This piece of woodland, also known as Dosthorpe Spinney to some is just outside the western boundary of Eye Parish. It was sold for £133,000 in May 2021 and there have been concerns about its future. There is very little woodland to the east of Peterborough with only a few small patches surrounded by farmland. Trees play a vital role in removing pollutants from the air, filtering atmospheric pollutants like sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide through their leaves. For the busy junction, that the A15/A47 junction is, it may go some way towards counteracting the pollutants generated.
The woodland consists of around two hectares of broadleaf trees, including Hawthorne, Ash, Birch, Elderberry, Beech, and Maple. Both Elderberry and Hawthorn are important winter food sources for wildbirds. It may not be a large area but for the east of Peterborough, it is one of the largest areas of woodland in the area. It was formerly owned by Homes England and while it’s not what you would call traditional woodland it provides a refuge for wildlife despite being surrounded by roads on all sides.
In a 2014 report, following what was described as the “largest city tree survey of its kind” it was calculated that London’s trees provided “at least £133 million of benefits every year in terms of air pollution removal, carbon sequestration and reducing the amount of water going into drains”.
In July 2019, Peterborough City Council declared a climate emergency with an aim to make the council’s activities net-zero carbon by 2030, and to also help Peterborough become a net-zero carbon city by 2030. The legal pack for the site does say that the site should not be used for anything other than agricultural use, woodland or open space. If this area is ever put forward for development it will be an interesting test for the council to see if they are serious about climate change. Land Registry website hasn’t been updated with the new owners so time will tell.
