Bradford Council’s Trees and Woodlands team is taking action to prevent the spread of ‘Larch Tree Disease’ (Phytophthora ramorum) at St Ives Estate, Bingley.
Follow progress and discover the latest developments here:
Tuesday, March 14, 2023
Access to some areas of the St Ives estate will be restricted from 20 March 2023 to protect visitors during statutory felling works. This will include the closure of the Keighley Road entrance, some parking areas, and parts of the footpath/bridleway network.
Vehicle Access and Car Parking
Keighley Road entrance and the through route will be closed Monday to Friday from 20 March. This is necessary to allow heavy goods vehicles to safely access the main road whilst removing felled timber. The free parking spaces at Keighley Road entrance and coppice pond will also be closed to the public during these days. The entrance and parking will be open as usual on Saturday and Sunday, with a suspension of charges at Coppice Pond until the works are completed.
Please see the map below.
Bingley Road entrance will remain open as usual, but the estate road will be closed to through traffic Monday to Friday. In addition, the following public car parks will operate as normal: Bingley Road bays, Low Park, Play Area, and Golf Club.
Footpaths and Bridleways
Some footpaths and bridleways will be closed on weekdays (Monday – Friday) to visitors while felling works are in progress – please see the map below. Harvesting and forwarding machinery will be working in close proximity to the paths during the week and using the main north-south track through Lady Blantyre’s wood to forward timber for stacking at Coppice Pond. Unfortunately, due to timber stacking and hygiene requirements, the main track south of Coppice Pond will be closed until the works are fully completed. This means it will not be possible to complete a circuit of the pond. Access will only be available on the defined routes at weekends. The Bird Hide will also be closed until works are completed.
Businesses and Clubs Open as Usual
The Ivy at St Ives Cafe will be open as usual to pedestrians beyond the road-closed barriers. Bingley St Ives Golf Club and Aire Valley Archers will be open as usual. Angling will not be allowed along the southern edge of Coppice Pond, and there will be no parking Monday to Friday at Coppice Pond Car Park.
Thank you for your continued patience and understanding as this essential work is carried out.
Map of restricted area
Public notice documents
Rhododendron Clearance Stewardship Grant
Tuesday, February 7, 2023
Press release announces the planned work to tackle diseased trees at St Ives Estate. Find out full details, including why this work is so important here.
How will felling works affect birds and bats?
The Statutory Plant Health Notice to remove infected trees does not release the Council from its duty to avoid disturbance to nesting birds, bats, and other wildlife. Coniferous plantation woodland, especially where the under-story is absent of comprised of dominant rhododendron is generally poor habitat for native birds and reduces the overall risk of disturbance. The early point in the season and poor weather conditions means many birds will not have begun to nest.
To minimise disturbance, the following measures have been put in place:
Pre-felling Site Assessment: a search of available records and site visits have been carried out. Records show that a range of birds have been observed, but no Schedule 1 protected species. A number of site visits have also been carried out to inspect the areas for nesting activity prior to clearance. There was very little evidence of historic nesting activity in or around the rhododendron, probably due to the closed canopy tree cover, absence of ground layer, non-native tree species, and the high incidence of disturbance by dogs.
Pre-work inspection: contractors clearing the rhododendron and felling the timber trees are required to carry out a daily pre-work inspection of the worked area and are under instruction to halt work where there is evidence of active nesting.
Monitoring: weekly site visits are planned to walk affected areas “in front” of the harvesting to check for nesting activity.
Mitigations: where active nesting is found, these areas are marked, and a buffer zone established in consultation with the District Ecologist, until such time as it is safe to resume the works. Trees with potential bat roost features will be left in situ and if necessary surveyed for bats during the active season or, if larch, ring barked in order that the roost feature is retained. Generally larch offer very limited opportunities for roosting bats.
The most valuable areas for nesting birds will not be subject to clear felling but selective removal of target trees, further reducing the risk of disturbance. The majority of the mixed woodland at St Ives will be undisturbed and will, therefore, continue to offer breeding habitat for birds and roosting for bats should suitable features be present.
If you have any questions about this work, please email [email protected]