The UK is branching out and creating a brand new national forest which will be the first in the country for three decades.
The Western Forest will stretch from the Cotswolds to the Mendips and will see 20 million trees planted, across 2,500 hectares of new woodland.
Work will be led by the Forest of Avon and supported with a five-year investment of £7.5 million from the Government.
Project leaders are aiming to bring ‘trees and woodland’ much ‘closer to where people live’ with the Western Forest set to serve communities in Bristol, Gloucester and Swindon.
The Western Forest is also designed to ‘help the drive to net zero while promoting economic growth’, the Government has said.
It is understood that jobs will be created across Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and the West of England during the project.
The Western Forest is the first of three planned national woodlands which the Government committed to creating in its manifesto.
The last forest to be planted in the UK was created in the Midlands, across Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire, in the 1990s.
The UK is branching out and creating a brand new national forest which will be the first in the country for three decades (stock image)
Project leaders are aiming to bring ‘trees and woodland’ much ‘closer to where people live’ with the Western Forest set to serve communities in Bristol (pictured above), Gloucester and Swindon
Mary Creagh, Nature Minister, said: ‘We will plant 20 million trees in the Western Forest to bring nature closer to people, prevent flooding and support wildlife.’
Alex Stone, chief executive of Forest of Avon said: ‘The Forest of Avon is thrilled to have led a wonderfully diverse and engaged partnership to bring the Western Forest to life.
‘This is about resource, funding and expertise coming directly to landowners, partners and communities, planting millions of trees in the right places.
‘Together, we will enhance landscapes for all to enjoy, improving the lives of our 2.5 million residents and visitors to the region.’
National Forest chief executive John Everitt OBE said: ‘This initiative builds on the success of the National Forest in the Midlands where planting more than 9.8 million trees has transformed the landscape, benefitting wildlife, communities and the economy.’
