UPDATED Southampton Airport wants to fell 27 trees and carry out tree height reduction work at Marlhill Copse, an area of land it bought in August to the south of the runway – and is holding a Q&A session on Saturday, January 26 so the public can learn more.

 

The area concerned extends from River Walk to Mansbridge Road, and comprises ancient woodland, which the airport says hasn’t been effectively managed for many years.

Southampton Airport says on its website that it undertakes annual tree management works in different areas around its site – for example recent crown reduction at Frogs Copse.

In publicity for a public open morning, it says the work at Marlhill Copse “will involve coppicing, reducing or felling some of the trees and is being carried out because Southampton Airport is legally required to manage the height of trees in areas close to the runway. In order to carry out these works, and to cause as little disturbance to local residents as possible, Southampton Airport purchased Marlhill Copse at the end of August 2018.”

Airfield planning officer James Alderson told bitternepark.info: “We have requested the felling of 27 trees in the Copse but currently nothing has been approved. We are still in the process of conducting and completing a range of ecological reports for the protection of the wildlife contained in the woodland. Only once all the reports have been completed and reviewed, a felling license issued and we have applied to the local council to work on trees covered by the tree preservation area will we be looking to start works within the Copse.”

Public access to the site will be restricted during any work.

The information session is open to all. It’s at the Gregg School on Saturday, January 26 at any time from 9.30am to talk to airport staff and specialist contractors. There will also be a guided walk from noon to show “how the planned management will be undertaken”.

You can download/view the airport’s open morning invitation on bitternepark.info from this link (PDF).

• Reader Gareth Narbed comments:

'Readers might be interested to know that the airport appears exempt from having to  apply for planning permission to fell trees with preservation orders (TPOs) that are on or near the flight path. However, it has had to apply for works on other TPO trees within Marlhill Copse to create vehicle access to what seems to be described as The Marlhill Copse Large Tree Work Project.