Campaign for West Wood - Healthy Life Essex

Last Friday (10 July), I attended a task day, in my role as a Greengrid Volunteer at West Wood. This 80 acre piece of land stretches from Daws Heath Road, Thundersley, behind Deanes School as far as the Rayleigh Road. We tackled the entrance near Westbourne Close, cutting back overhanging vegetation, clipping nettles from the pathway and retrieving litter from the brook.

By the time the task day was finished, West Wood was on the market. I was unaware that the whole wood was for sale; to be honest the airport expansion had been high on my agenda and media coverage seems to have eclipsed this local issue.

I returned on Monday 13^th with my mum. We’d spoken many times about tracing the route of Prittle Brook and knew its source was somewhere in West Wood. Parking in The Gill, we found drain covers before stumbling on the area where I had worked the previous week. There, I spotted a white paper pinned to the fence near the entrance.

The message was clear; our 80 acres of ancient woodland and wildlife, tranquility for dog walkers, ramblers, bird watchers and families is under threat.

Local resident, Neal Warren, has been spear heading a campaign to save the wood which has been put up for sale by owners, The Church of England, for £250,000. Fears are the wood will fall into private hands, prohibiting public access; the area could become an arena for paintballing or home to illegal residents.

Many residents are displaying ‘Save West Wood’ posters in their windows; but I am concerned that many people in the surrounding borough are unaware of the threat to this ancient woodland.

If you would like to join the campaign contact Neal Warren on Nealwarren1@aol.com for a petition form.

If you want to make your feelings known to the council, contact the Chief Executive of Castle Point Borough Council.

dmarchant@castlepoint.gov.uk