Guidance

Ash dieback on the Ministry of Defence estate

Updated 3 August 2023

Update 3 August 2023

For the safety of road users it is now necessary to remove infected trees along local roads bordering MOD land in Netheravon, Bulford and Tidworth.

The closures have been agreed with Wiltshire Council and will take place between 9.30am and 6pm on weekdays only, in a rolling programme between 9 and 31 August. Appropriate diversions will be in place and details of specific closures as they occur will be available on GOV.uk or on the website one.network.

9 - 11 August, Mill Road, Netheravon

• Full road closure on Mill Road in Netheravon between the A345 junction and Stonehenge Brewery. Diversions are less than two miles, which will be in place along local roads.

14 - 16 August, Bulford Droveway

• Full road closure on Bulford Droveway in Bulford between the Milston Road and Bulford Road junctions. Diversions will be in place but the ends of the Bulford Droveway closure can be reached via the A3028 and Amesbury Road, which is a four mile diversion.

21 - 31 August, Tidworth

• Full road closure on the A338 between Shipton Bellinger High St north to St Mary’s Church. Diversions from the south are from the A338 to the A303 then east to exit for the A342 to Devizes. At the Portway Roundabout, drivers should follow A342 north-west through Ludgershall to re-join the A338.
• From the north, drivers should leave the A338 at the A342 staggered crossroads, turn east and follow the A342 south-east through Ludgershall to the Portway Roundabout. Drivers can then join the A303 west-bound and take the Salisbury/Marlborough exit onto the A338.

In all cases, work will be temporarily halted to provide access to local residents and allow buses (unless diverted) and emergency vehicles to continue along these roads on their usual routes to avoid delays. Whilst the formal closures are scheduled to take place until 6pm each day, every effort will be made to finish work as early as possible to help minimise the impact on local road users.

Update 24 March 2023

Temporary road closure on the eastbound A303 slip road near Bulford and Amesbury

In order to continue with the current phase of Ash Dieback felling works, a temporary road closure is required on the eastbound only ‘Double Hedges’ slip road onto the A303, south of Bulford Camp. The closure will take place between Tuesday 28 and Thursday 30 March between the hours of 09:30 and 15:30 only. During this time, local road users will be able to access the A303 by following the diversion to the Solstice Park junction (1.7miles) or by using the Amesbury Road sliproad (0.3 miles).

We apologise for any inconvenience caused whilst we carry out this essential work. Any queries should be directed to Landmarc’s National Service Centre on 0800 022 3334.

Update 21 March 2023

Further felling is taking place in March and early April in Bulford and Ludgershall, controlled by temporary traffic lights. This affects the Bulford Road (south from Tidworth Golf Club to the NN tank crossing), Bulford Droveway (between Salisbury Road and Bulford Road), the Enford crossroads to the A345 and Hospital Wood in Ludgershall (A3026). This work is due to be completed by 3 April 2023.

To minimise disruption, this work will be undertaken between 09.30 and 15.30 to avoid rush hour, with roads open as normal at other times. We apologise for any inconvenience these essential works may cause and thank you for your continued patience.

A final package of work is currently being agreed with Wiltshire Council, which will involve a series of rolling road closures around Tidworth and Shipton Bellinger. This is being proposed for August and we will update this page with the programme of work as soon as it has been confirmed.

For further information, please contact the Landmarc Support Services National Service Centre on 0800 022 3334.

Update 7 March 2023

Temporary traffic management around Netheravon to remove trees infected with Ash Dieback disease

The next phase of work to remove trees infected with Ash Dieback disease on Salisbury Plain Training Area will take place between Monday 13 March and Friday 24 March.

The next phase affects roads in and around Netheravon. No road closures will be necessary, however there will be traffic light controls in place to ensure the trees can be removed safely and that road users and the local workforce are protected. You are therefore advised to allow extra time for any journeys you need to make during this time.

Details of the work

The work, which has been discussed and agreed with Wiltshire Council, will take place between 9am and 4pm in the following locations, on weekdays only:

Week one

• 13 to 17 March: Mill Road, Netheravon

Week two

• 20 to 22 March: Enford Bridge and The Crescent at Ablington
• 22 to 24 March: Church Lane, Figheldean

Details of specific closures as they occur will be available here or on the website one.network.

Update 17 February 2023

The next phase of ash dieback felling on Salisbury Plain Training Area will involve a number of temporary road closures on the A360 and other local roads around Tilshead, Shrewton and Chitterne.

The temporary closures, which have been discussed and agreed with Wiltshire Council, will take place between 9am and 6pm on weekdays only, starting on the 27 February. The work will continue for four weeks as follows:

• 27 February to 1 March: full road closures along the A360 between Gore Cross and Tilshead
• 2 March: full road closure for one day from the entrance to Candown Road on the A360 in Tilshead to the West Gate entrance to Westdown Camp
• 6 to 7 March: Two day full road closures on Chitterne Road between Tilshead and Chitterne
• 8 to 10 March: Three day full road closures on the B390 between Shrewton and Chitterne
• 13 to 24 March: Full week day road closures from the corner of the B3083 and the Common in Shrewton, back into Shrewton narrow lane

Diversions will be in place and clearly signed but work will be temporarily halted to allow buses and emergency vehicles to continue along the road on their usual routes to avoid delays and to allow access to local residents.

Details of specific closures as they occur will be available here or on the website one.network.

Update 7 March 2022

Forestry work in progress: Salisbury Plain Training Area

The next phase of work on Salisbury Plain Training Area will start on Monday 14 March in the Pewsey/Everleigh area and move in a southerly direction, ending at Tidworth. This work is necessary to remove dangerous trees and protect local communities. Some full and partial road closures will be in place, with appropriate diversions, so drivers should expect some delays and are advised to use an alternative route if possible.

The work is necessary to remove dead and dying ash trees infected with Ash Dieback disease. It will require closures on the Marlborough Road, the A342 and Station Road in Tidworth to allow the work to take place safely. The closures, which have been discussed and agreed with Wiltshire Council, will take place from 7am until 6pm on weekdays only from 14th March, ending in mid-April.

The first stage will see road closures on the A342 from Monday 14 March to Friday 18 March with traffic diverted via the A303.

From Monday 21 March to Friday 25 March, work will move to the Marlborough Road between Pewsey and Everleigh. The road will be closed for five days with traffic diverted to the A342. There will also be some further felling in this area for two days on the 28 and 29 March but the road will remain open with traffic light controls.

On Wednesday 30 March – Friday 8 April (week days only) parts of Station Road, close to Ashdown Copse in Tidworth, will be closed with traffic diverted to the B3026.

In all cases, work will be temporarily halted to allow buses and emergency vehicles to continue along these roads on their usual routes to avoid delays.

We apologise for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

For further information, please contact the Landmarc Support Services National Service Centre on 0800 022 3334.

Update 24 February 2022

Forestry work completed: Swale Corridor, Catterick Training Area

Ash dieback felling along the Swale Corridor has now completed, several weeks ahead of schedule. Some further felling, on a much smaller scale, is expected to be necessary in autumn 2022.

Update 21 January 2022

Forestry work in progress: Swale Corridor, Catterick Training Area

Monday 24 January to mid-March 2022

From Monday 24 January we will be undertaking forestry harvesting work within the MOD Defence Training Estate woodlands along the Swale Corridor.

The work is necessary to remove dead and dying ash trees infected with Ash Dieback disease. It will require closures of the A6108 and B6270 to allow the work to take place safely. The closures, which have been discussed and agreed with North Yorkshire County Council, will take place from 7am until 6pm on weekdays only from 24 January. The work is expected to take approximately 6 weeks, though some follow-up felling will be required next winter.

The first stage will see the closure of the A6108 for felling which will last until Friday 28 January. There will then be a week’s break followed by the start of closures and felling along the B6270 from 7 February. This second phase is expected to be completed in mid-March. Diversions will be in place and it is intended that work can be temporarily halted to allow buses to continue along the road on their usual routes to avoid delays.

We apologise for any inconvenience.

Details of closures can be found on the council’s ‘Roadworks, road closures and diversions’ webpage. For further information, please contact the Landmarc Support Services National Service Centre on 0800 022 3334.

Update 4 November 2021

Forestry work in progress: Everleigh Training Area

Monday 8 November to Friday 28 January

Starting Monday 8 November until Friday 28 January 2022 (inclusive and including weekends), we will be undertaking forestry harvesting work within the MOD Defence Training Estate woodlands at Everleigh.

The work is necessary to remove dead and dying ash trees infected with Ash Dieback disease and to thin some of the woodland compartments. Thinning is when we remove some of the smaller and poorer quality trees, allowing those that remain to have more space and light to grow. It also opens up the tree canopy to allow more light to reach the forest floor to encourage the growth of woodland plants.

Whilst on site, we will also carry out some track repairs and begin reinstatement works.

Until all works have been completed, we ask you to observe and adhere to the warning signs and barriers that will be installed.

For your own safety, it is important that you:

• Keep to the public rights of way
• Adhere to all safety signs and do not cross tape barriers or climb on timber stacks. Access through work sites is prohibited.
• Keep your dogs on leads and supervise children at all times.
• Do not approach working machinery or moving lorries and vehicles.

These works are being undertaken through the approved Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO)’s Forestry Management Plan, which has been compiled with the approval and consent of Natural England and the Forestry Commission.

We apologise for any inconvenience.

For further information, please contact the Landmarc Support Services National Service Centre on 0800 022 3334.

Update 16 July 2021

Ash dieback felling is now taking place at Hill Wood in Erlestoke. We are also taking the opportunity to thin out some of the beech and conifer species as part of our normal woodland management work.

Felling is due to finish by the end of October. You may begin to notice increased lorry movements from week commencing 19 July when we start to remove the felled timber from the woodlands.

The work has been planned during the summer months to reduce ground disturbance as much as possible, as the site can get very wet during the winter. Inevitably, there will be some disturbance to the tracks but these will be restored in the spring and any significant gaps created in the woodlands will be replanted. All work is being completed to the agreed conditions set out for forestry and tree works by the Forestry Commission and Natural England, which includes measures to protect animal habitats, particularly nesting birds.

For your own safety whilst using the woodland, please also respect all safety signage and avoid entering any of the felling areas whilst work is taking place. We apologise for any inconvenience this work may cause and thank you for your continued patience. If you have any questions or concerns please email nsc@landmarc.mod.uk or call 0800 022 3334.

Update 2 February 2021

All ash dieback felling the A345 through Salisbury Plain Training Area is now complete. Felling continues at Heytesbury and in due course, more felling will be required in areas which are not open to the public. Tree inspections will take place in the spring which may identify further pockets of infected ash.

Update 14 January 2021

We have been contacted a small number of residents expressing concern about the impact that road closures may have on their ability to attend COVID-19 vaccination appointments at the Larkhill Vaccination Centre. We would like to confirm that access to Larkhill will not be affected in any way and that journey times should not be significantly increased, although if people are concerned, they should allow five or ten minutes extra for their journey.

Update 18 December 2020

We appreciate that these essential tree felling works are causing some inconvenience and would like to thank local people for their patience while these works continue.

Felling on the southern section of the A345, between Durrington and Netheravon, and middle section between Netheravon and Enford has been completed. The final section is between Enford and Upavon, which will commence early in January and take approximately two weeks. A diversion will be in place.

A short closure will be necessary on the A342 to allow felling of ash trees alongside the road. This is expected to be completed before the end of January.

Felling work will pause from 18 December for a Christmas break and recommence on Monday 4 January 2021.

Update 2 December 2020

We appreciate that these essential tree felling works are causing some inconvenience and would like to thank local people for their patience while these works continue.

Felling on the southern section of the A345 (between Durrington and Netheravon) has been completed ahead of schedule. Accordingly Wiltshire County Council has approved an early start to some day works around Figheldean.

On Monday 23 November, work will commence on Milston Road, Burford. To deliver this section safely, a full closure of the road to traffic is required. Those needing to access or leave properties will be able to do so by asking the contractors to facilitate this. Our contractors will do everything they can to reduce any inconvenience.

Starting on 2 December, felling work will commence on the middle section of the A345 between Netheravon and Enford. This work is expected to be completed on 13 December and a signed diversion will be in place.

Work will then take place at Vicarage Lane, Upavon for three days, East Chisenbury for one day and at tank crossing A (postcode SN9 6BD) for a day.

Felling work will pause from 18 December for a Christmas break and recommence on Monday 4 January 2021.

Update: 5 November 2020

From Tuesday 10 November, Ash dieback felling work will take place on the A345.

Work starts from the southern end at Durrington and moves northward in sections. This work is necessary to remove dangerous trees and protect local communities. Some partial road closures will be in place, with appropriate diversions, so drivers should expect some delays and are advised to use an alternative route if possible.

The final section is expected to be completed in early-mid February 2021. Further details of closures and diversions as they occur can be found on https://one.network/, with local signage in place around affected areas.

Ash Dieback and the associated risks

Ash dieback is a serious fungal disease of ash trees, caused by a fungus now called Hymenoscyphus fraxineus. There is no cure or treatment for the disease and over time infected trees will weaken, causing branches to fall and trees to eventually collapse and die.

Infection can lead to the death of young trees in just two to three years and of mature trees within 3 to 5 years. This presents a significant health and safety risk, especially alongside roads, public rights of way and woodland areas used by the public for recreation activities and military personnel for training.

Ash dieback locations on the UK Defence training estate. Crown Copyright MOD 2011 to 2020.

Salisbury Plain Training Area tree felling programme

Thousands of trees across 250 locations have been affected by the disease on Salisbury Plain Training Area (SPTA).

To protect the future of uninfected ash trees, the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), together with its strategic partner, Landmarc Support Services (Landmarc), is carrying out a tree-felling clearance scheme to remove infected trees, beginning in early 2020.

The work will take place in phases and should be completed in approximately 3 years, with tree health surveying and monitoring continuing once felling is complete. The first phase of felling targeted Ashdown Copse and ran until the end of March 2020, when work stopped to protect nesting birds. Phase 2 began in August 2020 to continue work at Ashdown Copse, as well as other locations where Ash Dieback has been identified including Erlestoke, Everleigh, Heytesbury, Warminster and along neighbouring roadsides, including the A345.

Why we must fell trees

Unfortunately, there is no alternative to the felling of trees on Salisbury Plain. Trees affected by ash dieback weaken and die, and in some cases, the whole tree may suddenly disintegrate. This can pose a risk to safety and therefore felling is the only option to protect the public and other estate users. We are felling the minimum number of trees to reduce risk to an acceptable level and only in areas where there is a clear risk of harm to people.

To protect the public and estate users, DIO foresters and ecologists are working with the Forestry Commission and Natural England to inspect and remove the infected trees.

Felling licences have been approved by the Forestry Commission. Licences are only granted by the Forestry Commission after consultations with statutory bodies and a period of public consultation.

We will be following the survival and resilience of the remaining ash trees so that we can protect any resilient or resistant trees.

Ash dieback Ashdown Copse, SPTA. MOD Crown Copyright 2011 to 2020.

The tree felling process and replanting

We aim to fell all the trees using purpose-built machinery, which makes works safer for all concerned. Felling by a person with a chainsaw will only be considered when we have exhausted all other options for felling and will be risk assessed on a tree by tree basis.

Once trees have been felled there is scope to recover roundwood as well as chips for biomass, which will generate an element of income, to be used for replanting etc. The conditions of the felling licenses mean that we must replant. Where trees are felled, sites will be cleared, and trees will be replanted.

Where trees are felled, sites will be cleared, and trees will be replanted. The UK forestry standard is to replace native species with similar native trees. Native broadleaf trees such as oak, hazel, lime and hornbeam will be planted. Scots pine or cedar will only be used if ‘green cover’ is required for military training.

Replanting is a statutory condition of the approved felling licence. In non-woodland locations we will replace trees that are felled if there is a strong landscape reason for doing this, and if new planting will not create a health and safety issue in the future. To mitigate this further, we will be creating new woodlands where suitable sites are identified.

Resilient Ash trees

There may be pockets of resilient ash trees, but not a huge number. Research will be carried out to ascertain if there are any resilient, healthy trees. We will follow the survival and resilience of the remaining ash trees so that we can protect any resilient or resistant trees.

We will not fell any healthy trees, we hope this may help the species to naturally recover and restock itself in future decades.

The spores which transport the disease can travel a good distance so biosecurity measures, such as cleaning vehicles or boots, should be adhered to if you know you have resilient trees and have visited areas that are infected. Biosecurity measures are now good practice when visiting any woodland sites as there are other diseases that can spread easily from site to site, from spores carried on footwear or vehicles for example Phytophthora spp. which can quickly infect various species (larch, juniper, rhododendron).

For more information about preventing the introduction and spread of tree pests and diseases see the Forestry Commission’s “Keep it clean” campaign on biosecurity.

The protection of animal habitats and other tree species

All work will be completed to already agreed conditions set out for forestry and tree works by the Forestry Commission and Natural England. Careful consideration will be given to habitats and locations. MOD foresters and ecology specialists will also be on site when works are ongoing to advise.

All other species of tree will be retained, unless they have been damaged in the harvesting operation. In order to plan works carefully, we may also carry out some routine forestry thinning works (where we will be felling other species), but in the long term this will reduce the need for future works and give greater periods of time which are free for woodland and habitats to flourish, without the intrusion from forest operations.

Access to SPTA during felling works

Areas where work is taking place on SPTA will be closed to the public for safety reasons. Areas free for recreation will be signed as open. The public are asked to adhere to all signage that has been posted, not to go into areas which are closed for work and not to climb over or through barrier tape or snow netting.

Road closures during felling work

The public will be informed of any road closures through advertisements in the local press and through local parish councils. Advance warning signs will be placed on affected roads and diversions will be clearly marked.

Update as of 10 August 2020

All preparatory work is underway to commence work to clear trees infected with Ash Dieback along the A345 and minor roads in the villages between Upavon and Durrington. No road closures have been applied for or are planned for this week.

Ash dieback in the Avon Valley map. Crown Copyright MOD 2011 to 2020.

A number of static and rolling road closures on the A345 and minor roads in the villages between Upavon and Durrington will start from 10 August 2020 to allow for some essential tree felling. It has been decided, in consultation with Wiltshire County Council, to undertake the majority of closures over the school summer holiday to help minimise disruption.

The closures will take place from 9:30am until 4:30pm on weekdays only from 10 August. The work is expected to be completed at the end of October. The closures will be rolling so only one section of the road will be closed at a time.

Details of specific closures as they occur will be available on this page, on the @mod_dio twitter feed or on the website one.network.

Queries regarding the felling process on Salisbury Plain Training Area should be directed to nsc@landmarc.mod.uk or 0800 022 3334.

More information

More information about Ash dieback, and what to do if trees on your land are affected can be found on the Forest Research website. The DIO and Landmarc are also working closely with Wiltshire Council to manage the effect on roads and any potential road closures. Once approved road closures will be available on the Wiltshire Council website.

Contact

This page will be updated as new information becomes available.

If you have any questions or concerns about this issue you should contact nsc@landmarc.mod.uk or telephone 0800 022 3334.