A woodland in southeast England faces quarrying for building stone. Kent County Council approved a plan to extract stone from Oaken Wood. Local campaigners and wildlife groups strongly oppose this destructive proposal. They argue that ancient woodland ecosystems are irreplaceable and vital. A final decision on the woodland's fate is pending government review.

Forty hectares of Oaken Wood could be razed after it was identified as potential site of expansion by Reform-run council

In 1600, Oaken Wood near Maidstone was already an established English woodland; in 2026, Kent County Council proposed turning 41 hectares of it into a stone quarry, reports the…