Hucknall MP welcomes £1.7m boost for council plan to plant thousands of trees across Nottinghamshire

Greenwood Community Forest will manage the grant through the national Trees for Climate programme, which the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is funding.

Over the last year, the council has planted 60 hectares of new woodland across seven sites within Greenwood Community Forest, an area that covers large swathes of west Nottinghamshire, including Sherwood Forest.

Mr Spencer said: “I was delighted to receive a letter from Lord Zac Goldsmith MP, informing me that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has recognised the importance of Greenwood Community Forest to the Community Forests and Woodland Creation Partnerships, and will be awarding more than £1.7 million in funding to plant more trees across the forest.

“This is an incredible opportunity for our constituency to be recognised for its fantastic green spaces and woodland areas that have acted as a sanctuary for so many of us during the unprecedented times of the last two years.

"The Nature for Climate Fund has sought to expand woodlands near our cities, towns, villages and rivers, giving people nationwide greater access to nature and, in turn, improving our health and wellbeing.

“I am confident that the expansion of the Community Forests and Woodland Creation Partnerships will create new woodlands to help reduce flood risk, increase sustainable UK grown timber production and create new hobs within the forestry and environmental sector.

“We are so lucky to live in an area of the country that is home to such rich and historic natural beauty.

"I know that this project will not only contribute to our country’s wider environmental efforts but will be a well-deserved addition to our constituency’s forests.”

Coun Mike Adams (Con), the council’s environment ambassador, said: “It is terrific our council has secured this funding from the Government for our tree-planting campaign across Greenwood Community Forest.

“Our target to plant 250,000 trees across the next five years is ambitious, but we’ve had a flying start, and I’m looking forward to getting many more trees into the ground over the next year.

“These trees will bring many rewards for local communities, including improving people’s health and wellbeing, providing a store carbon, and helping mitigate climate change.”

It is hoped that approximately 90 hectares of natural woodland will be planted over the 2022-23 planting season, starting in November 2022 and ending in March 2023.

Landowners and farmers within Greenwood Community Forest can help the campaign by offering their land for planting – the council can provide grants that cover up to 100 per cent of tree planting costs and 15 years of maintenance costs.

Coun Tom Smith (Con), Greenwood Community Forest champion, said: “Our planting efforts so far have been great success stories, with thousands of trees planted at sites including Bestwood Country Park.

“Landowners and managers with green space available for this exciting project will be helping create well-designed and diverse woodlands, more resilient to climate change and natural hazards such as wildfire and storms. "

If you are an individual or organisation with land suitable for tree planting and are interested in getting involved, call 0115 9932600 or email [email protected] for further information.