OAKENSHAW residents are furious at the lack of consultation they received from Redditch Council over recent changes made to nearby public woodland, which included the closure of a well-used footpath.

People living in Rockford Close, Oakenshaw South, claim the council gave them no prior notice of plans to block off the pathway leading into Wirehill Woods. The modification was made to try to stop motorcyclists using the woods.

However, according to Rockford Close's Nick Bowler they did manage to consult with Friends of Wirehill Woods, a conservation group, whose members live in Wirehill, which is on the other side of the woods.

And while Mr Bowler says he tried to establish communication with the Friends, they were not easily contactable.

"The council weren't even able to give us contact details under data protection act," he said.

Mr Bowler also claims the council failed to make public Woodland Management Plan for Wirehill Wood until last month.

"Until then our ward councillor, Carole Gandy was also unaware of such a management plan and the document still does not appear on the Redditch Council website," said Mr Bowler.

He has now collected the signatures of more than 50 of his neighbours concerned about the lack of consultation, as well as ten letters of objection. They have been sent to the council's director of environment and planning Sue Hanley.

"Generally residents welcome the idea to make Wirehill Wood a safer place, but feel that open consultation should have taken place to properly establish the needs and preferences of those affected," he said.

Mr Bowler says residents are also worried about that will not be contacted about plans for nearby green spaces in the future.

"It is most disturbing that the council is still not putting forward a consultation solution to prevent similar situations arising again in the future," he added.

But the council's head of environmental services, Guy Revans said a well-publicised open day to discuss the plans for the woods had been held, actually in the woods.

He said, from their perspective, the most important thing was to tackle the problem of motorcyclists using the woods and endangering residents.

However, he did say they would be looking at keeping the entrance to the woods where it was but they are thinking of ways to create a new path from Rockford Close so residents could still gain access.

"And there are no plans for other green spaces nearby," he confirmed.