Storms delay opening of new bike park at Sherwood Pines

Forest chiefs are asking for the public's co-operation as one of the biggest clear-up operations in the past 30 years gets under way in Sherwood Pines Forest Park. Last week's storm force winds left a trail of wreckage across the 3,000-acre beauty spot near Clipstone, Notts, with up to 70,000 trees uprooted, say the Forestry Commission. Many trails have been closed and the opening of a new mountain bike off-road area set to be unveiled next month has been postponed, with toppled trees flattening new routes and jumps. "There's a colossal amount of damage, especially around the visitor centre, and we have got chainsaw teams busy trying to clear up the mess," said Chris Bray, Recreation Manager. "Inevitably that means disruption and we would ask for the public's help in steering clear of forest operations and not using closed trails. Public safety is our prime consideration. We aim to get back to normal as quickly as possible." Another victim of the raging tempest was the popular high wire Go-Ape course, with pines tumbling down on ropes and wooden platforms. Repairs are planned. The Forestry Commission estimates that 200,000 trees may have been lost to the gale over its 33,000 acre estate in the East Midlands and Lincolnshire. The two worst hit woods were the forest park and Stapleford Wood, near Newark, where the road through the forest has been blocked. Many recently thinned areas were particularly badly affected. It's reckoned that the high rainfall over recent weeks softened up the ground, making trees vulnerable to gusts. But there could be conservation gains from the severe weather. Foresters plan to redesign some of the badly hit areas to broaden wildlife habitats, including more glades and native trees. And not all the gale blown timber will be removed. Deadwood is a key haven for creatures, including beetles, for whom a rotting tree is a tempting des res. www.forestry.gov.uk