Residents put in spy cameras to protect bat haven woodland
Residents backing on to a historic parcel of woodland in Bolton are installing CCTV cameras to prevent trees protected by preservation orders (TPOs) being felled by “accident”.
They are acting ahead of the auction sale of the land, owned by property developer Leigh Brothers, behind their homes on Church Road in the leafy Smithills area of the town.
The one-acre parcel of land also bounded by Orwell Road, Bracondale Avenue and Hazelwood Road is part of the wooded area north of the town where Oliver Cromwell’s troops rested on their journey into Bolton during the English Civil War.
The land which has scores of trees with TPOs, some of which are more than 100 years old, is a haven for bats, owls, hedgehogs and other wildlife, and the newly-formed Save Our Woodland residents’ group says it is the main reason most of the home owners bought their properties.
It goes up for sale at an auction by Pugh & Co in Manchester on Tuesday, April 25.
Residents have already been in contact with Bolton Lib Dem councillor Roger Hayes who represents Smithills.
Previous apparent attempts to develop the land were thwarted in 2001.
Then, a planning application was lodged to fell a large number of mature trees for supposed health and safety reasons.
Most of the tress were the subject of TPOs and the application was refused on the grounds that most of them were healthy. Residents felt there was an intention to build on the site.
Save Our Woodland spokeswoman Anthea Williamson Sprott said: “We are acting to install CCTV and taking other security measures we are not disclosing in order to prevent any would-be developer from buying the land and building on it.
“Although there are up to 60 TPOs in place we have heard of instances where trees have been ‘accidentally’ felled. Of course, once this has happened, who is to say what could happen to the land?
“We are not a bunch of NIMBYs (Not In My Back Yard). We are genuinely trying to preserve a beautiful and historic asset and a haven for wildlife.”
Anyone convicted of felling a protected tree faces a fine of up £20,000 in magistrates’ court.
