Galway City Council is to begin a major felling programme in Merlin Woods next week as part of a regeneration project following extensive damage caused by Storm Éowyn.

The works, due to begin on September 7, will see approximately 15 hectares of storm-damaged woodland cleared in an effort to make the popular Doughiska amenity safe for pedestrians.

However, some councillors and local campaigners have raised concerns about the scale of the proposed works, claiming there has been insufficient communication and warning ahead of the project.

The council said the first phase will involve removing trees deemed damaged or unstable following the storm. The work will be carried out on a “cost-neutral basis”, with contractor Euroforest retaining the value of any harvested timber instead of receiving payment from the local authority.

A second phase, subject to funding, would see damaged conifer plantations replaced with native tree species and additional restoration measures introduced throughout the woodland.

Irish Forestry Services is seeking funding on the council’s behalf through the NeighbourWood Scheme, which can cover up to 85pc of eligible restoration costs. No funding has yet been secured.

Merlin Woods covers approximately 33 hectares, with council officials estimating that almost half the woodland was affected by Storm Éowyn. According to the local authority, around 54pc of the woodland remains intact.

Many of the trees earmarked for removal are conifers, which provide less food value for wildlife than native broadleaf species.

Caroline Stanley with Friends of Merlin Woods told the Irish Independent in July when restoration works were announced: “There’s a lot of things to be carefully considered, where they go in and with the machinery. There’s a lot of planning that has to go ahead, that has to be done, for every step of it.

“There is a large amount of the conifers that have fallen that have to be cleared out of there. The risks are obviously to the wildlife population, because you’re reducing habitats. Even though conifers [as non-native trees] are a bad thing for woodlands, those conifers have been in that woodland since the 1960s,” she added.

To offset the immediate loss of habitat, supplementary feeding programmes are expected to be introduced for wildlife during the regeneration process.

The project is being guided by biodiversity and conservation specialists, including University of Galway zoologist Dr Colin Lawton.

“Although the loss of any forest habitat is a blow, if we can replace coniferous trees with a mix of broadleaved trees, particularly hazel, it would be beneficial to [the red squirrel] in the long term,” he said.

Dr Lawton said supplementary feeding programmes had previously proven successful in locations including Belleek Forest Park in Ballina and could provide opportunities for local community involvement.

As part of the wider regeneration plan, the council hopes to develop new amenities including walking trails, seating areas, interpretive signage and an outdoor classroom.

In the months after Storm Éowyn, council crews focused on reopening the woodland’s primary pedestrian routes. The next phase will target damaged secondary pathways and more remote sections of the forest.

Some southern pathways, including a route linking Merlin Woods Community Centre and Merlin Park Hospital, are expected to close during the works.

However, Friends of Merlin Woods and some elected representatives have questioned aspects of the project, arguing that information about the proposed works has been limited.

At the time of publication, no signage had been erected indicating which routes would close, despite some of the affected pathways being regularly used by schoolchildren and commuters.

Galway City Councillor Alan Cheevers has submitted a list of over two dozen questions to the council’s Parks Department seeking clarification on issues including maintenance arrangements, timber harvesting, felling licences and communication with elected members.

Friends of Merlin Woods has also expressed concern that some trees identified for removal may not require felling and warned of potential impacts on wildlife and the woodland amenity.

The community group understands that areas most affected by storm damage do need to be removed and are eager to partner with Galway City Council to do so. However, as “stewards of the woods,” Ms Stanley said, the group feels like they are being left behind in the regeneration plans.

Council advisers have argued that the identified groups of trees must be removed rather than individual specimens because surrounding trees have been destabilised and could be vulnerable to future windthrow.

Galway City Council’s first plenary meeting back from the summer recess is scheduled for 12pm on Monday, September 7 where the Merlin Woods works remain on the agenda. Some councillors expect a chamber proposal to defer the works until more information is provided.

A traffic management plan was sent out by Galway City Council on August 31 along Merlin Lane connecting to the hospital for restricted movements from 10am to 4pm, expected to be in place until mid-December.

The Irish Independent contacted Galway City Council for comment.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.