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Watch the new forest grow! forest grow! Environmental project is looking to the future
An ambitious green plan to plant thousands of new trees across Plymouth and South Devon has been revealed, following the announcement that the area has been chosen to become England’s 11th ‘Community Forest’. The Plymouth and South Devon Community Forest (P&SD Community Forest) will stretch from the heart of the city to the edge of the moor, encompassing 1,900 hectares of land, forming a mosaic of diff erent forest habitats. To put it into perspective, 1,900 hectares would cover roughly the area of 3,750 football pitches. That’s going to mean tens of thousands of new trees - a planting project like never seen before in the Plymouth area. For the city itself, the ‘canopy cover’ will increase by around 20%. Unlike traditional forests, community forests aren’t geographically restricted to one place. Instead, they are a spread out across a mix of community woodland, private woodland, on street, urban woodland, wooded habitat corridors and hedgerows. The key aspect is that the planting will be co-ordinated, so there will be a mix of species and the right types of tree in the right type of place. It is envisaged that by connecting the rich ecosystems and habitats of Dartmoor and the wider South Devon area and bringing them into the city, the connection to nature, and enjoyment of it, can be improved for future generations. It’s a massive project and is expected to last for at least 25 years. Delivering the P&SD Community Forest for future generations is a core part of the proposal, in recognition of young people’s voices in recent climate emergency discussions - and the recovery from the impact of the Covid pandemic. Environmentally, the extra trees will increase the capture of carbon/Co2 in the Plymouth area by 83% from current levels once fully established, helping in the fi ght to become carbon neutral by 2030. The announcement is not just good news for the environment. It is planned that the forest will create 353 jobs over the fi rst ten years, with plenty of apprenticeships across a broad range of roles. The opportunities that the P&SD Community Forest creates will ensure skills development and job creation relevant to today and tomorrow’s young people and generate a sustainable natural asset for future
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generations. In tandem with job creation, the health benefi ts of the new green spaces are estimated to equate to around £5.7 million per year. This is worked out from national health data and expected number of visits to the forest each year. The Community Forest proposals have been drawn up by a broad initial partnership between Plymouth City Council, the National Trust, Woodland Trust, South Hams District Council and West Devon Borough Council, the Forestry Commission, Forestry England, Devon Wildlife Trust, Plymouth Tree Partnership and Dartmoor National Park and is funded through the Department of Environment, Farming and Rural Aff airs’ Nature for Climate fund. Cllr Patrick Nicholson, deputy leader of Plymouth City Council, said: ‘We are absolutely delighted to be involved in such a brilliant and important project. ‘The new P&SD Community Forest will not only complement our commitment to tree planting and the continuing greening of our city, which is important post COVID, but ties in perfectly with our plans for education and skills training. ‘I look forward to the delivery of this project and the community’s involvement.’ Ross Kennerley, regional director South West England for the Woodland Trust, said the community forest represented an ‘exceptional opportunity’ to respond to the combined crises of climate emergency, ecological breakdown and the fallout of the Coronavirus pandemic by increasing tree cover and reconnecting communities to nature. ‘The Woodland Trust is proud to be a partner in this new community forest,’ he said. With the forest funding now approved through the England Community Forest, Trees for Climate Programme, supported by Defra through the Nature for Climate Fund, the partnership will begin work with the next phase of the development. This will involve appointing a project delivery team, and over the next few months, extensive consultation with residents and landowners will take place to see if they want to get involved, from which the forest plan will be developed and sites for the fi rst year’s planting will be identifi ed. Following this, the fi rst jobs to implement the programme will be advertised. Young people will be a key part of the project. They will be at the heart of the planning, design, implementation and management of the new community forest. The idea is that as those young
people grow into adulthood, so will the forest itself. Local youth parliament and council members will all be involved. There will be plenty to do in all areas of the project, be that in governance, forest management or in the wide range of enterprise, training and skills opportunities that the forest will deliver. Cllr Judy Pearce, leader of South Hams District Council said: ‘The ambitious aspiration for the community forest can deliver real and lasting benefi ts for nature and our local communities.’ Toby Fox, assistant director for Devon National Trust, said the community forest would lock in carbon, reduce pollution and create important habitats for wildlife. ‘It will create a network of beautiful and accessible places for local people to enjoy, and improve their health and well-being,’ he said. ‘It will drive investment, jobs and skills, with opportunities for young people at its heart. We are delighted to be a partner in this exciting opportunity for Plymouth and South Devon.’ There are ten other community forests in the UK, located in and around England’s largest towns and cities. They are managed by England Community Forests and supported by the the national charity The Community Forest Trust.n
More information:
To fi nd out more about community forests and what the Plymouth and South Devon forest could become, head to www.englandscommunityforests.org.uk Also: www.plymouth.gov.uk/parksnatureandgreenspaces/ plymouthandsouthdevoncommunityforest or email PSDCF@plymouth.gov.uk
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