A PIECE of woodland officially designated “an informal public open space” but which has been substantially fenced off by neighbours is once again ruffling the feathers of wildlife supporters in Four Marks.

Storey’s Sanctuary, originally a triangular open plot of almost two acres, was named in memory of Anne Storey, a Four Marks parish and East Hampshire district councillor with a passion for wildlife and the environment. Mrs Storey died in 2010.

Enclosed by the gardens of Gloucester Close, Vectis Close, Lymington Bottom and St Faith Close, with public access between two properties between Lymington Bottom and Vectis Close, the area was set aside in the early 1980s for the possible A31 bypass which was later abandoned.

It is also close to a Site of Importance to Nature Conservation with its abundance of wildlife, including the rare European-protected dormouse. It adjoins back gardens of some homes in Gloucester Close, an area currently the subject of a planning application for 10 homes.

Despite extensive searches, no owners of Storey’s Sanctuary, believed to have been compulsory purchased by Hampshire County Council, have been traced and the parish council applied and were granted permission by East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) for change of use to informal public open space in 2009.

But the once precious piece of woodland is now strewn with barbed wire and wildlife unfriendly wire fences, alongside what are claimed to be wildlife cameras, allegedly put there neighbours who have encroached onto the land in attempts to extend their back gardens.

Now a new protest group has been formed with the aim of restoring the land “for the use of the community and protection of wildlife”.

Storey’s Sanctuary Protection Group is being spearheaded by residents who moved into a new home in Lymington Bottom last summer, with absolutely no knowledge of what was to come.

Looking forward to using the woodland as a place to enjoy and take their young family to play, Heidi and Luca Ferasin were horrified to find their way into the ground ostensibly barred by wire fencing, added to later by surveillance cameras positioned in nearby trees.

“These stock-proof fences and barbed wire are now restricting access to most of the sanctuary and pose serious risk of injury to wildlife, visitors and their pets,” say the group via a printed leaflet.

But now with a growing membership of like-mind residents and wildlife campaigners who want to see the land restored to its former glory, the initial 13-strong group of founder members has swelled to more than 1,000 followers on social media and 300 weekly visitors to its website – storey-sanctuary.org.

“Nobody should be allowed to erect fences and invade an officially designated public open space,” said a group spokesman.

“We have received countless testimonials, letters of support and correspondence as a result of our campaign which have been forwarded to East Hampshire District Council.”

Determined to keep residents and visitors to Storey’s Sanctuary informed, a sign was erected by the group at the entrance to the site, welcoming people to the sanctuary and pointing out that it was home to badgers, deer, owls, dormice, foxes, bats, butterflies, birds, and other flora and fauna.

But within hours the sign was vandalised, sawn and snapped off at the base of the concrete post and removed. Another was immediately put up in its place.

In recent years, part of the land, which has been used by the public for at least 50 years, was subject to a planning application by one neighbour to embrace part of the open space and attempt to claim a certificate of lawful use for development of the land. The application was refused by EHDC and later turned down on appeal.

Several years later, the controversial Storey’s Sanctuary was back in the limelight when previous owners of Mr and Mrs Ferasin’s Lymington Bottom property fenced off the access to the site before selling off part of their land for development. But it was not before the parish council moved in with a digger to restore access, after what it saw as the owners unlawfully blocking the entrance to land they did not own.

A spokesman for Four Marks Parish Council said: “The parish council is totally supportive of wildlife and does not condone any actions that aren’t lawful.”

The action group is highly critical of EHDC, particularly its enforcement team, which they claim has “sat on its hands” amid the continuing issues surrounding the sanctuary.

A spokesman for EHDC said the authority was “looking into it”.

Diana Tennyson, of Wildlife Support and Conservation, said that she had first been asked to check the site in 2012.

“The trouble is that the animals are trapped in the SINC, and between the developments and fencing,” she said. “I would like the parish council to be able to claim it as a green open space for the village and for all the fencing in the wildlife corridor to come down.”

In a statement to the Alton Herald, Stephen Whitehead, who lives on St Faith Close and who is one of the neighbours who is attempting to extend his rear boundary into the sanctuary, said: “The land is not public open space.

“Over 10 years ago a number of residents took joint action and enclosed most of the remaining land. This was required to protect the land from being used for housing development.

“Four Marks Parish Council has no rights over the land, not least because it is in private ownership.”