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03
Oct 2024
Forestry England gives update on new 80,000-tree woodland near Harrogate
Work on a new woodland near Harrogate looks set to begin in the new year.
The Forestry Commission, a government-owned public body, announced plans to create a 35-hectare forest at Haverah Park, near Beckwithshaw, in April.
Approximately 80,000 trees will be planted at the site run by Forestry England, which is an agency of the Forestry Commission.
It is hoped the planting will be completed by next spring.
Forestry England held a public consultation on the plans in July, which sought feedback from local people.
The latest version of the proposals were submitted to the Forestry Commission for review in September, which prompted the Stray Ferret to ask for an update.
The Stray Ferret asked Forestry England when work is due to begin on the scheme, after previously being told it would be complete by March 2025, and how much it bought the land for.
A spokesperson said work will start in the new year, but added the precise date depends on weather conditions and has not been set yet for that reason.
The spokesperson would not disclose the sale figure, but told the Stray Ferret they were working to provide the information.
Public response
A report collating feedback on the plans was published in September.
Forestry England received 60 responses as part of the consultation, which included 30 comments praising the proposal.
The report includes feedback from local people, one of whom said they are a “tremendous advocate of any form of tree planting or re-wilding”.
Others said the plans were “brilliant” and welcomed an environmentally beneficial scheme.
But concerns were also raised in the report, including issues with traffic and parking, disruption of bird habitats, timber protection and worries about the ownership and future of the new woodland.
People also submitted questions and suggestions as part of their feedback.
They suggested Forestry England could include access and paths for horse riders, cyclists and carriage drivers. People were keen to see a mixture of native trees planted; paths created in certain areas of the woodland; a parking area constructed; more engagement with the community, and to see the body undergo different wildlife surveys.
Prohibiting camping, barbecues and loud music were also recommended.
Forestry England said it carefully considered the responses and has amended the design proposals.
It now plans to preserve more open space next to Moor Park, where species of rich grassland were identified.
The report said it has also removed a large area of conifer tree planting on the southwest side of the site to reduce predator pressures of birds, as well as providing them with more open space. Instead, it plans to increase the number of broadleaf trees.
Scots pine, which were set to be planted next to the existing area of ancient semi-natural woodland on the northern boundary, have been removed, and a small area to the west of the site will include willow trees.
More shrubs and smaller trees will be planted to the edges of the woodland blocks throughout the site, the report adds.
The new site could look like Coatham Woods, near Stockton (pictured) Image: Forestry England
The project is part of a wider commitment to plant 30,000 hectares of new woodland in England by 2025, which was funded by the previous government's Nature for Climate Fund.
Sections of the Haverah Park forest would be felled in 25 years to create more timber, a spokesperson said at July’s consultation event, adding around 80% of the country’s timber is currently imported.
They said at the time:
North Yorkshire is really under-wooded. The Yorkshire Dales National Park is actually the least-forested national park in the country.
The spokesperson said the felling will be done “little by little” – as the species will all grow at different rates – but once the timber has been collected, felled areas will be replanted again:
We’ll use low-intervention methods, meaning the whole site will never be cut down all at once. It’s just due to the different rates at which the species will grow and they’ll be planted again immediately after.
It’ll be a minimum of 25 years until the first set will be cut down.
Forestry England has released few updates on the scheme since its announcement. The Stray Ferret has tried to find out more about the scale and the costs involved on several occasions.
We submitted a Freedom of Information Request about the project in May. We asked how much the scheme is set to cost, as well as how much the body bought the land for, but little new information was revealed at the time.
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