Conservation group calls on mayor to save woods

The Open Spaces Society is calling on Middlesbrough Mayor Ray Mallon to intervene and stop the council selling Longridge.

Residents have had a long-running battle with the council to block the sale, but the land, off Stainton Way, Coulby Newham, is on the market.

Kate Ashbrook, the society's general secretary, has rallied behind campaigners in a last-ditch bid to save the wildlife haven.

She said: "This three-acre woodland has, for many years, been of great importance to local people, who enjoy it for quiet recreation.

"The wood is rich in wildlife, and it is a vital lung in an urban area which is gravely deficient in public open space, and especially in woodland.

"Longridge Wood provides a place where children can, in safety, discover the joys of the outdoors and learn about nature.

"It would be a tragedy if it were to be sold, developed and no longer available to the community.

"We appreciate that the wood has been identified in the local plan as land for residential development, but since it was first identified as such, 25 years ago, the land's character has changed markedly.

"Furthermore, the Middlesbrough Green Spaces Strategy states that we have the smallest number of trees in the North-East, and that there is here 'a deficiency of woodland'.

"That makes Longridge Wood even more precious. The local plan should recognise that this is now valued community woodland.

"The council should abandon all idea of sale and development, and instead designate the land as public open space."

A Middlesbrough Council spokesman said: "Developing this site is a milestone, as it is the last available housing site in Coulby Newham, a community that has grown over the past 25 years and which is now an integral part of our town.

"We want the development to benefit the whole community, so we will be making sure the developer not only provides good quality housing, but also contributes to the local environment, road safety and important local facilities.