A PRUDHOE resident says a petition to protect ancient woodland has been ignored by the county council.

In July, Prudhoe resident Ruth Turner drew up a petition to protect Priestclose Wood, a Northumberland Wildlife Trust nature reserve and ancient woodland.

The petition called for Gentoo’s 400-home development to move houses further from Priestclose and Stanleyburn woods which border the site of the former Prudhoe Hospital.

After collecting 180 signatures, Ruth posted the petition with a cover letter setting out their argument to Northumberland County Council’s chief executive Steve Mason.

But she has since received a letter from the county council stating that before the planning application was approved in May, Gentoo had already been asked to amend the development’s layout and had not been able to.

Therefore, Gentoo has not been asked to make any changes following receipt of the petition this summer.

The letter states: “It is not appropriate to review the decision made by members of the committee on May 13, as it is not considered that the petition raises any new issues that had not already been considered in arriving at the conclusion to approve the application.”

The response has disappointed Ruth, who was hoping for a discussion of the issue. She said: “My petition wasn’t to re-introduce the 15 metre buffer as I knew that was a forlorn hope but to make minor changes such as moving the two closest houses three metres further from the edge of the wood.

“I was shocked by the response. I think it is a very sad reflection on the county council that as a public servant it is not working for the public.

“I think the council is letting down the people of Prudhoe by not making any effort to approach Gentoo and totally ignoring the petition.”

But the county council stands by its response and says that full consideration was given to the issue during the planning process.

A spokesman said: “We can understand Mrs Turner’s feelings, but would stress that the issues raised in the petition were fully considered during the planning process.

“Full consideration was given to the issue of the proposed buffer between the housing and the ancient woodland and it would therefore not be appropriate to review the decision.”