Tree Top Walkway at Northamptonshire’s Salcey Forest WILL NOT reopen

A popular tree top walkway in a Northamptonshire park will not reopen and will be removed as the cost to repair is “in the region of £1.7 million”.

The Tree Top Walkway at Salcey Forest has been closed since 2018 after safety inspectors spotted rotten timbers causing “major safety concerns”.

Forestry England has since looked into ways to generate the funding to revamp the walkway so it is in a fit state to reopen after residents launched a petition to stop it closing for good.

However, the organisation has today (September 27) announced the “difficult decision” that the attraction will not reopen as the cost is “in the region of £1.7 million”. Funding would not be granted for this amount and the organisation says funds could be better spent.

A Forestry England spokesman said: “We have had to make the difficult decision to remove the Tree Top Walkway at Salcey Forest, which has been closed since 2018 because of serious structural safety issues.

“We have spent considerable time investigating and weighing up the options of repairing it, and we genuinely believed we were going to be able to repair the walkway and extend its life for another ten years. Our initial estimates, which were based on preliminary inspections from specialists backed up this hope.

“However, having had detailed structural inspections, and accurate costs supplied, we now know the true cost to repair the walkway for an additional decade is in the region of £1.7 million, with additional costs to maintain it during the extended lifespan. This figure vastly exceeds the funding available to us, and even if we could spend that amount of money at Salcey Forest (or other forests in the area) we believe we could invest in better ways for visitors long-term than focusing on the walkway.”

The walkway will be removed from the park and plans are taking shape to use the space in another way.

Forestry England has £300,000 set aside to invest in a new visitor space and in redeveloping the play area.

The spokesman added: “We know the Tree Top Walkway has warm memories and associations for many local people who have loved visiting it over the years and understand how sad many will feel.

“This represents a new phase for Salcey Forest and provides us with the opportunity to reimagine the space where the Tree Top Walkway currently stands.

“Following the removal of the walkway, we are investing £240,000 into this area, to create a new visitor space called The Glade. We will plant new shrubs, trees and a wildflower area, and create a new winding, all-ability path with seating and a covered activity space, so that visitors can enjoy this beautiful part of the forest in a different way.

“We’re also investing £60,000 into redeveloping the popular play area, and we will be restoring the Elephant Bridge with timber from Salcey Forest so that it can be reopened.

“Whilst we know this is disappointing news, we believe this is the best approach to provide sustainable facilities for visitors to enjoy over the long term and to ensure Salcey Forest remains a popular visitor destination and an inspiring place for local people to spend time in.”