The two maps below show the area where the trees have been cleared.
Both maps are from the Lancashire County Council UDP – the colours relate to how the land has been designated. The black circle shows the area in question – A small piece of land between Haslingden Old Road and the New Development (Superstore/Holly Mount) which is bounded by the purple section.
The Purple shading on the map designates an 'Employment Area' – and is therefore available for development.
The area in question falls outside the 'Employment Area' and is therefore not automatically available for development. This land forms a natural barrier between the employment development and the housing stock to the North – i.e. Haslingden Old Road
The second map shows the extent of clearing which has been carried out by Hurstwoods. Around 80 trees have been felled with around 20 left, the vast majority of these being small saplings around the edge of the site. This has effectively reduced the natural barrier which existed.
I see the felled trees have been numbered in yellow paint by yesterday’s visitors. What is that about?
This was the Forestry Commission counting the trees to determine whether the limit you can fell without a licence has been exceeded.