A WOODLAND at the heart of a rural community is being torn down by the local authority despite residents urging reconsideration for two years.
East Lothian Council began work on the destruction of the Herdmanflat woodland in Haddington yesterday.
Work crews were spotted in the small forest as they began work on taking down the trees in the area with plans for housing to be built on the land instead.
A favourite for local dog walkers, the Herdmanflat woodland lies on the site of the long disused Herdmanflat Hospital.
Petitions to save the woodland from destruction gathered a whopping 1,500 signatures and several legally grounded pleas to save the small forest were launched over the past two years.
East Lothian Council is going ahead with the plans to build housing on the woodland though, despite the exhaustive efforts of the local community.
Hundreds of locals backed a move to have the woodland handed to the public in a community asset transfer (CAT).
A charity was set up to save the woodland, joining forces with the Friends of Herdmanflat Hospital community group to fight the decision.
The charity has claimed that their pleas fell on deaf ears and have said the loss of natural habitats and greenspaces is “heartbreaking”.
They added that there was no guarantee the council would use the property to provide social housing with the development, concerned the houses would be sold off.
The community group also accused the council of destroying protected species habitats, claiming there had been previous incidents of trees with bat roosts in them being “accidentally” cut down.
Posting to social media on Friday the Friends of Herdmanflat Hospital said: “’Our legally grounded pleas were not merely dismissed; they were trampled in a rush to rubber-stamp a decision that goes against the express wishes of the community,’ said a Trustee of the Woodland charity.”
A spokesperson for the organisation said: ““It is heartbreaking to think of the habitat that has been lost and for future generations.
“We will no longer be able to enjoy the birdsong in the young Caledonian pines and see the buzzard hunting over the central scrub.
“So many locals have a deep attachment to this site the way it is now (was).
“This has been a green haven for over a hundred years – we have missed a rare chance to do something positive for the community.”
East Lothian Council said: “East Lothian Council has carried out two periods of community consultation which included public events and direct engagement with community groups.
“The development supports the identified, urgent need for more affordable housing for older people in East Lothian.
“Health and well-being is at the heart of the redevelopment, with active travel being promoted.
“We will be preserving up to 60% of green space, with tree loss kept as low as possible and additional planting taking place during the first phase of development, to enhance biodiversity across the site.
“It is very important to emphasise that the current tree felling works are being carried out in line with our planning consent and all relevant legislation.
“The works are being completed out with the bird nesting season (end of March) and licensed ecologists and arboriculturists will be on site to check for nesting birds and bats ahead of individual removals.’’
