Save Our Ancient Woodland

• Alt text

  Matthew Pennycook MP

  Minister for Housing and Planning

  Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

  Jenny Riddell-Carpenter MP

  Minister for Nature

  Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

  2 Marsham Street

  London

  SW1P 4DF

  14th August 2026

  Dear Ministers,

  Save Our Ancient Woodland

  We, a group of cross-party MPs committed to protecting our ancient woodlands and forests urge you to save Oaken Wood, an ancient woodland in Kent and to take steps to safeguard our remaining ancient woodland throughout England.

  The draft Kent County Council minerals plan nominates a hard rock site at Hermitage Quarry, which would cause an irreversible loss of ancient woodland. Oaken Wood is designated as Ancient Replanted Woodland on Natural England’s Ancient Woodland Inventory (AWI). The proposal comprises a site area of 96 hectares from which the draft plan suggests an area of up to 49 hectares could be worked subject to planning constraints, of which the overwhelming majority is ancient woodland that would be destroyed. Further infrastructure necessary for operation of the site is likely to result in even greater losses.

  Any such development of Oaken Wood would cause a nationally significant loss of ancient woodland, with subsequent deterioration of wider ancient woodland. If it is allowed to proceed, the proposed extension of Hermitage Quarry, which already razed 32 hectares of woodland to the ground just over a decade ago, would result in the single largest loss of ancient woodland in England this century.

  As irreplaceable habitats, ancient woods and veteran trees are the natural equivalent of our great churches and castles. They are some of our richest terrestrial wildlife habitats and are highly valued by people as places of tranquillity and inspiration. Once gone, neither ancient woodland nor veteran trees can be recreated. It is a scarce and threatened resource, covering only 2.8% of England’s land area.

  The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is clear that where loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats like Oaken Wood has been identified there must be “wholly exceptional” reasons to approve the development. The evidence base compiled by Kent County Council Regulation 19 assessment does not demonstrate there are wholly exceptional reasons for the development where the public benefit would clearly outweigh loss and deterioration. The proposed inclusion of the site is not based on robust evidence, and reasonable alternatives have not been considered.

  The government regularly intervenes in development proposals to approve new housing or infrastructure where it believes that decisions have been made contrary to national policy and the public interest. On this occasion, it is essential that the government shows the same level of oversight to prevent destruction of precious ancient woodland habitat which is clearly against the public interest in a nature crisis.

  This worrying situation also raises a wider issue for national policymaking. There is little point in ecognising ancient woodland like Oaken Wood as precious and irreplaceable habitat if we continue to allow its destruction to continue where it is felt to be expedient. As long as this situation prevails, there is little chance of reversing the devastating loss of England’s nature, biodiversity indicators will continue to decline, and meeting our legally enshrined environmental targets will remain a distant dream.

  The happiness of our constituents, the health of our communities, and the culture and identity of our nation are deeply bound up in the future of our woodlands, especially irreplaceable ancient woodlands like Oaken Wood that provide a haven for wildlife and harbour unique ecosystems in their soils.

  The time has come to say that enough is enough. We cannot afford any more losses. Future generations will not be quick to forgive us if we squander the last few fragments of this incredibly valuable part of their national inheritance. So, we implore you, as a matter of urgency, to update the national policies protecting our ancient woodlands and implement a complete moratorium on their destruction, without caveats that can be used to justify any further shrinking of what little remains. There can be no more tragedies like that inflicted on Little Lyntus in Staffordshire, and Oaken Wood must be saved.

  Yours sincerely, 

  Chris Hinchliff MP

  Paula Barker MP
  Lorraine Beavers MP
  Apsana Begum MP
  Lord Blencathra
  Richard Burgon MP
  Ian Byrne MP
  Irene Campbell MP
  Charlotte Cane MP
  Carla Denyer MP
  Neil Duncan-Jordan MP
  Cat Eccles MP
  Clive Efford MP
  Mary Glindon MP
  Tom Gordon MP
  Lord Hall of Birkenhead
  Pippa Heylings MP
  Simon Hoare MP
  Alison Hume MP
  Imran Hussain MP
  Terry Jermy MP
  Sojan Joseph MP
  Ian Lavery MP
  Brian Leishman MP
  Clive Lewis MP
  Rachael Maskell MP
  Alex Mayer MP
  Andy McDonald MP
  John McDonnell MP
  Iqbal Mohamed MP
  Tessa Munt MP
  Josh Newbury MP
  Simon Opher MP
  Kate Osborne MP
  Adrian Ramsay MP
  Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP
  Roz Savage MP
  Vikki Slade MP
  Blake Stephenson MP
  Cameron Thomas MP
  Lord Trees
  Jon Trickett MP