Steel fencing will be put up in a South Craven wood after all.

The Woodland Trust began installing new fencing in Lyndhurst Wood – on the border of Glusburn and Sutton – last month, only to remove it after receiving complaints.

One resident, Tim Armsby, described the fencing as “ugly” and a “hideous eyesore on the landscape”.

However, the wood – known locally as Glusburn Wood – has suffered badly from trampling and erosion, which is preventing the regeneration of trees, shrubs and ground flora.

Now, after working closely with Sutton-in-Craven Parish Council, the trust has come up with an alternate, less intrusive way of installing the fencing to minimise its visual impact.

“It needs something doing or we’re going to lose the woodland,” said a council spokesman, which organised a public meeting on the issue.

The work is designed to secure the boundary between the public footpath and the woodland.

Access points at four locations – the eastern end close to the bridge, two in the centre area and one at the far western point – will direct and guide visitors, preventing the development of new paths.

Fenced enclosures could also be erected at various places to protect ground flora, ensuring the development of a woodland canopy.

Signs will also be put up asking residents to keep their dogs on the path and banning motorbikes.

Trust site manager, Alistair Nash, said: “Lyndhurst Wood is incredibly popular and well used by the public, but we want to make sure the plants and young trees in the wood are not irreparably damaged by visitors straying from marked pathways.

“We are also receiving reports of mountain bike activity on site, which can cause further damage and pose a risk to pedestrians.

“We are working closely with Sutton-in-Craven Parish Council, creating a much more pleasant spectacle for visitors in years to come.”