Written question asked by Bob Spink (Independent (affiliation)) on Tuesday, 14 July 2009, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 20 July 2009. It was answered by Huw Irranca-Davies (Labour) on Monday, 20 July 2009 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Thundersley Common

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many oak trees have been removed from Thundersley Common in the last five years; and for what reasons the trees were removed.

Answer: The notified special interest features of Thundersley Common Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) are its dry heath, wet heath and acid grassland plant communities. It is one of the best remaining fragments of heathland in Essex.Natural England's records show that five oak trees, and one birch, have been removed from Thundersley Great Common SSSI since 2004. These trees were felled during the 2008-9 winter by Castle Point borough council with the assent and support of Natural England. The work was done as part of a higher level stewardship agreement to restore the special interest features of the SSSI—namely its rare heathland habitats—to favourable condition. Some tree removal is essential as part of this restoration work because many oaks became established on the heathland in the second half of the last century when the site was less actively managed. There are now over 100 trees on the northern half of the SSSI which are rapidly shading out the remaining patches of heathland vegetation. If these are all left to mature a large part of the SSSI will soon be dense woodland and the heathland will be lost.

Secondary information