'An act of environmental vandalism' Actress Dame Judi Dench hits out at plans for Yorkshire wood

The Oscar-winning star, originally from York, threw her weight behind the campaign to save Rotary Wood in nearby Harrogate.

It would see around 500 trees removed, if the plans to expand Harrogate Spring Water's plant on Harlow Moor Road are to go ahead.

Dame Judi's comments were read out at a meeting of North Yorkshire Council's planning committee on October 28.

She said: "To destroy Rotary Wood for corporate expansion would be an act of environmental vandalism - erasing a thriving habitat planted by children and nurtured by a community that believed in protecting our future."

Green Party councillor Arnold Warneken, who has been involved with the campaign for four years, shared the comments on behalf of Dame Judi.

He said the actress has strong local ties, including her late father working as a GP in the area, adding: "It helped draw attention to a wider audience, so it was very useful in that respect."

Dame Judi Dench has other links to Harrogate, including being a long-standing patron of Harrogate Theatre.

She is also a patron of the Woodland Trust and, along with actress Emma Thompson, called last year on the government to support the environment as part of the Restore Nature Now campaign organised by Chris Packham.

It's not the first time she has supported woodland in Yorkshire - last year at the Chelsea Flower Show, she planted a seedling in the National Trust Octavia Hill Garden from the Sycamore Gap tree.

In a recent BBC documentary, she said: "Ever since I was a little girl I have been interested in trees…I've even turned my six-acre garden into a secret woodland, and I see my trees as my extended family."

Richard Hall, the managing director of Harrogate Spring Water, told councillors that the expansion plans would create 50 jobs.

He added: "The central matter of concern raised during the consultations was the loss of trees in Rotary Wood. Our proposal will create a new area of publicly accessible woodland the same size as the area that would be lost."

But Neil Hind, of the Save Rotary Wood campaign group, said: "The site forms part of the Pinewoods green corridor, a living woodland used daily for walking, education and wellbeing. This is not just a spare piece of land. Its loss would be permanent and contrary to council policies."

The group has staged several protests, including one ahead of the most recent meeting.

Coun John Mann said more than 1,000 objections had been lodged - compared to just 11 expressions of support. The committee ultimately voted to defer the decision until a future meeting when more information is available. Councillors wanted to know exactly how the lost tree would be replaced - as well as more details on plans for a new wet woodland near the bottling plant.