We’re pleased to confirm that the main harvesting stage of the Dark Woods Regeneration Project is now largely complete, and the harvester and forwarder machines have now left site.
Our contractor Ian Robb Timber Harvesting Ltd has worked extremely hard in exceptionally difficult conditions over the last two months to recover the timber and continually remove this from site. This has been a complex logistical operation due to the limited space available for timber extraction and stacking, and the incessantly wet weather which has done its best to slow everything down.
Activity is continuing on site in the woodland between the woodland base, cemetery and seven sisters development, where diseased Ash is being thinned to improve the safety and accessibility of this area. A smaller forwarder machine will be brought onto site in early January to extract this timber and remove it from site.
Our groundwork contractor David Shanks will also be moving onto site in early January to tidy up the Dark Woods, reinstate the paths and install drainage to key parts to help the site recover over the next few months, prior to replanting in Autumn/Winter 2025.
The Dark Woods area remains extremely muddy and hazardous underfoot, with large areas of deep mud, ruts and heavy brash. We therefore advise members of the public to avoid this area over the festive period until it has been remediated and reinstated. We plan to install signage at key entrances/paths around the Dark Woods soon as a reminder.