Tree thinning on Oxshott Heath starts the week of 26 October and its two car parks are merging into one. Most of the heath stays open; works end by December.

Tree thinning on Oxshott Heath starts in the week of 26 October, Elmbridge Borough Council has said. Machinery is already on site. The council is also merging the heath’s two small car parks into one larger one.

All the work is expected to be finished by December. Most of the heath stays open, but some areas will be fenced off while machines are working.

The details come from the council’s news notice of 5 October and its questions and answers page on the works.

The quick answer

  • Woodland work begins in the week commencing 26 October and is due to finish by December
  • The two car parks are becoming one. Part of the car park has reopened behind safety barriers while the work goes on
  • Most of the heath stays open. Some areas will be fenced off; follow the signs on site
  • This kind of thinning happens about once every 20 years, the council says

What is happening, and when

Timeline of Oxshott Heath works in autumn 2026: from the week of 5 October contractors set up a temporary loading area and car park works are under way with part of the car park reopened; from the week of 26 October woodland management works begin, including canopy thinning, removal of non-native species, holly reduction and small clearings; all works are expected to be complete by December.
Graphic by Elmbridge News. Source: Elmbridge Borough Council, 5 October 2026.
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Week of 5 October. Contractors began using machinery and set up a temporary loading area to take material off the site. The council says the loading bay will be removed and the ground restored once the work ends.

Week of 26 October. The woodland management works start. They form part of the council’s 25-year woodland management plan for the heath. The work includes:

  • thinning parts of the tree canopy so more light reaches the woodland floor
  • removing non-native and invasive species
  • cutting back dense holly
  • creating a number of small clearings to let new trees grow naturally

By December. All the works, car park included, are expected to be complete.

The car park

The council is combining Oxshott Heath’s two smaller car parks into “one larger, improved facility”. It has not published how many spaces the new car park will have, or when the whole of it will reopen.

A section has reopened with safety barriers in place, so you can still park and walk on the heath during the work. For other places to park nearby, see our parking in Elmbridge page.

Why the council is felling trees

The council’s answer to “why do so many trees need to be removed?” is that this thinning “typically” takes place only once every 20 years. Removing selected trees eases overcrowding and leaves the remaining trees healthier.

It says dark, crowded woodland holds back young trees, plants and wildlife. More light on the ground lets a wider range of plants grow, and those support more insects and birds.

The area being thinned is set by an approved felling licence. The council says machinery cannot always work safely right up to the site boundary, which is why some edges are left alone.

What happens to the wood

The timber is sold to contractors. The council says the money pays for woodland and habitat work on Elmbridge nature reserves.

The wood goes to mills around the country to become beams, planks, fencing and decking, or is used as wood fuel. Sawmill by-products become animal bedding, chippings or garden mulch.

Cut branches, which the council calls brash, will be left in parts of the wood as habitat for birds, fungi, bats and insects. The council says it will keep this away from paths where it can.

What it means for you

  • Expect it to look rough for a while. The council accepts the work “can appear dramatic” straight afterwards, and says the woodland will regrow over time.
  • Not every path will come back. The council aims to keep and restore the main paths. But it says it is not practical to restore every informal or “desire” path that has formed across the heath.
  • Damaged tracks should be repaired. The council says it will try to put right damage to tracks and access routes once the woodland work is done.
  • Keep dogs and children away from fenced areas and follow the signs while machines are working.

Questions about the works go to the council’s Countryside Team at countryside@elmbridge.gov.uk.

Sources