Low Burnhall plans receive go-ahead
The North East is set to receive a splash of green as the Woodland Trust’s proposals to create a new wood on 168 acres at Low Burnhall near Durham have received the go-ahead from the Forestry Commission.
Planting on what will become one of the Trust’s flagship sites in the North East will begin in earnest later this month when contractors Lowther Forestry descend on the site with the first 21,000 trees. Local school children will then get their chance to plant trees throughout the week beginning the 22nd March, whilst on Saturday 27th of March, a public planting event will be held between 11am and 1pm to which everyone is invited.
The site was purchased at auction in March 2008, the total project cost coming to £1.5 million, which covers creating the new wood, improving access for the local population and involving thousands of local school children. The funding target has been very nearly reached thanks to money raised through generous donations from local Woodland Trust members and supporters, as well as partners including the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), County Durham Environmental Trust through the Landfill Communities Fund, the Hadrian Trust, Shears Foundation and TK Maxx. The Forestry Commission are also contributing grants worth almost half a million pounds over the next fifteen years.
The Woodland Trust’s England County Director John Tucker said: “We are overjoyed at finally being able to get spades in the ground. It’s been a huge effort and we are extremely grateful to everyone that’s contributed in some way to getting us to the stage we’re at now. We would like to extend an invite to everyone in the area to come along and begin the next phase in our journey – and plant a tree!”
Planting to create the new wood will begin in 2010 and continue to the end of 2012 using species such as oak, ash, hazel and rowan. A home for some rare native black poplar trees will also be created by planting these along open riverbank next to the River Wear.
Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in the North East, Ivor Crowther said: “It is great news that this project can now really get going, involving the whole community! What a fantastic way to get out into nature and help sustain this historically important area long into the future, benefitting both the local residents, tourists and wildlife. We are thrilled to have been able to support this worthwhile scheme and I am looking forward to planting a tree on 26th March!”
Currently, only one public footpath runs through the site but as the new wood is planted, permissive paths, rides and open spaces will be created that will allow visitors to wander freely across the site, to stroll along the riverside or take longer walks within the beautiful Wear Valley.
The new trees will link up with areas of established woodland, extending an existing woodland corridor further south towards Sunderland Bridge, for the benefit of people and wildlife and to help to mitigate the effects of climate change.
In particular, the new trees will help to buffer and protect Low Burnhall’s small pocket of precious ancient woodland – this is woodland that has been continuously wooded since at least 1600, but much of it has been in existence since the last Ice Age. It is the UK’s equivalent of the rainforest and our richest wildlife habitat.
Find out more at www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/woods
Notes to editors
For media enquiries contact:
The Woodland Trust Press Office on 01476 581121, email: media@woodlandtrust.org.uk
The Woodland Trust:
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. It has 300,000 members and supporters.
The Trust has three key aims: i) to enable the creation of more native woods and places rich in trees ii) to protect native woods, trees and their wildlife for the future iii) to inspire everyone to enjoy and value woods and trees
Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering approximately 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres). Access to its sites is free.