This morning I took some rather weedy saplings down to the allotments at Great Waldingfield as a small addition to the 600 plus small trees that are being grown on as part of the Branchlines scheme which aims to create a community woodland for the village.
As the picture above shows David Taylor, Tree Warden and the Chairman of the project, with a number of brawny volunteers were hard at work preparing the ground for more contributions. It was good to see them in such good spirits.
Unfortunately at present plans at Branchlines are on hold because the land that had been identified as suitable for the wood is concealing beneath its turf a plethora of archaeological remains from Roman and Anglo Saxon times, and, most importantly, the Bronze Age. There are other possible sites, but access to most of these is also being blocked by rules and red tape. As a result grants won to develop the wood have been regretfully turned down.
Were Branchlines to be a cash rich developer, or government backed roadbuilder, the archaeological survey that is now required before further work can proceed would be easily funded. As a small charity however Branchlines is unable to proceed. The survey costs several thousand pounds, and its results may mean that in any case no trees can be planted on the site.
The claims of the past are competing with the opportunities of the future. The mind boggles when faced with this sort of conflict.
My feeling is that some sort of compromise should be possible to enable the woodland to go ahead. Planting part of the site for example is a possibility. After all, the archaeological community do not appear to be desperate to investigate the site. Perhaps this is because they feel that it is unlikely to throw up anything new and exciting about the Bronze Age. It is all rather unclear!
As the picture above shows David Taylor, Tree Warden and the Chairman of the project, with a number of brawny volunteers were hard at work preparing the ground for more contributions. It was good to see them in such good spirits.
Unfortunately at present plans at Branchlines are on hold because the land that had been identified as suitable for the wood is concealing beneath its turf a plethora of archaeological remains from Roman and Anglo Saxon times, and, most importantly, the Bronze Age. There are other possible sites, but access to most of these is also being blocked by rules and red tape. As a result grants won to develop the wood have been regretfully turned down.
Were Branchlines to be a cash rich developer, or government backed roadbuilder, the archaeological survey that is now required before further work can proceed would be easily funded. As a small charity however Branchlines is unable to proceed. The survey costs several thousand pounds, and its results may mean that in any case no trees can be planted on the site.
The claims of the past are competing with the opportunities of the future. The mind boggles when faced with this sort of conflict.
My feeling is that some sort of compromise should be possible to enable the woodland to go ahead. Planting part of the site for example is a possibility. After all, the archaeological community do not appear to be desperate to investigate the site. Perhaps this is because they feel that it is unlikely to throw up anything new and exciting about the Bronze Age. It is all rather unclear!
What is clear however is that a definite public benefit would be derived from the planting of the woodland, with its planned additional educational features. However ‘the powers that be’ seem, as usual, determined to enforce ‘one size fits all’ rules designed for bodies with huge budgets. Whatever happened to pragmatism, goodwill and common sense?
