In the remote hills of Upper Coquetdale, Northumberland, £5m worth of timber is trapped in Uswayford Forest. Locals, conservationists, and industry stakeholders are locked in a bitter dispute over how – or even if – it should be removed.
Forestry England hopes to extract at least 260,000 tonnes of timber from the site, planted in the 1970s on marginal land. But with no major roads nearby, the only proposed route runs along seven miles of the single-track U4023 to Alwinton, raising fears of accidents and damage to the valley.
Sam Wood, a lifelong Coquetdale resident, worries about timber lorries on the twisting road. “Imagine school minibuses meeting those wagons on an icy bend,” she said. “There’s no gritting done up here – it’s dangerous.”
Forestry England has pledged to upgrade 10 miles of internal forest tracks and bridges. But the responsibility – and cost – of reinforcing the U4023 falls to Northumberland County Council. Already heavily indebted, the council estimated in 2015 that works would cost £2m. Parish councillors now believe the figure could exceed £5m.
Simon Taylor, chair of Alwinton Parish Council, warns the road could collapse under the weight of timber lorries. “This is a popular valley for walkers, motorhomes, and tourists. Imagine them reversing into a timber truck – someone could get badly hurt.”
Beyond safety, Uswayford is also a designated red squirrel reserve. Local volunteers from the Coquetdale Squirrel Group fear heavy machinery will threaten one of England’s last strongholds for the endangered species. “Ideally, some of the forest should be left untouched,” said chair Ian Glendinning.
Despite these concerns, the timber industry sees Uswayford as vital. Tom Coates of James Jones and Sons, which is investing £70m in a new sawmill near Durham, said the forest “underpins” that investment. With Britain importing 80% of its timber, industry leaders argue the country cannot afford to waste usable wood.
John Bruce from the Confederation of Forest Industries admits Uswayford’s location is “far from ideal” but warns the UK risks losing its conifer stock. “We haven’t replanted enough, and the nation needs timber,” he said.
For now, much of Uswayford’s timber is already deteriorating due to storm damage and missed felling deadlines. Forestry England argues the works would boost rural jobs and create new biodiversity by restructuring the forest.
But until Northumberland County Council commits to major road improvements, the timber – and the controversy – will remain stuck in the valley.
“Much more thought should have gone into this years ago,” Taylor reflected. “Instead, they’ve chosen a route that could impact lives, livelihoods, and the valley itself.”
