again, we are deeply sorry for the disturbance and distress caused.

With very best wishes,

Jason & Demetra Lindsay