Plans have been approved for a new woodland area with 132,000 trees, wildlife ponds and a community orchards near a village in Bucks.
A collaboration between Buckinghamshire Council and Forestry England will see a 51-hectare site near the village of Wing transformed into an extensive woodland area, providing new habitats for wildlife and walking and cycling paths.
The so-called Wing Wood will be linked by paths to nearby Long Spinney Wood and is part of an initiative by the council to plant 543,000 trees by 2031, one for each resident of Buckinghamshire, as part of a policy to address the climate change crisis.
Cabinet Minister for Climate Change and Environment, Gareth Williams, said: “We are really pleased to be able to join forces with Forestry England to develop this new countryside space in Wing.
"Not only will it provide an additional green space for people to enjoy, but it will also be a welcome haven for wildlife, enhance and enrich the existing countryside, and help us to work towards our net zero carbon goal for the future.”
Approval of the site has followed a public consultation held last year, in which local and national organisations were invited to discuss the prospective benefits of the new green space.
The woodland development will be financed by the Government's Nature for Climate Change Fund, which is committed to increasing tree planting across the UK to cover 30,000 hectares by the end of 2023.
Head of Woodland Creation at Forestry England, Bethany Cambridge, said that expanding UK forests is an important part of the public body's work.
She said: “As it grows and matures, Wing Wood will bring health and wellbeing opportunities to local people and benefits to the wider landscape by providing thriving wildlife habitats to boost biodiversity, improving air quality and helping prevent soil erosion and flooding.
"We are delighted to be partnering with Buckinghamshire Council to grow an inspiring woodland for local people to explore and enjoy."
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Forestry England will begin development of the woodland area this year and aim to plant the majority of tree species by the end of April.
Volunteer planting days will be held in Wing Forest this autumn to encourage residents to plant community trees in the orchard and learn more about the woodland's design.
Readers can visit www.forestryengland.uk/wing-wood-community-woodland for further news and updates on the plans.
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