BY whom was the decision taken to cut the ivy formerly gracing the trees and woodland round Okehampton?
Multiple landowners have been affected — Devon County Council (college), Okehampton Town Council (riverside), Woodland Trust (Tramlines), English Heritage (castle) and so on.
Were these landowners consulted? It seems unlikely they were, given the historic opposition to ivy removal due to its nature conservation importance.
For example as shelter, nest sites, cover, air cleaning and so on. Specifically it is the food plant for caterpillars of the Holly Blue butterfly laid in the autumn, and this year's batch will emerge onto a wasteland and starve, so expect to see a lot less of these beautiful creatures.
Also, historically, ivy was accused of 'killing trees' though no-one I think could produce the evidence for this. The trees and woods without the ivy buzzing with bees on the flowers and sustaining birds with the berries will be a poorer place, another unnecessary loss of biodiversity.
Could an expert please respond to this and provide the necessary guidance?
Name and address supplied