Pledge to Save Grove Wood

I agree with all the points raised by the Snuff Mills Action Group email (below) and have signed up to: publicly support the campaign to ensure Grove Wood becomes a nature reserve and is in safe public ownership as soon as possible; urge Bristol City Council to do all it can to ensure the current landowner does not do any further damage to the woodland if I'm elected; support the call for Grove Wood to become a Town Green, protecting it for public enjoyment for all time; support efforts to ensure the rare wildlife that lives in Grove Wood is not disturbed by the landowner's damaging actions.

I have a while back signed up to the Woodland Trust's manifesto about trees and woodland to show my wider committment to the natural world (by clicking on the labels at the end of this blog post you can see what I've said and done about related issues too).

Many thanks to all involved in the Snuff Mills Action Group and to all its supporters for their excellent and ongoing work. I'll do all I can to help them before and after the election.
______________________________________________________


>Hello
>
>I am the Chair of Snuff Mills Action Group, a dedicated group of local
>people with over 250 supporters who are trying to protect the precious
>greenspaces around the River Frome in Stapleton.
>
>For the last two years we have been fighting a long and controversial
>campaign to protect Grove Wood, a large area of ancient woodland next to
>the river. The woodland is currently in private ownership and the
>landowner has felled trees without permission, disturbed protected
>species including kingfishers and otters and attempted to stop the public
>from enjoying the woods.
>
>Snuff Mills Action Group has achieved notable success in persuading
>Bristol City Council to protect the trees in the woodland with a Tree
>Preservation Order and to remove Permitted Development Rights from the
>landowner to stop him degrading the woodland with further inappropriate
>development.
>
>To date we have had excellent support for the campaign to save Grove Wood
>from both of our sitting MPs - Roger Berry (Kingswood) whose constituency
>currently includes Grove Wood and Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East) whose
>constituency will include Grove Wood following boundary changes at this
>election.
>
>We believe the protection of Grove Wood to be a very important local
>issue and that many voters will be interested in your position about its
>future. We are therefore seeking a committment from all of Bristol
>East's PPCs to work with us to ensure that Grove Wood is protected.
>
>We would like you to to:



>Publicly support our campaign to ensure Grove Wood becomes a nature
>reserve and is in safe public ownership as soon as possible

> Agree to urge Bristol City Council to do all it can to ensure the
>current landowner does not do any further damage to the woodland if you
>are elected

> Support our call for Grove Wood to become a Town Green, protecting it
>for public enjoyment for all time

> Support our efforts to ensure the rare wildlife that lives in Grove Wood
>is not disturbed by the landowner's damaging actions

> Sign up to the Woodland Trust's manifesto about trees and woodland to
>show your wider committment to the natural world. Visit:
http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/en/campaigns/woods-for-people/general-election-2010/Pages/our-manifesto-full.aspx
>
>We intend to publish all responses from PPCs on our website at http://snuffmills.blogspot.com/ and
>alert our supporters to your position so they can include Grove Wood in
>their decision making regarding who to vote for on election day. We are
>non partisan and so we will not make a recommendation as to who to vote
>for.
>
>I am looking forward to hearing from you and if you would like to visit
>Grove Wood as part of your election publicity, we would be very happy to
>show you around.
>
>Best wishes
>
>Steve Micklewright
>Chair
>Snuff Mills Action Group