[Bonjoy]

From the 11th September 2023 and for a period of “several months” the carpark and all paths within Wyming Brook will be closed while tree felling is carried out.

A Statutory Plant Health Notice on the site means that the council is obliged to remove larch (of which there are many)  and sweet chestnut in order to control the spread of the fungal pathogen Phytophthora. The works will involve heavy machinery on the main track along the valley and the felling of a large number of trees. Similar works have already been carried out at Stanage Plantation and the Roaches in recent years.

 Further details are available here - https://www.wildsheffield.com/wyming-brook-works-faqs/

I'm seeking further clarification on the extent and duration of the restriction and will update the RAD when this information becomes available.

[Bonjoy]

In response to a request for more information on the duration of this closure Sheffield Wildlife Trust have said:

"It is really hard to specify an end date which we have purposely omitted because it is dependant on contractor logistics and the weather. I can guarantee it won't be reopening for the remainder of this year due to the projected workload, but next year it could be anywhere between January and the ultimate deadline of the order we have been served of March 31st. This depends on whether we have any hold-ups due to bad weather, plus how much remediation is needed on the drive which we don't yet know, and then the last piece in the puzzle being scheduling of the car park resurfacing and improvements to benefit visitors."

[Neil F]

.....the last piece in the puzzle being scheduling of the car park resurfacing and improvements to benefit visitors."

Is that the car park over the dam that we use for Rivelin, Jon, or a different one?  And if it is, do you know if the 'improvements' include increasing capacity?

[Paul B]

I think those plans were abandoned.

[kc]

Presumably the car park at the top belonging to the  Wildlife Trust.

[Bonjoy]

I'm fairly sure it relates to the carpark at the top, which is certainly in need of resurfacing.

The Rivelin parking is I'd agree totally inadequate for the situation, especially given the lack of any alternatives on the main road.

[Jono.r23]

This popped up on my feeds: https://www.change.org/p/save-wyming-brook-trees?utm_content=cl_sharecopy_37699723_en-GB%3Acv_483205&recruited_by_id=1e365a10-7f4a-11ee-bd44-0f63dc267975&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_message&share_bandit_exp=message-37699723-en-US Not sure what to make of it tbh but at face value it seems worrying. I dont think the hysterical tone helps make their point but it would be a real shame to lose them all, even if it resulted in cleaner boulders!

[spidermonkey09]

I would be surprised if that was the whole truth. It seems to come down to whether they think the SPHN that Bonjoy mentions should exist or not, but since it does the council have no option as they are legally obliged to act on it I think.

[Bonjoy]

I've looked into this a bit and spoken to people at Derbyshire Wildlife Trust both on and off the record. Yes, the SPHN means the land owner has a legal obligation to carry out the work within the stated timeframe. I was initially sceptical about clearance as a measure against the spread of a fungal pathogen, given that it's considered pointless for Ash Dieback which is also a fungal pathogen. Having looked into it a bit though it does sound like felling in relation to Phytophthora is beneficial in arresting the spread of this disease based on work carried out elsewhere. 
The campaign against the work doesn't do itself any favours in my view by exaggerating the scale of the work. The figure I heard for the percentage of larch in WB is ~1% of the tree population, so the idea that the valley will be "a bare-sided valley in a post-apocalyptic landscape" comes across as either ignorant or deliberately misleading.

[Bonjoy]

In terms of duration I've heard that the felling itself is likely to be complete by Christmas, but that the extraction of the timber from site will continue for some time after that.

[spidermonkey09]

https://www.wildsheffield.com/wyming-brook-works/