A group set up to protect an ancient wood near Bradford on Avon staged a peaceful protest at its edge this afternoon following more work on cutting down trees.

The Friends of Becky Addy Wood began the protest at 3pm after learning that Bradford on Avon Town Council has resumed ‘urgent tree works”.

Earlier police were called to the wood, which overlooks the River Avon and the Kennet & Avon Canal near Westwood and Avoncliff.

FROBAW is involved in negotiations to buy the wood but the sale has not yet been completed following the council's "reasonable offer".

The group claims the council is attempting to pass on costs for security fencing and facilities installed after a protest on June 14.

A council spokesman said: “The town council is carrying out urgent tree works at Becky Addy Wood to protect public safety and the health of the woodland.  

“Contractors will only do minimal and necessary work to preserve the natural value of the ancient woodland. The town council has employed an ecologist to check for bird and bat features to ensure best practice."

The council has also employed private security to protect staff and contractors because when contractors were last on site, "protestors disrupted these public safety works, creating a hazard and disturbing wildlife". 

It added: “Unacceptable abuse was levelled at staff and contractors which led the town council to call the police. Following this, work was halted due to the risk to public safety.

“Work has now resumed because the council, as the wood’s current owner, would be failing to take appropriate action to protect public safety if it neglected to act on professional advice."

In response, FROBAW said: “No FROBAW member has ever been other than courteous. FROBAW cannot be held responsible for the words of an upset member of the public, on a public footpath,  who is not a member of FROBAW.

"The police learned that FROBAW had not been informed about the tree works, despite being partners and major stakeholders in the wood. 

"They also understood there were issues of potential Wildlife Crime and TPO protections, that FROBAW has a partnership agreement (Memorandum of Understanding) with the council and that sales negotiations for FROBAW to buy the wood are ongoing. 

"FROBAW’s specialist tree risk-assessment consultant had strongly advised that the extent of the planned tree works was not necessary for public safety and moreover carried a serious risk of harm to protected species in the breeding/nesting season. The RSPB and the Environmental Law Foundation concurred with this view, following advice from Natural England. 

"The Police consequently mediated between the two parties on site. The work was eventually halted because Bradford on Avon mayor agreed to a meeting the next day to resolve the differences between the town council and FROBAW."

The group donated £30,000 to enable the council to purchase the wood in April 2020, but says the council has pointedly and consistently refused to consider the findings of FROBAW’s expert assessment that the work being done is "totally unnecessary" and that the risk to public safety from falling branches or trees is "virtually nil".

The group added: “The proposed scale of the overall works amounts to £40,000. The town council are proceeding with the current works despite the fact that FROBAW is trying to buy back the wood from the town council and despite FROBAW offering to take on liability from exchange of contracts.

“Meanwhile, the destruction of trees in an ancient woodland and the disturbance of a precious wildlife habitat with endangered species is going ahead – works that expert consultants maintains is totally unnecessary.”