Walsall woodland created to celebrate Queen’s Jubilee under threat

The works at the former golf club have come under fierce criticism by former ward councillor, Chris Jones, who said the woodland was created to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee.

In his criticism, Chris drew attention to the £35,000 spent by Walsall Council on two statues of Corgi dogs, recently unveiled in the Walsall Arboretum. He said the statues, installed as a tribute to the late Queen, lack significance compared to the threatened beauty spot.

The woodland is likely home to small mammals, bees, butterflies and a huge range of birds including owls, finches, woodpeckers and sparrows.

Chris said: “The wooded area under serious threat of development in Reedswood Park was planted to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Jubilee. This is a living and developing tribute to her reign. Walsall Council sees fit to destroy it and replace it with two Corgi dogs at a cost of £35,000 of public funds within the arboretum.

“Given that King Charles III is patron of the Royal Horticultural Society, I am certain he would have more approved of the woodland, rather than two nondescript dogs.”

The Department for Education gave permission last year to build a new school in the borough but the location hadn’t been chosen. The school will provide an additional 1,100 new places for children in the borough.

The current exploratory works at Reedswood Park include the clearance of vegetation to determine whether or not the site is suitable. Due to the works, the beauty spot is completely inaccessible from the canal towpath and Raybolds Bridge due to a mud swamp. On the more-used western boundary of the woodland, there are no signs of any work taking place. A report is expected at the end of the year.

The news comes as a petition has been launched to save the former Sneyd Comprehensive School from being demolished and turned into housing. Chris said: “Is it going to be cheaper to build a brand new school or renovate an old one? It doesn’t make sense.”

Before the trees were donated to create the woodland at Reedswood Park, the area was home to Reedswood Golf Course until its closure in 2007. The nine-hole course was created following the demolition of the former Birchills Power Station in 1987. This year, the park was one of the winners of the Green Flag Award and in 2021 it was registered as an Asset of Community Value.

Chris added: “We’ve pointed out that this area has many schools and there’s a shortage of schools in a different area of the borough. The woodland area is close to one of the most heavily polluted in the area.

“These trees do a good job of tackling the pollution. Now, the council has decided to do this site investigation. There doesn’t seem to be a master plan. It seems it’s just ‘make it up as you go along’.”

The Department for Education has been approached for a statement.

Councillor Pardeep Kaur, portfolio holder for education and skills at Walsall Council, said: “Following some delay, the Department for Education is now conducting exploration works of the site. This includes vegetation clearance and exploratory groundwork.

“The work is taking place over a number of weeks and will test the feasibility of the proposed site. This work is being contracted by the Department of Education, and the report of which is due to be complete by the end of the year.”