AN area of woodland overlooking a popular nature reserve in Grays has been permanently protected after Thurrock councillors voted unanimously to confirm a Tree Preservation Order.

The council's planning committee agreed to make the order permanent on mixed woodland north of Ravenswood Cottage, Meesons Lane, safeguarding several acres of mature trees on land above Chafford Gorge Nature Reserve.

The temporary TPO was introduced in November and had to be confirmed by May to prevent it from expiring. Once in force, the order makes it a criminal offence to cut down, uproot or damage protected trees without council permission.

Speaking at the meeting, councillor for Grays Riverside Val Morris Cook said the decision would prevent the irreversible loss of habitats seen elsewhere in the borough.

"We've seen examples where land has been cleared before any planning application is submitted – once that happens the damage is done," she said. "This land has remained untouched for probably 100 years or more. It is dense with mature trees and home to badgers, grass snakes and adders. This is not unused land – it is a well-established habitat."

She added that the woodland sits on a cliff-edge overlooking the Chafford Gorge Nature Reserve, which many residents already regard as part of the protected landscape, and highlighted a long used public footpath crossing the land.

Local resident Tim Alexander, whose garden borders the site, also backed the order. He said the trees provided an important visual boundary to gorge, part of the chalk pit Site of Special Scientific Interest, which is managed by Essex Wildlife Trust.

"The woodland is clearly visible from the gorge and contributes significantly to its character," he said. "It also provides a zero cost benefit to air quality by filtering pollution, which aligns with the council's own environmental strategies."

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Mr Alexander added that the woodland supports a wide range of wildlife, including reptiles, mammals, birds and insects, and warned that the UK already has one of the lowest woodland coverages in Europe.

Ockendon councillor Russell Cherry called on the council to consider wider protection for woodland across Thurrock. "Overnight, woodland can just disappear," he said. "If we preserve it with TPOs, we can stop that from happening or prosecute if it does."

During consultation, two objections were submitted, including concerns about land falling within private gardens. Officers said the TPO boundary would be modified to exclude third party land while maintaining protection of the woodland core. A question over the validity of the TPO was also raised but dismissed by the council's legal officers who determined it had been carried out correctly.