NATURE lovers fear a project to preserve the county’s woodlands will be axed under council funding cuts.

Vale of White Horse District Council wants to stop supporting The Oxfordshire Woodland Project.

The project, which receives £5,000 a year from the council towards its £40,000 running costs, offers free advice to community groups or people wanting to manage or establish woodland.

Project manager David Rees said: “From our perspective we’re providing a pretty lean service and £5,000 is the difference between survival and closure. Since our inception, we’ve reduced running costs by 20 per cent. Nothing more can be cut and if we close it would cost £100,000 in the future to set it up again.

“The service will be lost and we do so much good work it just doesn’t bear thinking about.”

John Willmer, a farmer from Clanfield, near Carterton, was a founding member of the project more than 20 years ago.

He said: “I’m very sad to hear the project may have to close but I’m not surprised because I know they have always run on a financial budget which is very tight.This will leave a hole for woodland projects in Oxfordshire, particularly for new ventures, which the group was very supportive of.”

The Vale council is trying to save £1m a year over the next five years.

Deputy leader Jerry Patterson said: “We know that many groups and individuals will be affected.

“Unfortunately, we have had to make some very hard, and in many cases, unpleasant decisions.”

The Oxfordshire Woodland Project provides free workshops for woodland management and planting, It has been involved in conservation projects in Bessels-leigh Wood near Appleton, and Centenary Wood, Charlbury.

It is currently involved in planting new woodland in Stanford in the Vale.