Sevenoaks Town Council’s plans approved to enhance biodiversity and recreation at Longspring Wood
Published: 05 March 2026
Sevenoaks Town Council is pleased to announce that its plans to enhance Longspring Wood have been formally approved by the Forestry Commission.
The Town Council purchased Longspring Wood in 2024 as part of its Green Community Investment Plan. This was made possible thanks to generous contributions from the Sevenoaks community, for which the Council remains extremely grateful.
Longspring Wood is a valuable addition to the Town Council’s portfolio of open green spaces. The woodland is accessible via existing public rights of way and is located close to Sevenoaks Common, another important Town Council asset.
Sevenoaks Town Council’s plans for Longspring Wood include:
- Increasing biodiversity through additional planting, selective thinning, and coppicing to create a more varied woodland structure
- Improving the age structure and composition of compartments using sensitive, low-intervention silvicultural methods
- Eradicating invasive species to protect native habitats
- Improving public safety as the woodland transitions from private ownership to publicly accessible open space.
Alongside these improvements, the Town Council plans to enrich visitors’ experiences by creating wider, drier path networks and fostering a more diverse and engaging natural environment for the community to enjoy.
Initial work will focus on ride management (maintaining open paths), removal of invasive species, and targeted planting to boost biodiversity.
Sevenoaks Town Council warmly welcomes volunteer support and will be hosting designated volunteering days later this year during the autumn/winter. Anyone interested in getting involved is encouraged to contact
communityeng@sevenoakstown.org.uk. Further details about these volunteering opportunities will be shared later this year on the Sevenoaks Town Council website.
