Following evidence brought forward by Sylvan, Natural England agrees to update the Ancient Woodland Inventory to de-list an area of woodland in Raithwaite
Following refusal of planning permission for a woodland holiday park by Scarborough Borough Council on grounds of loss and deterioration of ancient woodland, Sylvan was instructed by Raithwaite Estate to undertake a historic landscape assessment of the woodland’s origin.
We found conclusive evidence that the vast majority of the woodland was planted in the late C19, although one fragment of ancient woodland was confirmed.
This fragment hosted an oak tree infected with the very rare oak polypore Piptoporus quercinus, an organism protected under Schedule 8 of Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This is the first confirmed record of the fungus in Yorkshire.
Our findings were accepted in full by Natural England.
