Update on 7 May 2026
We wanted to provide you with the latest update in relation to Intake Wood. This follows two wider community meetings, several one-to-one meetings, and a number of visits to the wood. We know how important Intake Wood is to you and of the strength of feeling about recent events and we wanted to reassure you again that we are taking clear, practical steps, involving the community, to ensure the woodland is accessible, safe, and protected for the future.
With this in mind, our immediate priority is safety. On Friday 8 May, we will start some urgent clearing work. Any outstanding work not completed on the Friday will be finished on Monday 9 May. This work will include:
• the removal of bike jumps,
• branch removal,
• the removal of laid stems (tree trunks) obstructing footpaths, and
• reducing stumps that pose trip hazards to ground level where possible. There will be two teams of three operatives, so six people in total:
• one team will be led by our Grounds Team Leader,
• and the other team will be led by an experienced chainsaw-qualified operator.
The use of chainsaws will only be permitted for the removal of potential hazards affecting the main pathways throughout the woodland, for example cutting laid stems obstructing pathways which are too heavy to move.
We understand there may be some concerns regarding the noise from the chainsaws operating within the woodland, but please be assured that the only works taking place on the Friday and Monday will be for essential footpath hazard clearance only.
Ashley Kitchen, Street Scene Manager, Environmental Services from Newark and Sherwood District Council will be onsite between 8.30am - 9.30am and again between 2pm - 3pm should you have any questions.
During these two days, we will not be able to remove the tyre ruts as this will require heavier machinery. Plans for these works, alongside practical measures for the site that reflect discussions with local residents, are progressing in the background and will continue once we have received the Forestry Commission report. We will keep informed on this.
These immediate priorities reflect what local residents have told us is most important to them. As a reminder, no further tree felling will take place this year, except where any independent reports identifies immediate safety hazards. If this is the case, we will share information with residents in advance.
We will provide further updates in the coming weeks regarding next steps. We will ask the admins of the local community Facebook and What’s App groups to share these with you. These are outside of our management so we can, and will where we have email addresses, provide updates directly to residents via email.
Therefore if you would like to be kept up-to-date on work at Intake Wood, let us know by emailing us at intakewood@newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk. We will keep your email address solely for that use. If you wish to stop receiving updates, then you’ll just need to email us and let us know and we’ll delete your email address.