Hawth Woods in Crawley has an outbreak of the fungus ash dieback, and it has reached a point at which Crawley Borough Council must intervene for reasons of public safety. Regrettably, a large percentage of the wood’s ash trees will be lost.

Removal work will be carried out at intervals over the summer and unfortunately there will be disruption to the use of the woodland.

Care will be taken to preserve the woodland, the ecology, and the archaeology in the area, but these works will have an impact on the woodland, both during and after the works. Natural recovery using the dormant seedbank will be monitored and replanting will take place as required.

Ash dieback is a disease affecting most parts of the UK. Currently it is not possible to contain the disease and there is no treatment for it. Some ash trees are naturally resistant or tolerant to the disease and these are being retained to encourage future generations.

For further information on ash dieback, visit West Sussex County Council’s ash dieback page. Opens in new window

Sussex police have released an e-fit image of a man who was found dead in the undercarriage of a plane at Gatwick Airport.

The discovery was made on the 7^th December after a Tui flight to London from the Gambia.

It’s thought that the man may have had friends or relatives in the UK who are waiting on his arrival.

If you recognise the man and can help police with their enquiries, you are asked to contact them on 101.

Conservation work at a park managed by Crawley Borough Council is currently featured on the prestigious Oxford University website.

Worth Park, renowned for its biodiversity, rare plants and award-winning trees, has a page on the Jewish Country Houses section due to its connections with the Montefiore and Rothschild families.

On the university website, park head gardener Steve Peters writes about the park’s rich history and the ongoing work to maintain it for future generations to enjoy.

These gardens do have a history and now they also have a future that complements this heritage rather than detracts from it through a programme of environmentally-beneficial developments. The park has become a rich tapestry of history and ecological correctness for all to enjoy today and tomorrow.

Steve

Head Gardener

It is not every day that you are given a platform on the website of such a distinguished academic institution as Oxford University and we are delighted that Worth Park is featured in this way. Our gardeners work extremely hard to look after our parks and gardens and it is really satisfying that they are being recognised in this way.

Councillor Chris Mullins

Cabinet member for Leisure and Wellbeing

Crawley Borough Council

To read the article go to Jewish Country Houses’ websiteOpens in new window.

Recently a document, Worth Park conservation report 2023 to 2024 – Conserving and increasing biodiversity at Worth Park, has become a worldwide template for green spaces celebrating Keep Britain Tidy’s prestigious Green Flag awards.

Worth Park, which has both Green Flag and Green Heritage status, was completely restored a decade ago.