Responses from the wider public in respect of the felling licence application to the Forestry Commission for Worlebury Camp hillfort (those not sent consultation letters) Response I am writing to express my support for the planned tree felling and protective actions on the site. I know this has been an long process but it is important that these actions are not delayed further in order to ensure this already protected monument is not further damaged by the invasive trees and shrubs that are causing so much damage. The reason I support this plan is to preserve this valuable element of our ancient history that will help illustrate to us all, and perhaps more importantly to our younger generation, how people populated our area and their impact on our culture and heritage. It is vital that we are able to gain this insight into their lives, habits and behaviours to allow us to see our ancestry in real terms. It will, if protected and developed appropriately be able to be used as a real educational site for local and national schools and will bring the welcome addition a much needed historical visitor attraction in the town. I know many are concerned about the felling of the trees outlined in the plan but your proposed planting of an additional woodland stance of trees along with the development of the natural open grassland habitat should be highlighted as a benefit of this plan. It will ensure both our environment and the local wildlife are protected and cared for. I look forward to this important work progressing in a sympathetic manner for the Hill Fort and the surrounding landscape. Above all visiting the site again with my grandsons to show them something truly important and significant from our ancient history. I totally support the plan to fell trees on the Hillfort, to rescue and preserve this valuable ancient monument, to open up the views to Brean Down, Weston Bay and Sand Point and to re-establish limestone grassland. As a volunteer on the hillfort I have been gratified that visitors including walkers, dogwalkers and families have thanked us for our part in opening up and preserving the site. Having been a resident of Weston for over 30 years I have never before seen the hillfort so well exposed. I appreciate the felling of trees is controversial, but this is only 5% of Weston woods. I applaud NSC's rewilding scheme and will personally be helping with the planting of 5,000 new trees in other areas. This is important work to preserve the Hillfort, but there should be replacement tree planting to compensate for those lost. I see that objective 1.6 of the work plan is to "Seek to plant new woodland of similar size". Can you tell me if this objective is moving forward? A short message to register my support for the NSC initiative regarding the removal of the Worlebury Hillfort from the Historic England At Risk Register. I am very keen to see this internationally important ancient scheduled monument preserved for future generations to enjoy . It is the most significant historical structure that Weston pocesses and it will be lost to posterity if action is not taken I am also keen to see the re-instatement of the limestone grassland that it should occupy, with the attendant increase in diversity of the related flora and fauna. The hillfort currently occupies an area of scrubland populated by invasive species which is rarely visited and which has the potential to be an area of real public amenity offering a variety of attractions to residents and visitors. I am completely in favour of clearing and thinning the trees at the Hillfort. It will be a small percentage of the total trees of Weston Woods and it's about time we started looking after this historical site, before it becomes even more damaged by tree roots etc. I am in complete agreement with the planned proposal for reducing the trees on the hillfort. It’s brilliant....well overdue! I would like to say that I am supportive of the decision to clear the hillfort area of trees quite a few being non native anyway. When the area is returned to the original grassland everyone will be able to appreciate the monument. I must register my protest in the most vigorous of terms regarding the misguided and destructive proposal to fell tress at Worlebury Iron Age Hill Fort. All available trees are required at this time of climate crisis. The proposal would have some merit if the fort still retained formed walls that could be destabilised by tree roots. But it is little more than a pile of stones, that will be negligibly impacted by trees nearby. The removal of the trees is more likely to cause damage to the fort and the surrounding features than the tress remaining in place. The trees assist in stabilising the earthen banks which surround the fort, and which the fort is built upon. I would like to express great concern at the proposal to fell thousands of trees as part of restoring Worlebury Camp Iron Age Hillfort in Weston Super Mare. I understand the desire to restore the Hillfort and would always support any effort to save old buildings, sites of historic interest etc and believe they should be preserved as far as possible. I am very pleased for example that Birkenbirk Pier in Weston Super Mare will hopefully soon be rescued. However, there is also a clear need to preserve and infact increase the number of trees in our present climate change emergency. Could some compromise be found where much fewer numbers of trees are felled and care is taken to preserve those which are of particular significance? I understand extensive tree clearing of the Hillfort site is being considered by the N. Somerset Council, possibly as many as 6,000 trees! Whilst I can understand the need to protect this site this would seem like overkill particularly bearing in mind the woodland has been there for 200 years. I would imagine much of the area you propose clearing will not reveal any Hillfort structures to the visitor and as such it is not really recreating the original environment. Possibly you could limit the tree felling to only those that have planted themselves within or bordering the main structures? Vegetarian growth and vandalism will not necessarily be reduced by the proposed felling and will need to be addressed similarly whichever outcome. Obviously we are all concerned with the environmental crises we are facing and we cannot afford to lose 6,000 trees, certainly planting new trees is brilliant, but take this action in addition to saving existing woodlands. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to comment. I am concerned about the proposed tree felling at Worlebury Hill Fort at a time when we need to plant trees and look after the trees we have. I remember the last time trees were felled in the wood and the destruction it caused and the promotion of all the brambles we now have How is this going to be achieved with out destruction to the wildlife and what is proposed to deal with the stumps are they going to be poisoned ? And again how will you deal with the brambles . While I appreciate the significance of the fort I do not think it should be at the cost of the trees and wildlife at a time when we are all trying to do our best for the environment. Once cleared will it attract more visitors to the site and therefore more destruction with people looking at the views Many questions to be answered before people will be happy with this proposed destruction. I've recently read with considerable concern the plans posted on the Council's website for destroying a large area of woodland on Worlebury Hill, as part of work focussed almost exclusively, it would appear, on the hillfort. The term 'heritage' is often misappropriated in my view to give kudos to projects that might well have some intrinsic value, but when viewed in terms of their costs and benefits to the local and wider community, should not, on balance, go ahead. In the case of the Worlebury Camp plan, I would argue strongly that woodland that has become an established place of recreation, contemplation and retreat since Victorian times, is as much a part of the town's heritage as the more ancient earthworks it now grows in and around. These two important features of Weston's landscape should not be presented, as they are in the plan, as being mutually exclusive and I would take particular issue with the clearance of some six hectares of woodland being partly justified on the basis that it has somehow encouraged fly tipping, vandalism and other anti-social acts. As a regular walker in these woods since 1984, I have seen no evidence of any serious problems in this regard. What I have increasingly come to appreciate and value though, is the rich diversity of wildlife that such woodland generates and maintains. It is not just the trees that we will lose if this plan goes ahead. At a time when the council is at long last declaring a climate emergency and taking some first steps toward carbon neutrality through rewilding and other eco-friendly policies, it also goes without saying that the Worlebury Camp project represents a backward step. The trees that will be felled if this plan goes ahead are already playing their part in carbon capture and it will be many years before new planting elsewhere will make good the loss.