CAMPAIGNERS in Prudhoe are petitioning to protect their town’s wildlife amid claims that a 400-home development site could carve up ancient woodland.

Gentoo’s application to build 404 new homes on the site of the former Prudhoe Hospital was unanimously approved by the county council’s west area planning committee in May.

However, more than 100 signatures have now been gathered calling for houses to be moved further away from Priestclose and Stanleyburn woods which border the site.

Priestclose Wood is a Northumberland Wildlife Trust nature reserve and ancient woodland, frequented by foxes and deer.

And resident Ruth Turner, who drew up the petition, is at loggerheads with the developer regarding the 15 metre buffer zone between the development and the woods.

Site maps drawn up for Gentoo’s application show that the buffer zone begins 15 metres inside the wood, meaning that houses will be built right up to the tree-line.

Northumberland County Council maintains that part of the woodland was created ‘more recently’ and does not constitute ancient woodland.

But Ruth believes that the younger patch of woodland was planted in the 1870s by the Liddell Family, and is old enough to be protected.

This is echoed in a report by county council ecologist Richard Willis who describes the buffer zone drawn up by Gentoo as ‘incorrect.’

He writes: “It is apparent that the applicant is not proposing to provide a buffer at the north of the south, and the east of the site.”

And the director of the Natural History Society of Northumbria, James Littlewood, stated: “The boundary of the proposed development is far too close to Priestclose Woods nature reserve.”

The petition calls for six homes, some just three metres from the tree-line and one which falls within the buffer zone, to be moved to protect the nature reserve.

Ruth, a resident of Prudhoe for five years, said: “The trees within the developer’s buffer are 150 years old; it’s still ancient woodland.

“What concerns me is when they dig the foundations they will damage the trees and their roots and they will die. I feel there hasn’t been enough discussion with the county council ecologist and the planners.”

Ruth has collected 140 signatures, a figure which is expected to rise before she delivers the petition to Northumberland County Council chief executive Steve Mason.

A county council spokesman said: “All information in respect of the ecological issues and the ancient woodland was presented to members, and full consideration was given to the issue of the proposed buffer between the housing and the ancient woodland.

“The applicant had submitted an amended layout plan which sited all dwellings outside of the buffer zone, except unit 36. It was acknowledged that gardens and roads would be located within the buffer zone at the north eastern part of the site.

“However, the committee agreed that this would constitute only minor interventions given the extensive buffer zone that would be achieved.

“In addition, as this part of the woodland was planted more recently and therefore constitutes an area of plantation on a woodland site, rather than ancient woodland itself, it was considered that encroachment into the 15 metre buffer area could be justified in this instance.”