Local amenity "for locals..."

But other town councillors are happy for Dog Hill Wood to be enjoyed primarily by locals.

Cllr Tony Bradford wants Dog Hill Wood, on the eastern flank of the town, to appear in promotional material about Ledbury.

One unusual feature of the wood, which is owned by the town council, is Green Lane which passes through it as a track for cyclists and walkers.

But relatively few realise they are on the former pack-horse and stage coach route to Worcester.

Speaking at a meeting last week, in the town council offices, Cllr Bradford said: "It is under-used. Tourists don't know where it is. Let's put Dog Hill Wood in the town guide as an amenity and beauty spot for a quiet ten or twenty minutes."

But chairing the meeting, Cllr Martin Eager said the wood was "a local amenity for local people", and he added, "I like it under-used".

The wood is certainly being used quite often, to judge by recent complaints to the town council, over littering and untidiness.

Cllr Eager and Cllr Keith Francis recently went on a fact-finding walkabout in the beauty spot, and then reported back to fellow town councillors.

The found that most of the reported problems have been sorted out by contractors, with many old branches and logs cleared from paths.

Coun Eager said: "The wood, at the moment, is in a tidy order. Bins are being emptied. We looked at the waste bin on the open area in the wood which is known locally as 'the cricket pitch', and we talked about replacing it. However, it is regularly set fire to. I don't see any point in replacing it."

Because of the apparent condition of some of the trees, Coun Francis is calling for a risk assessment to be carried out in the wood.

But this is still to be ratified by the full town council, and speaking after the meeting, Coun Eager said: "The wood is a very safe and lovely environment. I don't think we need a risk assessment.

"The wood does need a contractor to sort some problems out."