November Ash Dieback works in Nightingale Wood

Uckfield Town Council will carry out the second phase of its three-year plan to combat ash dieback in the town with four days of upcoming works.

From Monday, 6 November to Thursday, 9 November, contractors will be commencing the second phase of a three-year ash dieback management plan in Nightingale Woods, which sits behind Fernley Park in Ridgewood.

It is not anticipated that these works will cause disruption to residents, but there will be associated noise with regards to the felling and machinery between the hours of 08.00 and 17.00.

Diversionary routes may be put in place for those walking through the woodland, to ensure your safety during the works.

Access and equipment

In order to conduct the works in Nightingale Wood, contractors will be based in Fernley Park for the four days between 6 November and 9 November.

A crane will be used to gain access to the higher branches of affected trees, which we ask residents to be aware of during the contractors’ working hours.

All nearby properties have received a letter explaining the works being undertaken and the timescales for the works.

Uckfield Town Council apologises for any inconvenience that the works may cause to nearby residents and users of the woods. We feel it is important to address these trees for safety reasons.

What is ash dieback?

Ash dieback is a disease caused by a fungus introduced into Britain fairly recently.

The fungus has spread quite rapidly and is highly lethal to our native ash trees. Total losses of native ash are expected to be between 70-95 per cent within the country.

Younger trees are highly susceptible but large mature trees, especially those that stand alone, seem to be able to co-exist with the disease for some time.

Ash trees are very common in our part of the world, forming a key component of woodlands in the South East.

With several trees in the town already affected, Uckfield Town Council is doing what it can to halt the spread of the disease.

Uckfield Town Council has been commissioning surveys on its tree stock over the past two years, working with The Forestry Commission, The Arboricultural Association and other experts to identify infected trees, assess the current health of the trees and consider the possible works required.

This has been a phased process, which has enabled us to look at specific areas at a time and in priority order.

Tree for a Tree Scheme

Uckfield Town Council has implemented a tree planting scheme so that for every tree that has to be removed on Town Council land (due to decay or diseases, etc.), another tree will be planted.

Over the past three winter seasons (2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23), the council has been planting trees on a large scale across the town to reduce our impact on the environment and better manage land for nature.

A total of 630 trees have been planted over the past three winters plus additional fruit trees, in areas such as Hempstead Meadows Nature Reserve, West Park and Ridgewood Recreation Ground.