Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2025 to Question 98739 on Biodiversity and Pollution: Sutton Park, what official guidance has been issued by the Forestry Commission to Birmingham City Council on improving the management of Sutton Park.

The Forestry Commission has approved a Felling Licence based on a management plan, which includes permissions for both thinning and conditional felling, alongside 4.99 hectares of heathland restoration.

This plan was approved for a 10-year period in September 2025 and will remain in effect until 14 September 2035.

The management plan sets out the following environmental objectives:

• Manage woodlands towards the recovery of positive conditions on “Plantations on Ancient Woodlands” (PAWS) and “Site of Special Scientific Interest” (SSSI) through a mix of active planting and natural regeneration.
• Promote good health and resilience of woodlands, diversifying age class and species composition using conventional and continuous cover forestry.
• Manage priority habitat by cutting back undesirable scrub and regeneration.
• Promote habitat connectivity by managing rides, footpaths, and edge woodlands.
• Increase fauna and flora diversity through retention of veteran trees, standing deadwood, brash piles, and targeted thinning.

The management plan aims to ensure that Sutton Park’s woodlands are managed sustainably, enhancing biodiversity and supporting the long-term resilience of these important habitats. All of the above is in-line with the Government’s UK Forest Standard.