The Scone North housing development will impact the woodland and those who use it, according to a member of the Scone & District Community Council.
Linda Martin has raised concerns about the H29 housing development in North Scone.
The masterplan for 700 houses will increase the size of Scone significantly.
The plans were first revealed in 2016 and involve affordable housing.
But Linda is worried that the development will impact the biodiversity of the surrounding woodland, as well as the safety of those using the path.
As shown in the plans, workers from A & J Stephen Builders will remove trees and replace them, but Linda would like to see the woodland as a whole retained.
Linda is the treasurer of the Scone & District Community Council.
She fears that replacing this area with less dense woodland will impact wildlife habitats and destroy the mycelium (a root-like fungi network that plays a vital role in forest ecosystems) along the woodland floor.
“It should be about retaining the woodland as it is and enhancing it, not replacing it,” Linda said.
“Surely having the woodland as healthy as it can possibly be is the most appropriate thing to do for the village and for the new development,” Linda continued.
Scone woods give locals ‘psychological boost’
Ian Burnett and his wife have lived in Scone since 2016.
Ian and his wife walk in the woodland at least six days a week. He built a series of small bridges in the woodland to help walkers cross burns and ditches safely.
Ian Burnett and his wife have lived in Scone since 2016.
Ian and his wife walk in the woodland at least six days a week. He built a series of small bridges in the woodland to help walkers cross burns and ditches safely.
He is also concerned about the impact that the new houses and road will have on the surrounding woodland.
Ian says that seeing wildlife like red squirrels in the dense woodland gives him a “psychological boost”.
“I think development should be sympathetic to the natural environment we have here.
“Once it’s gone, it’s gone,” Ian said, “it just breaks my heart really.”
Housebuilder will replace commercial woodland with ‘appropriate’ trees
A spokesperson for A & J Stephen Builders said:
“As part of the 2016 in principle consent for the masterplan the professional arboriculture consultant recommended this commercial woodland be felled and replaced with trees more appropriate for residential amenity.
“By its very nature a commercial woodland is planted with the purpose to be felled and harvested. The native species we will be planting in lieu of the commercial woodland will enhance biodiversity and remain in perpetuity.
“Furthermore the replacement trees are to be planted in the same location hence the tree belt will remain.
“The existing path which runs alongside the eastern edge of this tree belt will remain. Hence there will be no loss of access for people who visit the Highfield woods.”
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