· Mayor confirms plans to create two new woodlands as part of his work to protect and improve the Green Belt
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced new projects that will improve Londoners’ access to nature and create an even greener city.
Two new woodlands spanning over 84 hectares will be created in Havering and Enfield with close to 140,000 trees planted in the newly acquired areas, which were previously inaccessible to the public. The woodlands will be located in London’s Green Belt, the majority of which is not public open space despite making up 22 per cent of the capital’s land area. The Mayor is making today’s announcement a year after London became the world’s first National Park City.
Despite London’s extensive network of parks and open spaces, some communities don’t have access to a garden or a public green space close to their home. Black and minority ethnic Londoners, for example, are four times less likely to have access to an outdoor space in general. To address some of these inequalities, the Mayor has funded 270 community green space projects, planting over 280,000 trees in the capital. With projects announced today, the Mayor aims to continue to improve the quality and access to the Green Belt.
The Mayor has awarded a grant of £748,000 to Enfield Council to restore the formerly wooded Enfield Chase area to create 60 hectares of new publicly accessible woodland. The project will also fund improvements to 3km of walking and cycling routes to improve access for local communities through the newly created woodland.
The Woodland Trust has also been awarded £493,082 to secure land and extend Hainault Forest in Havering with new tree planting, which will create a new wildlife corridor between the forest and Hainault Country Park. The project will enable year-round public access to a previously private area of green space in an area currently lacking public open space.
Tree-planting will start in November 2020 and will play a vital role in enhancing London’s green belt. New woodland will help address the climate and ecological emergencies through storing carbon, reducing flood risk and enhancing biodiversity. More than 600 local volunteers are expected to plant trees at the sites on special community planting days, encouraging a connection and sense of ownership from the beginning. The projects will also create new jobs and opportunities in woodland management.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I am proud to be Mayor of the world’s first National Park City – our parks and green spaces are a keystone of the capital. More than ever, London’s green spaces are not only vital to people’s mental and physical well-being, but also to reducing inequality across the city.
“The Government this week announced concerning changes to the planning system, showing little regard for the environment. I want today’s announcements to show how we can lead the way kickstarting a green recovery in London, continuing to prioritise the new green spaces that will help deliver huge social and environmental benefits that Londoners deserve.”
Jenny Scholfield, the Woodland Trust’s south east director said: "We welcome the commitment to make London a greener city and are delighted to be part of this through our plans to extend Hainault Forest. The creation of new woodland will provide an important buffer for the ancient woodland of Hainault Forest, establish new habitat in which wildlife can thrive and visitors can enjoy. We’re grateful for the Mayor’s support in enabling this to happen.”
Cllr Ian Barnes, Enfield Council’s Deputy Leader said: “The Enfield Chase woodland creation project will deliver a wide range of environmental, economic and social benefits that will reduce the impact of climate change and flooding while also creating a beautiful area to support wildlife and recreation. By planting thousands of trees we are effectively giving Enfield a new set of lungs, which will with other environmental measures help to improve the air quality in the surrounding area.
“Along with partners such as Thames21, the Mayor of London, the Forestry Commission and with the help of our farm tenants, volunteers and Friends of Parks groups, we aim to create and sustain a woodland that will benefit the local community and environment for many years to come.”
Key stats on Mayor’s greening projects so far:
- Over 280,000 trees planted since 2016
- 270 community projects to improve and create green spaces or plant trees
- More than 400 hectares of green space created or improved
- Over 30,000 Londoners involved in projects
Extending Hainault Forest, Havering
The project will:
- provide access to new public woodland in an area deficient in access to public open space – over 150,000 Londoners live within 5km of the site
- create a green wildlife corridor between Hainault Forest and Havering Country Park