Annual General Meeting 2026
Our AGM will be held in the Garden Room of St Johns Church, Upper Selsdon Road, Wednesday 29th April 2026, commencing 7.30pm
The Chairs Report, Agenda, minutes of the 2025 AGM and Membership / Standing Order Form are available below.
Ash Dieback (Chalara)
Sadly the above has now reached Littleheath Woods. Very obvious are the ash saplings which had grown to 5 – 12ft and which are now mostly leafless. Some have pushed out new leaves low down on the trunk but these too are failing. The Councils Forestry Contractor has (September 23) carried out a survey of the remaining ash trees.
Chalara is a fungus which blocks the water transport system of the tree causing leaf loss and trunk lesions and although the younger trees are the first to suffer, already noticeable is the deterioration in the crowns of some of our large ash trees. We will monitor them carefully and it may be that some of the more mature specimens will be able to survive despite suffering the disease. However, sadly, we must be prepared to lose a large number of these lovely native trees. Hopefully, in the future, a resistant strain will be developed and we will be able to replant.
Ward Boundaries, Local Policing and Neigbourhood Safety Officers
Littleheath Woods sits within the Ward of Selsdon and Addington Village.
Our local Councillors are Cllr Joseph Lee (joseph.lee@croydon.gov.uk) and Cllr Robert Ward (robert.ward@croydon.gov.uk).
Our Local Policing Team details can be found here: https://www.police.uk/metropolitan/00AHGP/
You can contact the team via email at snnmailbox-selsdonandaddingtonvillagesnt@met.police.uk
Timber Piles and Logs for Woodburners
The
Friends of Littleheath Woods construct Habitat Piles using sawn and
fallen trees to build homes for insects and other wildlife. Please do
not disturb the piles of logs or take timber away from the woods for your wood burner.
The Friends are able to supply seasoned logs for your woodburning stove in return for a small donation. You can 'Contact us' or phone Brian Flynn, contact details on the contact us page.
Vanguard Way
The Vanguard Way runs from East Croydon through Litleheath Woods to Newhaven, 66 miles. Their February 2025 Newsletter is available below.
Creation of Ride - What do the red dots mean?
As part of our recently approved revised Management Plan we have met with Croydon Councils appointed Forestry contractor to assist with the creation of a 'Ride' along a section of The Vanguard Way leading down to the bottom of Fields Path and Fallen Oak Field. It is the same contractor who helped with the creation of 'Ride' along Fields Path.
Further details are contained in the RidesInfo document below.
Horses in Littleheath Woods
Horse riding
is permitted in the woods - there is one bridleway
and one permissive bridleway. Unfortunately
we have had a number of reports and seen evidence of riders using other areas of the woods.
Not all areas of the woods are suitable for horse riding. Horses can cause damage to habitats and churn up pathways, making them unusable in wet weather. Many of the non-bridalway paths also have hazards, such as badger sets and overhanging branches, that make them dangerous for both horse and rider. Many dog walkers also let their dogs off the lead in areas away from the bridleways and we want to avoid incidents that could be bad for the dog or horse.
We would therefore like to remind horse riders that they have to stick to the bridleways when using the woods. If anyone sees a horse being riden in other areas of the woods, please contact the Friends group with a description of the horse & rider
(e.g. colour of horse, gender & approx age of rider, colour of riders’
clothing, etc.) so that we can bring this to the attention of the local stables
and hopefully prevent any further incidents.
The latest minutes of meetings can be found below:
