News

There are plenty of autumnal colours at Savernake Forest to enjoy at the moment. 

A reminder that the toilets at Postern Hill will remain open until after the school half term before closing until April (ahead of the Easter holidays).

It’s pumpkin season! Please do not leave spent pumpkins in forests or woodlands as they can make some animals very poorly. Decomposing food waste can also attract pests and spread disease. Instead, perhaps look at using the leftovers for pumpkin soup, risotto dishes, or curries? If pumpkin really isn’t your thing, it can be disposed of in your food recycling container or composted at home. The high water content of pumpkin makes it a great composting material to add nitrogen and moisture to your compost bin.

We are reviewing all the responses submitted on the new West Woods & Collingbourne forest plan and make any changes, as necessary, to the final version of the plan.

This will be submitted for felling approval, which can take several weeks, but once completed the new published plan can be viewed on Forestry England’s website.

Wet ground conditions have paused timber harvesting in Savernake Forest until further notice. It’s important we protect the irreplaceable soils to avoid any unnecessary damage. Works will only resume once we are content that the ground has improved. We will share updates on our Facebook page: Savernake Forest – Forestry England.

We are also still waiting for a start date to thin trees at West Woods, Bedwyn Common, Cobham Frith, and Chisbury. Like Savernake, we will ensure ground damage is limited as much as possible.

Our team have been working hard to remove several unauthorised mountain bike jumps at the back of Postern Hill which are not permitted within the Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). We have also put up signs explaining why this isn’t allowed to prevent this happening again. We ask the public to report sightings of any illegal digging to us.

We are now in shooting season so you may see more birds in Savernake Forest and hear gunshots. Please adhere to any safety signage. For more information about this, please contact the Estate via Strutt & Parker.

If you have any questions about Forestry England’s work in Savernake Forest, please drop us a line to westengland@forestryengland.uk .

by Nikki Morgans, Area Forester

Every home and business in the UK has the legal right to request a decent, affordable broadband connection.

From 20 March 2020, if you can’t get a download speed of 10 Mbit/s and an upload speed of 1 Mbit/s, you can request an upgraded connection. You can make this request to BT on 0800 783 0223.

Am I eligible?

When you contact BT or KCOM they will have 30 days to confirm if you’re eligible, and how much it will cost to build your connection.

• Your home or business will be eligible if it:
• has no access to existing decent broadband;and

will not be covered by a public broadbandscheme offered by the UK and devolvedgovernments in the next 12 months;If you currently only have access to a decent service that is priced over £56.20 per month, you’ll also have the right to request a universal service connection.

What will it cost? 

If the cost of building or upgrading your share of the network connection is £3,400 or less, you won’t have to pay for this work to be done. If it will cost more than £3,400 to connect your home, and you still want a connection, you will have to pay the excess costs. If you want to do this, BT/ KCOM will conduct a survey and give you a quote within 60 days. You will pay the same price for your new broadband service as anyone else on the same package, and no more than £56.20 a month. How long does it take to set up? Most people will get a connection within 12 months, but it may take up to 24 months for some.

Taking place in Marlborough Town Hall on 3^rd October, the Challenge Poverty event will feature Danny Kruger MP, Cllr Jane Davies from Wiltshire Council and Suzanne Wigmore CEO of Citizen’s Advice Wiltshire.

Alex Montegriffo, Project Officer at the foodbank says:

As part of Challenge Poverty Week 2024, Devizes and District Foodbank, joint with Marlborough Area Poverty Action Group, invite the community of Marlborough to this event to challenge the systems that are contributing to local poverty, for example housing-related issues, and to get information on the different levels that destitution is being challenged on - local, regional and national.

The speakers will give short presentations followed by questions from the audience, and answers. The event is all about challenging perceptions of poverty in Marlborough, starting conversations with decision-makers, and hearing about projects in Marlborough, Wiltshire and the UK that aim to challenge the systems that are pushing people towards poverty.

As a food bank, we know that food is not the answer to rising poverty in the UK. The people who are pushed towards a food bank are not just struggling with affording food, but also paying rent, bills, buying school uniform, and other essential costs. The factors that push people towards food banks include precarious work, low wages, a flawed social security system, and housing issues, amongst others.

As well as the three speakers, the Mayor of Marlborough, and Town Councillor, Kym-Marie Cleasby, will be attending.

For any enquiries, please contact Chairman of Devizes and District Foodbank, Richard Oliver, on richard@devizesdistrict.foodbank.org.uk.

This autumn will be busy at Savernake Forest. Timber harvesting that was postponed last year will resume from August until the end of the year. We will work hard to keep disruption to a minimum, but there will be times where we will need to close access around the central areas of the woodland so we can work safely nearby.

Some of our work areas are classified as Plantation on Ancient Woodland Site https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/fthr/historic-environment-resources/ancient-woodland/ (PAWS) which means that we are gradually managing them back to the way they would have been several hundred years ago. We will prioritise removing non-native tree species to benefit native broadleaf trees and, where possible, open up more space around some of Savernake’s special veteran trees to support their health.

There is more information about this work on our website at https://www.forestryengland.uk/article/forestry-operations-savernake-forest

We will also be identifying veteran trees of the future in an area of 1950s oak plantation. We will be removing the straighter oaks to give space to ones with potential to develop veteran form and characteristics, such as broad, open crowns.

By starting work now, we can take advantage of the lower rainfall at this time of year and keep disturbance to Savernake’s irreplaceable soils to a minimum. Where possible, machinery will travel along specified routes to protect the soils, veteran tree roots, and scheduled monuments.

Our work involves thinning trees – where we remove selected trees for timber products – to give those remaining more space and light to grow to their full potential. Thinning also lets more light onto the forest floor, which improves the habitat for ground flora and the wildlife it supports.Between September and January 2025 we will also be thinning trees at Bedwyn Common, Cobham Frith, and Chisbury for timber products. At the same time, we will remove trees showing signs of Chalara ash dieback; a destructive disease that causes trees to become brittle, drop branches, or fall altogether.

As work progresses, we’ll be sharing updates on our Facebook page: - Savernake Forest – Forestry England. As ever, if you have any questions about Forestry England’s work in Savernake Forest, please drop us a line to westengland@forestryengland.uk.

by Nikki Morgans, Area Forester

If you love getting out and about but also want to support a cause in achieving its aim, then becoming a Wiltshire Bobby Van Trust (WBVT) Collection Box Volunteer. This could be the right step for you. You will be involved in displaying our collection boxes in your local community to help raise funds for WBVT.

In this community-spirited volunteer role, your support will include getting involved in the following:

• Getting out and about to display our iconic collection boxes in your local community
• Networking with organisations to share our cause and encourage them to display our collection boxes
• Maintain an accurate list of the location of the collection boxes and the dates on which they have been replaced or emptied
• At suitable intervals be responsible for the collection and replacement of these collection boxes
• Being an ambassador for WBVT

You'll ideally:

• Have good organisational skills to organise distribution of collection boxes
• Have good communication skills to spread the word about WBVT
• Be looking to commit to 8hrs a week which is flexible to allow you to enjoy a work-life balance

· The minimum age of this volunteer role is Over 18 and you will require your own vehicle, insurance, and Driving Licence

If you don’t feel you tick every box but are sure this role is the one for you, we’d love to hear from you! We’re always open to suggestions and are very happy to chat with you to find out what’s possible, so please just get in touchtoni@wbvt.org

The following is a quick guide to what is and isn’t the responsibility of the Fire and Rescue Service when storm damage occurs:

Local authority information is as follows:

• Swindon Borough Council – call 01793 445500 or report online.
• Wiltshire Council – call 0300 456 0105 or report online.