Anger as 'pleasant' Westfield Marsh in York damaged by council work

Councillor Andrew Waller, of City of York Council, visited Westfield Fen, also known as Westfield Marsh, in Acomb yesterday as he was informed work was taking place there without notice.

At the site, Mr Waller said he was shocked by the tree felling and uprooting of hedges.

He told The Press: "This is an attack on the area. There has been a huge clearance of trees and shrubs - and large diggers have excavated the beck in the area.

A picture of Westfield Marsh yesterday during the work (Image: Andrew Waller)

"The scale of the work was not published by the council.

"This is a popular, natural walkway in the city for people walking to school and taking their dogs out. The fields have been used for decades.

"It's a pleasant site with a children's play area nearby."

Mr Waller said that local residents contacted him to voice their fury at what was happening at the site.

He said: "There has been a loss of habitat and felling of trees.

"I have demanded to know how and why this has happened, without any notice - and requested an apology to the community which has valued this area for many years as a natural oasis."

Demanding answers, Mr Waller said he contacted directors at City of York Council - who he said will now carry out a consultation with local residents for a re-planting after the work.

Nicola Wall, a York resident who used to visit Westfield Marsh a lot in her younger years, said: "It looks as though it has all been bulldozed down.

"It's unsettling for all of the wildlife in the area. There are foxes and badgers that often visit. It's really concerning.

"I now live in Chapelfields but used to use Westfield Marsh a lot when I was younger."

Trees that had been felled at Westfield Marsh (Image: Andrew Waller)

Mr Waller said flooding may be the reason the work has been carried out, as Westfield Beck is included in the Environment Agency’s (EA) York Flood Alleviation Scheme.

The scheme, which can be found online, says "We are using information from Yorkshire Water to assess the causes of flooding in this area. At the request of City of York Council, we are including surface water flooding in our mapping of flood risk in this area and will be working closely with them to find the best solution to deal with flooding in this flood cell."

Located between Westfield Place and Grange Lane, Westfield Marsh was designed as Site of Importance for Nature Conservation.

Damage from the diggers at Westfield Marsh (Image: Andrew Waller)

The Press has contacted City of York Council for comment and will add the response once received.