Maidenhead Golf Course woodland named 'Desborough Woods'

The council leader joined more than 100 people at Maidenhead Golf Course to unveil a new name for woodland on the site on Monday.

Cllr Simon Werner joined representatives from campaign and environmental groups to unveil a new sign naming Desborough Woods.

The woodland-naming event was led by the Maidenhead Great Park group, formed in 2020 to campaign against plans to develop the 132 acres of council owned woodlands and green open spaces.

The area is earmarked for development under the Borough Local Plan, approved under the previous Conservative administration.

In January, outline plans were submitted by developer Cala Homes to build 1,500 homes.

The developer has pledged to protect the ancient woodland at the site – known as Rushington Copse – and create a ‘green spine’ through the development.

But opposition to the plans remains fierce, and Cllr Werner has said the council will try to limit the ‘devastating’ impacts of the build if it does go ahead.

While the five-acre Rushington Copse has a name, the rest of the woodland at the golf course remained unnamed until Monday.

With the support of Wild Maidenhead, the Royal Borough and Maidenhead Golf Club, campaigners decided to officially name this land as Desborough Woods, in a bid ‘to raise awareness of their value to local wildlife and people, and to stop their destruction by developers’.

More than 100 people braved a mixed day featuring rain, hail and sunshine to witness the sign unveiling by Cllr Werner and Tina Quadrino, chair of the Maidenhead Great Park group.

Speaking ahead of the event, Tina said: “Around 40 per cent of the publicly owned land at Maidenhead Golf Course occupies is woodland, providing important habitats for wildlife, including deer and many types of woodland birds, as well as protected species like owls, bats and kestrels.

“Protecting greenspace and biodiversity is a vital part of the steps we must take to prepare for and mitigate against the effects of climate change.”

The organisers thanked Martin Woolner and Gill Evans from Wild Maidenhead, Derek Smith and Paul Louden from Maidenhead Golf Club, and Cllr Werner and Cllr Josh Reynolds for helping to make the event possible.