Council speaks out over closure of woodland at Horsham wildlife haven

Horsham District Council has announced that there will be no public access in future to part of Owlbeech Woods from today (February 1)

The council has fenced off an area of the woods, off Harwood Road, known as Middle Heath and says it is ‘to protect nesting birds and the heathland habitat.’

But the decision has angered members of Horsham’s Liberal Democrats who say the decision to close the woods was taken without any public consultation.

They have now organised a meeting with council officers to discuss the situation later this week.

Meanwhile, the council has issued a statement today (Wednesday) outlining its reasons for closing the woodland to the public.

“The Owlbeech Woods area is one of the most important sites in Horsham district’s local estate of some 900 acres, both for our residents to enjoy the benefits of being outside in our natural environment, and for the preservation of our fragile ecology which is in decline,” it says.

“As a council we will do everything within our powers to stop this decline and for the past 15 years our management priority has been to restore as much heathland as possible.

“The Owlbeech area that the council has chosen to close covers some 11 acres within the 109 acres of the overall Leechpool and Owlbeech site.

“It has already been closed during the summer months for a number of years to prevent disturbance to ground nesting birds and in particular to allow two of our rarest species the Dartford Warbler and Nightjar to nest in the open heath.

“The Dartford Warbler and other species start establishing their breeding territories as early as February, hence the need to close Middle Heath earlier in the year. Dartford Warblers do not migrate in the winter and need undisturbed heathland to forage for food.

“Unfortunately, allowing winter access to visitors and dogs mean that the heather and grasses get trampled, disturbing the habitat for these rare birds and other wildlife. This reduces the chances of breeding and may lead to extinction on the site.

“Access to the rest of the site remains unchanged for all to enjoy all year round. It has benefitted recently from improved pathways and areas of boardwalk to improve the visitor experience.

“Leechpool and Owlbeech Woods are a designated Local Wildlife Site. The majority of these woodland areas were bought by the council in 1989 from the Forestry Commission.

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“Horsham District Council cabinet member for leisure and culture Roger Noel very much supports this approach and is happy to answer any queries regarding the Middle Heath area of the site.”

Horsham Liberal Democrat Councillor Jon Olson has arranged a meeting later this week with Councillor Noel to discuss the closure plans. He has already called for a re-think on the closure, saying: “Owlbeech Middle Heath is a beautiful part of Leechpool and Owlbeech Woods which has been enjoyed by Horsham residents for decades.”